Dr Tony Bennett, President of EDGA and PGA Master Professional, is excited to present at the Golf Business Expo at Whittlebury Park on Wednesday 8th October on a crucial aspect of modern golf club service often not fully realised: the warm welcome, inclusive approach towards and, ultimately, a real understanding of any new customer who has a disability. In this teaser, Tony questions whether success is about following the rules or about something more philosophical…
The Hidden Barriers in Your Club
Picture this: you’re on the first tee, watching a member line up their shot with the same focused determination that defines every golfer’s approach to the game. The only difference? They’re seated in a wheelchair, or perhaps they’re navigating the course with the aid of a guide. What strikes you isn’t what makes them different—it’s what makes them exactly like every other golfer at your club: that unmistakable passion for the game we all share.
This scene should be commonplace at golf clubs across Britain. Yet for many golfers with disabilities, it remains frustratingly elusive. The question is: why?
The Reality Check
Since April 2018, England Golf has provided clear guidance on how the Equality Act 2010 applies to golf facilities. The legal duty is straightforward: whether your club is private or public, you must make reasonable adjustments for disabled golfers. But here’s what many golf facility directors, staff and professionals don’t realise—compliance isn’t the real challenge.
The real challenge is something far more subtle, and far more widespread than most of us imagine.
What We Discovered
My research into Golf for the Disabled (G4D) has uncovered some surprising truths about the barriers facing golfers with disabilities. Whilst these golfers are remarkably resilient—prepared to work with challenging conditions just like any golfer—there’s a crucial difference between accepting golf’s natural challenges and tolerating unnecessary obstacles.
Speaking widely with golfers from across the disability spectrum, as well as club managers and their staff, professional coaches, club members and volunteers, I found the common thread that can make the difference in creating the healthiest of cultures in a modern venue, while avoiding the danger of a disappointing experience for a potential long-term customer, and I will share my insights with attendees at Whittlebury Park.
My research revealed three distinct types of discrimination occurring in golf settings. The good news? The most common form is also the most easily addressed. The concerning news? It’s happening at clubs everywhere, often without anyone even realising.
The Hidden Barriers
You might think you know what accessibility looks like. Wheelchair ramps, accessible toilets, designated parking spaces. But what if I told you that some of the most significant barriers to inclusive golf are so subtle that they’re virtually invisible to all but those who are affected most.
These aren’t dramatic architectural failings or policy exclusions. They’re small, seemingly insignificant details that can transform a welcoming golf experience into an exercise in frustration. They exist in clubhouses that appear perfectly accessible. They lurk on courses that seem open to all players.
Most troubling of all? They’re costing your club potential members, loss of existing members, damaging your reputation, and possibly exposing you to legal challenges—all whilst being completely fixable.
The Opportunity Hidden in Plain Sight
Here’s what makes this story truly compelling: addressing these barriers isn’t about expensive overhauls or complex renovations. The solutions are often simple, cost-effective, and—remarkably—they improve the experience for all your members, not just those with disabilities.
Depending on the appetite of the golf venue, significant good-value steps can be taken today along a clear pathway of progress for the future. I will demonstrate that even with a starting investment of £1,000, your team can make improvements to either services, course or clubhouse that will enhance the golf playing experience for most players.
Additionally, with the right analysis clubs can better understand their current point of difference and assess whether they have the capacity to more effectively support individuals with physical, intellectual, neurological, and sensory disabilities.
But first, you need to know what to look for. You need to understand how a seemingly perfect facility can still exclude entire groups of golfers. And you need to discover the simple technique that can transform your perspective on your own club overnight.
The Game-Changer
The most powerful tool for creating inclusive golf environments is also one of the simplest. It requires no special equipment, costs virtually nothing to implement, and can be done by any member of staff. Yet it’s so effective that clubs using this approach consistently identify improvements they never knew were needed.
What is it? That’s where the real story begins.
What Comes Next
Creating truly inclusive golf isn’t just about meeting legal requirements or ticking boxes. It’s 100% about recognising that the values we cherish in golf—challenge, improvement, camaraderie, and the pursuit of excellence—don’t change whether someone walks the course, rides in a buggy, or navigates it in a wheelchair.
The question isn’t whether your club should become more inclusive. The question is: are you ready to discover just how simple the process can be?
In my talk at the Golf Business Expo at Whittlebury Park, I’ll reveal the specific barriers hiding in your club, introduce you to a game-changing assessment technique, and show you exactly how to transform good intentions into practical improvements that benefit every golfer who walks through your doors.
