The UK’s leading mobility scooter specialist, TGA, was delighted to support the Scottish Disability Golf Partnership (SDGP) 2012 Open Championships at Kinross Golf Club (8–10 August) with a unique Breeze S4 Golf mobility scooter suitable for most courses and congratulates the 21 disabled players and three coaches who competed.
The SDGP is a charity established in 2004 by Jim Gales who is registered blind and was awarded an MBE for his work in promoting disabled sport. The group currently has over 140 active members and is the only organisation of its kind inScotlandwhere disabled individuals have the ability to play golf irrespective of specific conditions.
These conditions can include people diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis and Parkinson’s and those recovering from a stroke. Amputees and individuals who are partially sighted or have reduced hearing can also take part and benefit from the support of the Society, which manages around 40 ‘swing clinics’ and competitions throughout the year.
The SDGP has evolved rapidly since inception and provides golf training and competition for many hundreds of people in addition to club members. The TGA Breeze S4 Golf mobility scooter, which supported the Open Championships this year, is a unique solution which helps these types of disabled individual access most golf courses through design features such as fairway friendly wheels, ample battery range and an orthopedic, rotating seat with lift up arms.
Adrian Canny from Ireland, who is registered blind, won the overall (nett) competition with 226 strokes over the three days followed by Andy McDonald (leg amputee) in 2nd place with 233 and Jim Gales in 3rd with 240 shots.
Stevie Cunningham, SDGP Chairman commented: “The highlight of the tournament was the bringing together of disabled golfers from throughout theUK, enjoying the competition in fantastic weather and the social aspects of the 19th hole. We had a lot of press coverage prior to the event through Golfblogger, Insight Radio, local newspapers and a mention on independent radio, which is excellent for raising more awareness of our organisation and is partly due to the assistance of TGA.
“The management committee and members of the SDGP would like to thank TGA for their support of the 3rd Pan Disability Open Championships and all of the players and coaches who saw and tried out the TGA Breeze S4 were very impressed with its design, comfort, build quality and versatility.
“Some people recognised it immediately from its appearance on BBC Top Gear and one of our members, Kevin Harmison, a lower leg amputee, said: ‘I really like the idea of the Breeze S4 being road legal and having a 30 mile range. It is a great idea for those who live a few miles from their local golf club. You can just load up your clubs and away you go. I will be making some more enquiries when I get back home.’ A big thanks goes to Harry Reed from TGA for taking the time to bring along the Breeze S4 and demonstrating it so well.”
The 12km/h (8mph) Breeze S4 Golf is a 4-wheel mobility scooter that is part of the renowned Breeze family from TGA. It has an established and respected reputation for providing exceptional reliability, comfort and build quality and the Golf version is adapted with wider wheels and an optional golf bag attachment. The wider tyres provide softer contact with fairways so that good traction is maintained without damaging the playing surface. It has a range of up to 48km (30 miles) that is ample range for 18 holes and the Breeze can safely climb a 9.5 degree slope – perfect for manoeuvring around bunkers and out of bounds if needed.
Daniel Stone, TGA’s Managing Director concludes: “We are delighted to hear that the 3rd Pan Disability Open Championships were a huge success for all involved and the TGA Breeze S4 Golf was so popular with the competitors. TGA are always committed to supporting groups and societies that collectively assist people with disabilities enhance their independence, inclusion and enjoyment. We believe the TGA Breeze S4 Golf mobility scooter does just that.”
Scottish Disability Golf Partnership www.sdgp.co.uk