Review coaching, communication, booking and participation opportunities.
When considering accessibility, look at all services that affect the player or club member. This includes:
Coaching and introductory sessions
Membership and visitor information
Competitions and social golf
Volunteering opportunities and committee involvement
Support with eligibility and the use of Rule 25 where relevant
General programmes should be open and welcoming, while specific G4D sessions may also be useful. The aim is to widen participation without making assumptions about what an individual does or does not want.
Accessible services depend on accessible information. Review your website, booking process and club communications to ensure people can understand what is available and what to expect.
Use clear language and avoid jargon.
Provide a named contact and more than one way to get in touch.
Explain parking, routes, toilets, practice areas and any support available.
Allow people to request adjustments or share access needs easily.
Make sure online information works well on mobile and with assistive technology.
Before the visit
Provide clear information and agree appropriate arrangements before the golfer arrives.
A person should be able to understand what the experience will involve before deciding whether to attend.
Information should include:
The location of accessible parking and drop-off points
The route and approximate distance from arrival to reception
Step-free entrances and internal routes
Accessible toilets and changing facilities
Access to the overall training facilities such as, driving range, putting green and first tee
The terrain and accessibility of the course
Golf buggy availability and reservation procedures
Available golf or mobility equipment
Whether a family member, carer or support person may attend
What will happen during the session
The expected duration
Who will meet the person on arrival
Who to contact with questions
Provide this information on the website and within booking confirmations where possible.
Ask about the person’s requirements. Unless specific details about their medical condition are necessary then any questions on this subject should be avoided.
A suitable question is:
“Is there anything we should arrange to support your visit or participation?”
If more detail is required, staff could ask:
“Would information in another format be helpful?”
“Will you require step-free access?”
“Would you like us to reserve a golf buggy?”
“Would a quieter arrival or registration area be useful?”
“Will you be attending with a support person?”
“Is there anything you would like the golf professional to know before the session?”
Only collect information needed to prepare for the visit.
Record:
What has been requested
What the facility has agreed to provide
Who is responsible for arranging it
Which employees need to know
Whether the arrangement should apply to future visits
How any personal information should be handled
The golfer should not need to repeat the same information at reception, to the golf professional and again at the first tee.
Personal information should only be shared with people who need it to provide the agreed support.
A golfer asks whether a wheelchair can easily travel from the car park to the driving range. The booking team does not know.
The booking team should not guess. They should check the route, including the distance, surface, slopes, doorways and any suitable alternative. They should explain when an answer will be provided and record the information for future enquiries.
Ask the individual what arrangements would be helpful, including:
Whether water is required
Whether the dog will need somewhere to rest
Whether access to a quiet or rest area would be useful
Do not attempt to diagnose their needs.
A group lesson must move from the outdoor range to an indoor area.
Do not wait until the session begins to explain the change.
Contact the participant as early as possible and explain:
What has changed
Why it has changed
What the new environment will be like
Whether the time or meeting point has changed
What alternatives are available
Unexpected changes can create additional stress or barriers for some people.
Preparing to play
Adapt practice, coaching and playing experiences around the individual golfer.
The golf professional should know:
What the golfer would like to achieve
Their previous experience of golf
How they prefer instructions to be communicated
Whether demonstrations or additional processing time are helpful
What equipment or mobility support will be used
Whether a support person will be involved
Whether rest breaks may be required
What has already been agreed with the facility
The professional should speak with the golfer before making decisions about technique, equipment or the structure of the session.
Begin with the intended outcome rather than a fixed method.
A golf professional may:
Change the club, ball or target
Alter the distance to the target
Use a tee
Change the player’s position or stance
Introduce the movement in smaller stages
Use demonstrations, images or physical reference points
Reduce the number of instructions given at one time
Provide additional practice time
Include rest breaks
Change the environment to reduce noise or distraction
The objective is to help the golfer complete the task in a way that works for them.
Staff should know:
What equipment is available
How it is reserved
Where it can be collected
How the golfer can transfer safely
Which routes can be used
Whether course conditions affect access
Who makes the final operational decision
What alternatives can be offered
How equipment failure will be managed
A requirement for a golf buggy should be identified before arrival wherever possible.
If conditions restrict normal buggy use, staff should consider available alternatives rather than applying a decision without reviewing the golfer’s circumstances.
Do not assume that a golfer with a disability will play slowly.
If additional time may be required:
Discuss it privately with the golfer
Consider a suitable tee time
Avoid creating unnecessary pressure
Explain how gaps between groups will be managed
Consider the most appropriate format of play
Brief starters or marshals where relevant
Apply the same respectful approach used with every golfer
Pace-of-play conversations should address the situation, not the person’s disability.
A golfer requires time to transfer into a buggy and prepare specialist equipment.
The facility should:
Include this time within the booking
Make the equipment available before the tee time
Inform the starter
Avoid treating the golfer as late when the delay results from the facility’s arrangements
Clubhouse and hospitality
Make sure the complete experience remains accessible after practice or play.
Hospitality teams should know:
Which tables and seating areas are accessible
Where mobility equipment can be positioned safely
Whether table service can be provided
How menus can be supplied in accessible formats
Which routes to toilets and exits are step-free
How assistance can be requested discreetly
How emergency information will be communicated
Staff should offer choices rather than moving someone to a separate area without asking.
Ask before helping with coats, bags, chairs, food, drinks or personal equipment.
A suitable question is:
“Would you like any assistance, and if so, how would you prefer me to help?”
Do not assume that a family member, carer or support person will provide every form of assistance.
Do not ask the golfer to wait indefinitely or accept an unsuitable space.
The staff member should:
Acknowledge the problem.
Identify a suitable alternative.
Explain how long any change will take.
Ask whether the proposed solution works for the individual.
Review why the agreed table was not available.
When something goes wrong
Respond constructively and use the experience to improve the facility.
Staff should:
Listen without becoming defensive
Acknowledge the barrier
Ask what outcome the person needs
Resolve the issue immediately where possible
Involve an authorised manager when required
Explain if an immediate solution is not possible
Agree an alternative with the individual
Record the barrier and action taken
Review how it can be prevented in future
A complaint should be treated as useful information about the facility, not as a problem caused by the person raising it.
Emergency planning should not rely on everyone being able to hear an alarm, read a notice, use stairs or move independently.
Staff should know:
How alarms and instructions are communicated
Which evacuation routes are accessible
Where refuge or assembly areas are located
Who is responsible for providing assistance
How someone on the course will be contacted
How mobility equipment will be managed
What happens if lifts or golf buggies cannot be used
How individual arrangements are recorded
Never lift or physically move a person unless trained to do so, authorised and required by the emergency procedure.
When play is suspended, staff should not assume everyone can hear the warning or return quickly without assistance.
