Start Date
17-6-2025 3:00 PM
End Date
17-6-2025 4:30 PM
Abstract
This presentation aligns with ISAPA 2025’s theme, ‘Creating New Opportunities to Thrive,’ by exploring the evolving inclusivity within the golf industry.
While the game of golf has been played for centuries, the formal golf industry is far younger. At its core, golf is the task of swinging a club to hit a ball towards a target—a fundamentally inclusive activity as the club does not care who is swinging it. With each player using a stationary ball, the game accommodates individuals with visual or mobility challenges by offering time to prepare for
An inclusive sport in a perceived exclusive industry - Golf is creating a more inclusive and accessible landscape.
their stroke. However, the golf industry’s reputation for exclusivity often overshadows this inherent inclusivity.
Recent research involving 77 Golfers with Disabilities (GwD) has uncovered structural and cultural barriers that inhibit full and quality participation. From this research, actionable recommendations have emerged and are now being implemented to make golf more accessible and welcoming. With increasing societal focus on accessibility and inclusion, these strategies are both timely and impactful, fostering a golfing environment where Individuals with Disabilities (IwD) can sample, participate and compete.
As generational demographics shift, the landscape of the sport evolves. Gen Y and Gen Z, raised with a deeper understanding of disability, expect greater inclusivity. This generational shift and changing landscape create tension as golf strives to meet these expectations while aligning with the International Paralympic Committee’s classification regulations. Navigating this balance, golf is progressing towards a future where inclusivity is central, aligning the sport with modern societal values and expectations.
Recommended Citation
Bennett, Tony Dr, "An inclusive sport in a perceived exclusive industry - Golf is creating a more inclusive and accessible landscape." (2025). International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity and International Symposium on Physical Activity and Visual Impairment and Deafblindness. 55.
https://sword.cit.ie/isapa/2025/day2/55
An inclusive sport in a perceived exclusive industry - Golf is creating a more inclusive and accessible landscape.
This presentation aligns with ISAPA 2025’s theme, ‘Creating New Opportunities to Thrive,’ by exploring the evolving inclusivity within the golf industry.
While the game of golf has been played for centuries, the formal golf industry is far younger. At its core, golf is the task of swinging a club to hit a ball towards a target—a fundamentally inclusive activity as the club does not care who is swinging it. With each player using a stationary ball, the game accommodates individuals with visual or mobility challenges by offering time to prepare for
An inclusive sport in a perceived exclusive industry - Golf is creating a more inclusive and accessible landscape.
their stroke. However, the golf industry’s reputation for exclusivity often overshadows this inherent inclusivity.
Recent research involving 77 Golfers with Disabilities (GwD) has uncovered structural and cultural barriers that inhibit full and quality participation. From this research, actionable recommendations have emerged and are now being implemented to make golf more accessible and welcoming. With increasing societal focus on accessibility and inclusion, these strategies are both timely and impactful, fostering a golfing environment where Individuals with Disabilities (IwD) can sample, participate and compete.
As generational demographics shift, the landscape of the sport evolves. Gen Y and Gen Z, raised with a deeper understanding of disability, expect greater inclusivity. This generational shift and changing landscape create tension as golf strives to meet these expectations while aligning with the International Paralympic Committee’s classification regulations. Navigating this balance, golf is progressing towards a future where inclusivity is central, aligning the sport with modern societal values and expectations.
