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disabled need a more accessible
course experience.
“In an age when we are seeing
more golfers play into their 90s and
beyond, I think we owe it to the
game to think carefully about how
we get people up or down slopes to
tees, fairways and greens,” he says.
“Practice areas are crucial for access.
This is where we can introduce
people to the game. There’s simply
no excuse for not doing our best to
make sure these areas have adequate
access without obstacles, steep slopes
or narrow openings.”
In Jefferson City, Missouri, Todd
Clark, ASGCA, has designed a
course specifically for people with
disabilities. The Missouri Golf
Association hired Clark to design
a short course at the Ken Lanning
Golf Center to be fully accessible
for disabled people, as well as being
suitable for children and beginners.
The nine-hole par-three course
features holes of no more than 130
yards, built with artificial turf on flat
land with extra wide cart paths that
allow players to use wheelchairs all
around the course. Greens and tees
are also accessible via wheelchair.
In 2016,
Sports Planning Guide
voted the course one of the 10 best
adaptive sports facilities in America,
saying: “The Ken Lanning Golf Center
believes golf should be a sport for
everyone, and since its opening earlier
this year, the venue has allowed
people with disabilities the chance to
enjoy the game like never before.”
Jan Bel Jan, ASGCA, is the secretary
of the National Alliance for Accessible
Golf, based in St Augustine, Florida.
“The Alliance provides information
on the how to incorporate
accessibility into golf course design
and renovation,” says Bel Jan. “Most
Forrest Richardson, ASGCA, made
improvements to allow accessibility at the
courses at Griffith Park in preparation for the
Special Olympics World Games in 2015
Photos: courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks