ClubCorp creates accessibility guidelines

Golf Course News, Nov 2001 by Overbeck, Andrew

DALLAS - ClubCorp has created a set of guidelines in an effort to improve communication between all levels of golf course management on the issues of accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Michael Quimbey, ClubCorp's vice president for environmental affairs, developed the guidelines with cooperation from leading industry and disabled golfer organizations.

"I delivered the guidelines at the sixth National Forum on Accessible Golf in April," said Quimbey. "The guidelines are meant to bring all the industry efforts together.

"The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America was speaking to the superintendents, the PGA was speaking to the golf pros, and the American Society of Golf Course Architects was speaking to the architects," he continued. "No effort was being made to include everyone in the process."

According to Quimbey, the guidelines are a tool for the golf industry, for golfers with disabilities, and the organizations representing them. He hopes that the guidelines will encourage recreational play by golfers with disabilities as well as encourage the golf industry to embrace these golfers.

The guidelines closely follow the expected path of accessibility guidance that will be put in place by the U.S. Department of Justice in the next 18 to 24 months.

Among some of the issues covered in the guidelines:

* A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual. There are an estimated four to five million disabled golfers in the United States.

* Accessible routes for golf cars would be required throughoutthe course. All new golf courses and those undergoing alterations would have to comply with these new standards. However, access to bunkers is not specifically required.

* Existing courses would have to meet ADA requirements by removing architectural barriers throughoutthe course"where it is readily achievable."

* Courses need to develop unified and consistent rules and regulations for situations when access by golf cars would be limited.

For a full copy of the "Golfers with Disabilities: Recreational Golf Guidelines," contact Michael Quimbey at michael.quimbersr@clubcorp.com.