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There are many golfers who have physical limitations which may result in some degree of disability and which may have a significant impact on their ability to play the game. Examples include visually impaired golfers and golfers who cannot grip a club because of severe arthritis or missing digits. The foregoing Rules modifications do not specifically apply to these individuals. However, in cases where an artificial device, such as a brace or a gripping aid, will allow these individuals to play, the USGA will review and issue a decision, on a case-by-case basis, as to whether or not the use of such a device constitutes a breach of Rule 14-3 (Artificial Devices and Unusual Equipment). Any player may request a ruling on an assistive device which they wish to use by submitting a written request to the USGA.
This section in "The Rules of Golf' states:
In the interest of all, players should play without delay. É If a match fails to keep its place on the course and loses more than one clear hole on the players in front, it should invite the match following to pass.
Both able-bodied and disabled golfers should make their best effort to maintain their pace of play and their position on the course. No one deserves special consideration with regard to this point.
Through the green, the player should repair any damage caused by spikes, tires and any other type of assistive device. On the putting green, such damage should be repaired after all players in the group have completed the hole. Due to certain weather or turfgrass conditions, disabled golfers may be precluded, most often temporarily, from using certain types of assistive devices.
It is hoped that current research will result in the development of assistive devices which have minimal effect on agronomic conditions and that the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) will lead the effort to re-educate the public regarding the true, rather than the perceived, impact of these devices on turfgrass.
The interpretation and application of this particular Rule provides more than enough difficulty in dealing with able-bodied golfers. To suggest a mechanism by which this Rule should be applied to disabled golfers is equally as difficult. Clearly, there is enough subjectivity in determining what constitutes undue delay that considerable Committee discretion is required. In that regard, a slightly liberal interpretation of what constitutes undue delay is suggested when dealing with golfers with disabilities. Ultimately, each Committee must establish what it considers to be reasonable parameters in defining undue delay, taking into account the difficulty of the golf course, weather conditions and the quality of the field. To offer more specific guidance to the Committee than that is probably unrealistic.
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