The fine-tuning of Rule 25 on golfers with disabilities will come into effect in 2023. It represents a further step on the path to inclusion of golfers with disabilities. For the first time, the Rules for golfers with disabilities are an integral part of the Rules of Golf, and will apply automatically.
Rules for golfers, news
This is a crucial aspect. Until now, the Amendment to the Rules of Golf for golfers with disabilities was a separate document: to be applied it was necessary to adopt a local rule by the competition committee.
Put simply, golf for the disabled was relegated to an appendix. From 1 January 2023 this will finally no longer be the case. Rule 25 provides for the application to different categories of players with disabilities: blind players (and some categories of visually impaired people), amputee players, players who need mobility equipment (paragolfer, sticks, crutches) and players with intellectual disabilities.
The other types of disabilities (eg neuropathies, height deficits, orthopedic problems) are not currently included in Rule 25 as the necessary requirements have not yet been identified. The drafting of Rule 25 was carried out by The R&A in close collaboration with disabled players, each had the opportunity to provide their opinions, to highlight the objective difficulties that may arise during the game and for which a modification was necessary.
The rules of golf are a set of standard rules and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and operated by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf throughout the world, other than the United States and Mexico, which are the responsibility of the United States Golf Association.
A panel of experts made up of members of the R&A and USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision is effective from 1 January 2016. Changes to the rules of golf generally fall into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that in some cases reduce penalties to ensure balance.
The rule book, titled “Rules of Golf”, is published on a regular basis and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy it is up to Federgolf to supervise competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R & A, checking that these rules are observed by the Clubs, Associations and their members and manages the resulting sports justice, protecting their interests abroad.
The rules of golf are relatively complicated compared to other sports because they are applied outdoors, close to nature and animals. Respect for the rules is a basic element in the game of golf, which, almost always based on the self-control and free conscience of the players, often sees distorted results, consciously at times, but often unconsciously or out of lightness, due to non-compliance by many players of the game rules.
In addition to the rules, golf adheres to a code of conduct, known as etiquette, which generally means playing the game with due respect for the golf course and other players. Etiquette is an essential component of this sport.
