DATE: Wednesday, July 30, 1997              TAG: 9707290499

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C8   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: Fore! Your Weekly Local Golf Report 
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELL, A STAFF WRITER  

                                            LENGTH:   43 lines

RULES MODIFIED FOR THE DISABLED

In June, the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, announced modifications to the rules of the game for players with disabilities. They were aided by the Association of Disabled American Golfers in Colorado.

First, the organizations subdivided disabled golfers into five groups: blind, amputees, those requiring canes or crutches, those requiring wheelchairs, and the mentally handicapped.

In all, 39 rules were modified in hopes that disabled golfers can play equitably with able-bodied golfers or with other disabled players. A sample:

Blind golfers and grounding club in hazard: ``Providing nothing is done which constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if a blind golfer grounds his club in a hazard prior to making a stroke.''

The definition of stance for golfers requiring canes or crutches: ``Taking the stance consists in a player who is using an assistive device placing the device and, if applicable, his feet in position for making a stroke. The assistive device is deemed to be part of the player's stance.''

Caddies for golfers in wheelchairs: ``It would be permissable for a wheelchair golfer to employ both a caddie and an aide to assist him, provided the aide does not carry or handle the player's clubs. . . . If the player employed both a caddie and an aide, the aide would be prohibited from giving advice to the player.''

The organizations also addressed the problem of designing a handicap system for disabled players. They cited as an example the problem of assigning handicaps to a disabled player who establishes his handicap at a course with no bunkers, while another disabled golfer of equal ability establishes his handicap at a course that is heavily bunkered.

One possible solution may be to determine a maximum number of unplayable penalty strokes allowable during a round based on the players's Handicap Index and the Hazard rating of the course.

Anyone may request a ruling on an assistive device they wish to use by submitting a written request to the USGA, P.O. Box 708, Far Hills, N.J., 07931-0708.

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