The global state of play: A study of the demographic characteristics of disability golfers.

BACKGROUND

Golf is a moderate-intensity physical activity that provides positive physical and mental health benefits. However, the inclusiveness of the sport for individuals with disabilities globally is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the demographics and disability characteristics of individuals engaging in disability golf globally. It was hypothesized that the majority of participants would be middle-aged, male, and from countries with higher gross domestic product, similar to the nondisabled population.

DESIGN

Descriptive, cross-sectional analysis using European Disability Golf Association (EDGA) database.

SETTING

Various international golf tournaments.

PARTICIPANTS

Golfers (n = 1734) with disability from 44 countries registered with the EDGA (2017-2021).

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOMES

Descriptive analyses of frequencies, distributions, and means differences of demographic characteristics (age, gender, type of disability, level of handicap, golf cart use, and country of origin) of golfers with disability were performed. Data provided analysis of the association between number of participants and a country's gross domestic product (GDP).

RESULTS

Individuals had a mean age of 52.5 (±15.6) years: 1589 (91.6%) male and 145 (8.4%) female. Twenty-three countries had female participation. The most commonly reported primary disability diagnoses were neurologic (24.8%), orthopedic (21.4%), and amputation below the knee (14.4%). Neurologic impairments (24.7%) were most common in men and orthopedic impairments (29.7%) were most common in women. Individuals with neurological impairments (27.4%) most frequently required golf carts to play. The GDP of a country had a positive correlation (r = 0.68) with the number of registered golfers with disability.

CONCLUSION

Golf is played by individuals with a variety of disabilities and provides numerous benefits. However, there is an underrepresentation of youth, women, and individuals with certain impairments and from lower-income countries. These are the potential areas of opportunity to improve engagement and inclusiveness of golf.