Essex Disabled Golfer

[DTCwordfan]

What's all this about apart from being a load of tosh on both sides, more so on the Brentwood Council side....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45358763

A complete waste of time and money - or is it a case of '"It's been a nice day - think I'll skip my meds tonight and stir things up......' in other words, what money is in it to pay for his golf balls.

[woofgang]

If I was him I would be taking it further too. Yes it is a waste of time and money....public time and money being wasted by Brentwood Council.

[cassa333]

He works for a council as a disability advisor or something.

Personally I think he is just making noise for the sake of it for his 15 minutes of local fame.

[baza]

If my memory is correct the club house is upstairs , another problem.

[Mamyalynne]

Unnecessary red tape, what Councils excel at.

[ummmm]

He's disabled and being discriminated against.

[DTCwordfan]

stoopid of the Council not to apologise and resolve this sooner though.

[gness]

Oh come off it, DT....he loses his business through tragic circumstances.....and instead of sitting on his bum claiming benefits he retrains, goes back to work in a different field, takes up golf and represents England at disability golf......quite a man I think...

Shame on you for your remarks.

[bednobs]

all they ant is a letter from his GP = why cant he just give them it?

[woofgang]

bedknobs, GP's are for people who are ill. Their time should not be taken up with such nonsense as this, pandering to council jobsworths.

[bednobs]

seems eminently reasonable to me. He has one leg, but he can walk. All they want is confirmation he can't complete the whole course, and needs a buggy. Some people with one leg would be able to complete the course. It's like disabled badges - its very obvious that some people need them and meet the criteria at face value, but they still have to go thru an interview with an OT (here at least)

[Mamyalynne]

//Paul says he explained that he had his own insurance, a European Disabled Golf Association card, and a medical exemption, but the club insisted that he needed a letter from a doctor to justify the use of a buggy.//

Why should one Council not be satisfied with that as all the other courses he has played at were?

I think that is the question.

[anotheoldgit]

Don't some non disabled golfers have golf carts?

[andy-hughes]

It may be that the council does not allow carts except for disabled golfers who comply with its rules - and that means a GP note.

[Sqad]

It would appear that the Golf Club has a limited number of buggys for disabled people and their definition of "disabled" includes a note from the GP.
Seems reasonable to me....no letter...no buggy.

[sanmac]

The article states that he has "... a European Disabled Golf Association card, and a medical exemption...". What has the EDGA got to do with a golf course in Essex, and who or what issued the medical exemption? If the rules of the golf course/council insist upon a local GP's certificate of exemption for its playing members then he should simply run out and get one instead of wasting everyone's time, including his own, by running to the press.

[Sqad]

sanmac.........exactly.

[Khandro]

I answer as a golfer; the full story is probably that he wants to play in tournaments using a buggy. There was a large court case in the US along these lines.
Playing golf around an 18 hole course requires that the player, as well as playing golf, walks uphill and down dale for more than 4 hours probably, and sustaining that effort is part of the competition. Using an electric golf cart would give him and unfair advantage.
He can use a cart in a friendly private match though.
Yes,he is being discriminated against, as the one-legged man in the Pete and Dud sketch applying for the part as Tarzan was.

[gness]

I couldn't see the bit about a tournament, Khandro.......I did read he had booked to play a round with a friend....is that different?.....I'm not a golfer.
And he seems to have been fine at the hundred or so other courses he plays, I think?

[Sqad]

gness

"And he seems to have been fine at the hundred or so other courses he plays, I think?"

Nothing to do with it.........do what he has to do to qualify for a buggy in THAT Golf Club.

In my mind Brits have a particular problem in doing what they are told.

[gness]

Sqad....I haven't said he shouldn't get a letter. In his position I'd have phoned my GP and had a letter left at reception.

My reply to Khandro was to his comment about him having an unfair advantage. He must have played in tournaments to be representing his country and seems to have done so without problem.
I could be wrong but I read that he booked a round with a friend and was turned away yet Khandro says he can use a cart in a friendly.