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2 October 2026 · 9 min read

Golf with a disability: Rule 25, wheelchairs, aids and venues with access

Rule 25 allows an aide, the device as part of the stance and four instead of two club-lengths for wheelchairs. Plus Swiss offers and the 7 venues with an entry.

Golf with a disability: Rule 25, wheelchairs, aids and venues with access — post image

Yes, you can play golf with a disability, including from a wheelchair, and the rulebook says so explicitly: Rule 25 (R&A) sets out what help and what relief are allowed in competitions. For a simulator with access you will have to rely on the telephone, because only 7 of the 110 indoor venues in the directory say anything about accessibility (as of 2 October 2026).

What Rule 25 covers

Rule 25 applies to all competitions and all forms of play. It knows four groups: players who are blind (which includes certain levels of vision impairment), people with an amputation, people who use an assistive mobility device and people with an intellectual disability. Other disabilities are not in the rule, such as neurological or orthopaedic conditions, short stature or deafness, because no need to change the Rules for them has been identified so far.

Until the new edition of the Rules on 1 January 2023, it was up to the Committee whether it granted such relief. Since then the earlier recommendations are binding provisions, writes 123golfsport. The table shows a selection of what each group may do.

GroupWhat the Rule allows (selection)Section
Blind, up to certain levels of vision impairmentOne aide in addition to the caddie, also for advice, stance and aiming. An object may lie on the ground for aiming but must be gone before the stroke. In a bunker the club may touch the sand without penalty, in front of or behind the ball and in the backswing, without improving the lie more than lightly grounding the club would.25.2
AmputationA prosthetic device is no breach if there is a medical reason and the Committee sees no unfair advantage. If you cannot hold and swing most of your clubs without anchoring, you may anchor the club. Any person may drop, place and replace the ball.25.3
Assistive mobility device (wheelchair, crutch, cane)One aide in addition to the caddie. The device counts as part of the stance. The ball may be rolled back with a club. Anchoring is allowed if you could not otherwise hold and swing most of your clubs.25.4
Intellectual disabilityThe Committee may allow an aide in addition to the caddie and appoint a supervisor who is not assigned to anyone and may not give advice.25.5

Two things apply to all groups. The Equipment Rules stay as they are, except where their Section 7 says otherwise (see below). And the Committee may be more generous on pace of play: it can read “unreasonable delay” more loosely (Rule 25.6a).

Wheelchairs and other mobility devices

Rules 25.4a to 25.4l apply to all mobility devices, so also to a cane and a crutch. These are the points that count most on the course:

  • Help: You may take help from an aide or any other person, including another player, for example in dropping, placing and replacing the ball and in positioning yourself or your device.
  • Aide and caddie: You may have both at the same time and ask the aide for advice as you would a caddie. More than one aide brings the general penalty for each hole.
  • Stance: Your stance is the position of your feet and body and, if you use one, of your device.
  • Replacing: You may replace the ball by hand or with another piece of equipment, for example by rolling it with a club.
  • Anchoring: If your device means you cannot hold and swing most of your clubs without anchoring, you may anchor the club without penalty.
  • Line of play: You must not make a stroke with any part of your device deliberately placed on each side of or touching the line of play or its extension behind the ball.

Two further reliefs apply only to wheelchairs and other wheeled devices (25.4m and 25.4n). For lateral relief from a red penalty area and for an unplayable ball you measure with four club-lengths instead of two. If a ball is unplayable in a bunker, you may take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker for one penalty stroke.

On the course the device is often a ParaGolfer. A report on golf.ch about the Swiss Paragolf Association describes it as a 200 kilo mobility vehicle that lets people with paraplegia make their strokes standing. For those who swing seated, a report by the United Spinal Association describes a one-person cart whose seat swivels 360 degrees, and clubs with angled hosels.

Clubs, grips and aids

The Equipment Rules give the Committee leeway on club length and grips without asking the R&A (R&A, Equipment Rules Part 7). The condition is that the Committee considers the change warranted and that it gives no unfair advantage.

TopicWhat is possible for people with a disability
Club lengthThe limit is 48 inches (1.219 m). Anyone who can show a need may, with the Committee's authorisation, use longer clubs. The shortest club without the putter may then be no more than 10 inches (254 mm) shorter than the longest.
GripsWith a physical limitation, such as missing digits or a medical condition of one or both hands, grips that do not meet the standard are possible. They should be commercially available and unmodified, and not a training grip.

Aids used for medical reasons fall under Rule 4.3b (R&A): they are no breach if there is a medical reason and the Committee sees no unfair advantage. This applies to competitions. What the Rules say about ordinary clubs and balls, meaning length, head size and weight, is in Conforming clubs and balls. What the questions before booking look like for rental equipment is shown in Golf as a left-hander, using left-handed players as the example.

Handicap, tournaments and associations in Switzerland

Swiss Golf writes that the handicap system lets everyone take part in tournaments on equal terms and that the adapted rules offset the limitations in play (Swiss Golf, Golf for All). To apply the Handicap Rules you must refer to the Official Rules of Golf and the “Adapted Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities” (Swiss Golf, Handicap Rules).

Since 2022 Swiss Golf has run the Swiss championships for all, with the categories Men, Women, Special Olympics Singles, Special Olympics Foursomes, G4D Men and G4D Women. G4D stands for Golf for Disabled. There are also regional tournaments that run alongside club tournaments: you play with the club members, and there is no exclusive tournament. Swiss Golf developed the concept with PluSport and Special Olympics Switzerland. If you are looking for an offer, fill in the form on the “Golf for All” page.

Venues with access in the directory

The directory has a field for accessibility. As of 2 October 2026 it is filled in for 7 of the 110 indoor venues and for none of the 16 ranges. Four entries say “Wheelchair Accessible”, five say “Elevator Access”, and two venues say both.

VenuePlaceEntry says
Earlybirdie BadenBaden AGElevator Access (lift)
FUN4YOU Golf LoungeBaden AGWheelchair Accessible, Elevator Access (wheelchair accessible, lift)
Birdie Amigos Golf ClubBasel BSElevator Access (lift)
ACM Indoor Golf CentreBuchs SGWheelchair Accessible, Elevator Access (wheelchair accessible, lift)
CMFG ArenaSigirino TIWheelchair Accessible (wheelchair accessible)
Swing EasyÉtoy VDWheelchair Accessible (wheelchair accessible)
Indoorgolf RotkreuzRotkreuz ZGElevator Access (lift)

There is nothing more in the field than this keyword. Whether the door is wide enough, the way to the bay step-free and the toilet set up for a wheelchair is not in the entry. For the other 103 indoor venues and for all ranges, call first.

What this means for you: four questions for the call

  • Can I get from the street to the bay without steps, or is there a lift?
  • How much room does the bay have, and will my device fit? According to the golf.ch report a ParaGolfer weighs 200 kilos, so the venue should know beforehand.
  • Is there a toilet I can reach with my device?
  • Are there rental clubs, and in what length and with which grips?

What else belongs in the first hour is in What to bring to your first simulator hour. If you want to practise alone, Playing golf alone shows how an hour alone in the bay goes. The rules that apply to everyone are in Golf rules for beginners. And if you want to adapt your equipment because your speed is dropping, Golf at 60 plus has the steps.

Find a venue near you

The map shows all venues by canton. Under venues you open each entry and read what it says about accessibility, and “near me” names the nearest one. If you are just starting, begin with golf simulator for beginners.

Frequently asked questions

Can you play golf in a wheelchair?

Yes. Rule 25.4 covers wheelchairs and other mobility devices: one aide in addition to the caddie, the device counts as part of the stance, and for lateral relief you measure with four club-lengths instead of two. The Rule applies in all competitions (R&A, Rule 25).

Which golf rules apply to players with a disability?

Rule 25 of the Rules of Golf, for four groups: blind players, amputees, people with a mobility device and people with an intellectual disability. Since the new edition on 1 January 2023 the earlier recommendations are binding, writes 123golfsport. For equipment, Part 7 of the R&A Equipment Rules applies.

May I play a longer club or a different grip with a disability?

Yes, if the Committee agrees. Clubs longer than 48 inches (1.219 m) are possible if you can show a need, and the shortest may then be no more than 10 inches (254 mm) shorter than the longest. Other grips are possible with limitations of the hands (R&A Equipment Rules, Part 7).

Is there a handicap for golfers with a disability in Switzerland?

Yes. Swiss Golf writes that the handicap system lets everyone take part in tournaments on equal terms. Since 2022 there have been the Swiss championships for all, with the categories G4D Men and G4D Women. According to golf.ch, a player with cerebral palsy plays one-armed off a handicap of 9.4.

Are there wheelchair-accessible golf simulators in Switzerland?

In the directory, 4 of the 110 indoor venues list “Wheelchair Accessible” and 5 a lift, 7 in all with an entry (as of 2 October 2026). For all other venues, call first and ask about steps, room in the bay and the toilet.

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