‘It’s Hard to Keep’: Special Golfer Shares a Beautiful Message About the Inclusivity In Golf

Sport is something that attracts many around the world. For professional players, it is a chance to create legacies. And for commoners, sports work as a sweet escape from mundane life. Golf draws a lot of people because of its huge areas and varied terrain. It is a game that also requires a lot of physical strength as golfers need to be in different places during an event.

Standing positions and hand movements are important in golf. The sport demands a lot of focus and exertion. But what about those who are physically unable? Thanks to a golf enthusiast who is a paraplegic and has a specially fitted golf cart at his disposal, disability is not a big deal anymore. He is an inspiration. 

New handicap golf cart opens sport to golfers with disabilities

Golf enthusiast Joe Zabel was rock climbing in Utah when he fell 40 feet down. He suffered a serious injury, and as a result, he became paralyzed. Zabel is now in a wheelchair. He had developed a strong interest in golf early on. Therefore, he had been looking for parks and recreation centers that supported handicap programs ever since the accident. Unfortunately, he was unable to locate any.

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“There really are no disability sports in Gillette, and that’s not just in Gillette that’s everywhere,” Zabel said. ”It’s easy to get the kids together, but it’s hard to keep the adult disability programs together,” he added.

This is when he came across the SoloRider handicap golf cart on social media. The cart alone cost $16,ooo. After this, Zabel contacted Campbell County Parks and Recreation Executive Director Dwayne Dillinger about getting one. After extensive efforts, the Bell Nob Golf Course in Gillette received a cart thanks to funding from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

But now that he has the SoloRider cart, he can move from one hole to another without much trouble. This cart has made golfing life easy for Zabel and individuals like him. But how does this one-man cart function?

How Joe Zabel uses his cart?

Zabel fastens his waist belt. The cart is then placed in line with his golf ball. He goes on to fasten his chest strap before firing his shot. The seat can be swivelled too as per the requirement. Zabel is able to enjoy golf again thanks to this special cart.

He thinks that the golf cart would encourage more individuals with disabilities to play the sport and that the Gillette paraplegic community would become better organized. “I hope it gets used enough where I would have to call ahead and tell them to hold it for me,” Zabel said.