This Scottish golf facility is looking to become a mecca for physically challenged players

There have been many pearls of wisdom spouted about golf down the years. “Just give it up,” remains a sage piece of advice, for instance, that this hapless correspondent simply refuses to heed despite the vast accumulation of incriminating evidence.

What was it Arnold Palmer said about this teasing, tormenting, flummoxing and occasionally fulfilling game again? “Success in golf depends less on strength of body, more on strength of mind and character.”

That’s very much the case for golfers with a disability. “We’ve got people here on wheelchairs, there’s someone paralysed down one side and a young lad with no fingers on his hands who can still swing a club and they’re all being taught by me, a blind guy,” said Barry McCluskey, the visually impaired golf development supervisor at the Golf It! facility in Glasgow.

Since the R&A bought the decaying Lethamhill municipal course, where Golf It! now sits, the site has enjoyed the kind of expensive and extensive facelift that used to be reserve of an ageing Hollywood dame.

As it continues to welcome all walks of golfing life into its inclusive, high-tech, come-all-ye embrace, the facility is driving towards becoming a disabled hub for golf in Scotland.

Last week, it took delivery of a Paragolf buggy, an adaptive contraption devised to lift and support wheelchair users so they can take to the course and enjoy their golf like everybody else.

For Ellie Robertson, a maiden outing on said cart was something of an emotional ride.

“It was quite daunting, in fact it was quite scary,” admitted the 20-year-old, who suffered a spinal cord lesion during heart surgery as a two-year-old.

“I didn’t think it would be able to support me. I spend my life at sitting level. Suddenly I was standing up. I always thought golf was a game I couldn’t play. But I’m loving it.”

Robertson’s disability has certainly not been a barrier to her sporting endeavours and excellence.

The Bargeddie youngster is a leading campaigner on the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour and her competitive fires are also being stoked by this different ball game.

Introduced to golf at last year’s Open by Mark Taylor, the head of development at EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association), Robertson has been taken under the wing of Golf It! head pro Alyson Mckechin.

The aim is to nurture Robertson’s skills and fast-track her into an official EDGA event. It’s a bit like a golfing X-Factor process, but without Simon Cowell’s sighing, withering condemnations.

“She’s on a journey with us and the Paragolfer device opens up a whole new world,” added Mckechin of the all-terrain cart that was donated by The R&A Foundation.

“It allows her to be in a standing position, it gives her a bigger range of motion and, generally, it will enhance her overall performance.

“What’s so powerful about the machine is that it gets a wheelchair user up to eye-level again with others. For some, that could be the first time they have experienced that. The impact of someone speaking to you at that level, as opposed to looking down at you, is huge.

“We are providing an opportunity for everyone to play with no barriers. Having Barry (McCluskey) here has been very important for us.

"We’ve gone out to visually-impaired schools and the feedback from the kids was that they didn’t realise golf was an option for them. After listening to Barry, his story, where he’s been in the world and what’s he’s achieved in golf, it’s really inspired them.”

McCluskey himself admits he is working in his “dream job.” As one of the world’s leading visually impaired players, McCluskey, the son of the former Celtic striker, George, continues to revel in his day-to-day golfing duties. It’s a case of go for it at Golf It!

“Golf can open doors for anybody, no matter your ability or disability,” he said. “Since I lost my sight, I’ve always had people saying, ‘you can’t do this, or you can’t do that’. But I’m a stubborn person. I like to prove people wrong.

“I’ve worked closely with Mark at EDGA to make sure that all the coaches here are ready to deal with anyone who comes through the door. They may be thinking, ‘I want to try golf, but I’ve got such and such’. But we have coaches who can help.”

McCluskey is certainly enjoying being part of Robertson’s development. As for tennis-playing Robertson herself? Well, she’s hoping to be a smash hit too on the golf course.

“I’m a competitor so this golf journey is something I’ll really get my teeth into,” she smiled.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Scottish golf facility specializes in helping disabled golfers