{"id":36537,"date":"2026-09-04T09:44:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T09:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/?p=36537"},"modified":"2026-09-04T09:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T09:58:19","slug":"when-handicap-no-longer-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/en\/when-handicap-no-longer-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"When Handicap No Longer Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-k7djv9qv-d981001acfd3f0e0ef55627c9836e569\">\n.avia-image-container.av-k7djv9qv-d981001acfd3f0e0ef55627c9836e569 img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-k7djv9qv-d981001acfd3f0e0ef55627c9836e569 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-k7djv9qv-d981001acfd3f0e0ef55627c9836e569 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_heading  avia-builder-el-first '  ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class='wp-image-36543 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-36543 avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Rafa-Lawah-Golf-und-Inklusion-Golf-Sustainable.jpg\" alt='Golfer und CO2-Fu\u00dfabdruck' title='Golfer und CO2-Fu\u00dfabdruck'  height=\"403\" width=\"605\" srcset=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Rafa-Lawah-Golf-und-Inklusion-Golf-Sustainable.jpg 605w, https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Rafa-Lawah-Golf-und-Inklusion-Golf-Sustainable-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-k7oqhpp9-c29fd4167bb1eb36e74b6c52f83e1d49\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-k7oqhpp9-c29fd4167bb1eb36e74b6c52f83e1d49{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-k7oqhpp9-c29fd4167bb1eb36e74b6c52f83e1d49 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-k7oqhpp9-c29fd4167bb1eb36e74b6c52f83e1d49 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-k7oqhpp9-c29fd4167bb1eb36e74b6c52f83e1d49 av-special-heading-h1 blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_textblock '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  >When Handicap No Longer Matters<\/h1><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-k7djfsv1-5a253d77b2a689e23c5a29b3dc946c3c '  ><div class='avia_textblock' ><p><strong>Author: Dr. Sabine K\u00f6hler<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Haxterpark in Paderborn is home to Germany\u2019s most unusual golf model: accessible sports, a nonprofit inclusive organization, and eco-friendly course development all come together here. <strong>Rafa<\/strong> <strong>Lawah\u2019s<\/strong> story illustrates what this means in everyday life\u2014and why the debate over Paralympic golf extends far beyond competitive sports.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It doesn&#8217;t start with golf<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When Rafa Lawah sat down at Haxterpark for the first time, she knew very little about golf. Her job interview took place on the terrace by the driving range. From there, you can look out over the practice area and toward the first tee. Lawah remembers the atmosphere more than the sporting details: \u201cThat\u2019s when I realized: There\u2019s harmony here, a really great vibe. I thought I\u2019d feel right at home here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Today, Lawah works in the golf course\u2019s office. She takes late shifts, locks up at the end of the day, and organises her workspace so that she can work as independently as possible. And she plays golf\u2014regularly, with friends, and now even in tournaments abroad. The sport first came into her life through her job.<\/p>\n<p>The turning point was a device she hadn\u2019t known existed: the Paragolfer, a special electric vehicle that can help people with significant mobility limitations move around the course and position themselves properly to take a swing. When Haxterpark purchased one of these devices, Lawah gave it a try. \u201cThat\u2019s when I got interested. And I really enjoyed it.\u201d A golf course employee became a golfer.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-lftkinlp-a572c4894ca6f86574f77ea8b433447f\">\n.avia-image-container.av-lftkinlp-a572c4894ca6f86574f77ea8b433447f img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-lftkinlp-a572c4894ca6f86574f77ea8b433447f .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-lftkinlp-a572c4894ca6f86574f77ea8b433447f av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock  av-has-copyright av-copyright-always'  ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class='wp-image-36546 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-36546 avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Haxterpark-Bunker-copyright-Haxterpark-scaled.jpg\" alt='Haxterpark Bunker Golf Sustainable' title='+++Copyright by HARDT +++'  height=\"1704\" width=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Haxterpark-Bunker-copyright-Haxterpark-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Haxterpark-Bunker-copyright-Haxterpark-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Haxterpark-Bunker-copyright-Haxterpark-1030x686.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Haxterpark-Bunker-copyright-Haxterpark-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Haxterpark-Bunker-copyright-Haxterpark-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Haxterpark-Bunker-copyright-Haxterpark-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Haxterpark-Bunker-copyright-Haxterpark-1500x998.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Haxterpark-Bunker-copyright-Haxterpark-705x469.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/div><small class=\"avia-copyright\">The bunker design is also inclusive. There is always and entrance for the Paragolfer (Foto: Hardt)<\/small><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lscglpx3-a5a50b7d3200c3c415f6c5906934fe5a '  ><div class='avia_textblock' ><p>This small biographical shift describes quite accurately what Haxterpark is all about. Here, inclusion does not mean providing people with access to an existing system after the fact. The system itself should be designed so that as many people as possible can work, play sports, and be active within it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A golf course as an inclusive business<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Haxterpark, located on the Paderborn Plateau, is no ordinary golf club. It is operated by a nonprofit limited liability company (GmbH) organized as an inclusive workplace. Greenkeeping, food and beverage services, and golf administration are all handled by this company. According to Haxterpark, there are currently about 50 employment relationships subject to social security contributions; just under half of these are inclusive employment relationships.<\/p>\n<p>This shifts the perspective on inclusion. People with disabilities are not just guests or participants in a special sports program. They are coworkers, staff members in the office, and employees in the kitchen, in customer service, or in grounds maintenance. The operation itself is part of the concept.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Managing Director Helmut B\u00f6hmer<\/strong> describes this goal in a single sentence that, at Haxterpark, sounds almost like a set of operating instructions: The entire operation must function in an inclusive manner; otherwise, inclusion remains merely an optional offering. Accordingly, the facility\u2019s mission statement outlines three interconnected areas: inclusion, science, and sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>Lawah doesn\u2019t see this idea as a program, but as part of everyday life. \u201cWe\u2019re very close-knit here,\u201d she says. \u201cWe treat each other very well, whether we have a disability or not. It doesn\u2019t matter if you have a disability.\u201d For her, inclusion is most evident in her independence. At work, she uses a height-adjustable wheelchair that allows her to perform nearly all her tasks without assistance. \u201cI also work late shifts; I close up shop in the evening\u2014I do everything myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-mt5m8blu-d0002c284ef0481264174d3e27cc2924 '  ><div class='avia_textblock' ><p><strong>121 accesible bunkers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How seriously a facility takes accessibility is rarely evident at the entrance. What really matters are the areas where standard solutions fall short: door widths, clear spaces in changing rooms and showers, restroom facilities, slopes\u2014or an obstacle right in the middle of the golf course.<\/p>\n<p>The 18-hole Haxterh\u00f6he Links course features 121 bunkers. They are part of the course\u2019s challenging character. At the same time, the bunkers were designed so that one side of each is accessible to wheelchair users. The entire golf complex and central facilities are designed for accessibility in accordance with the \u201cTravel for All\u201d system. The key lies in the details: the bunker isn\u2019t removed to make golf easier. It\u2019s made accessible so that more people can experience the athletic challenge in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>Lawah, too, moves around the course largely on her own with her Paragolfer. A gripping aid helps her pick up balls. When she talks about her round, the conversation remarkably quickly shifts from barriers to golf. Hole seven on the nine-hole course particularly challenges her: two trees, a narrow fairway, a longer hole. She tries again and again. This is precisely where her story hardly differs from that of any other golfer: suddenly, the focus is no longer on her own body, but on the next hole.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-umnkjc-10a798e6fdf471b8bf62d7b2d58982ef\">\n.avia-image-container.av-umnkjc-10a798e6fdf471b8bf62d7b2d58982ef img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-umnkjc-10a798e6fdf471b8bf62d7b2d58982ef .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-umnkjc-10a798e6fdf471b8bf62d7b2d58982ef av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_textblock '  ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class='wp-image-36547 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-36547 avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Rafa-Lawah-im-Haxterpark.jpg\" alt='Rafa Lawah at Haxterpark' title='Rafa Lawah at Haxterpark'  height=\"415\" width=\"605\" srcset=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Rafa-Lawah-im-Haxterpark.jpg 605w, https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Rafa-Lawah-im-Haxterpark-300x206.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-mtmqqs94-d48e143e3adcb91c3ede12924a501d75 '  ><div class='avia_textblock' ><p><strong>&#8220;I don&#8217;t even think about it&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When asked whether she is still aware of her disability while playing a round, Lawah replies without drama: \u201cI don\u2019t think about it at all. I just think about playing golf, about the person I\u2019m playing with, about having fun\u2014and about playing well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A powerful statement about inclusion in this context, precisely because the word itself doesn&#8217;t appear in it. Participation is successful when it doesn&#8217;t need to be explained in every situation.<\/p>\n<p>Golf is particularly well-suited for this. The sport already encompasses a wide range of physical abilities, age groups, and skill levels. Its handicap system\u2014in the sporting sense\u2014is designed to make differences in performance comparable. Age, mobility, and coordination also change over the course of a person\u2019s life. Accessibility is therefore not merely about infrastructure for a small group. It can become a guiding principle of a sport whose members are aging themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Lawah describes her experience in Mallorca in a similar way. In 2025, she competed in the Handisport Mallorca Open, where she met golfers with various disabilities. For her, the trip itself was part of the experience: flying, playing at an unfamiliar course, and meeting other athletes. \u201cIt works. It\u2019s doable; it\u2019s possible,\u201d she says. This is exactly the experience she wants to share\u2014especially with people who rule out golf for themselves from the get-go.<\/p>\n<div hcb-fetch-image-from=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/en\/elin-fyle-beyond_the_mower\/\" class='avia-iframe-wrap'>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"WSVeuP3bI0\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/en\/elin-fyle-beyond_the_mower\/\">Elin Foyle: Beyond the mower<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cElin Foyle: Beyond the mower\u201d \u2014 Golf Sustainable\" src=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/en\/elin-fyle-beyond_the_mower\/embed\/#?secret=AZACBTlCdo#?secret=WSVeuP3bI0\" data-secret=\"WSVeuP3bI0\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><strong>From inclusive recreational sports to the international elite<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At the same time, international trends show that golf has long been a competitive sport for people with disabilities. The 2026 G4D Open at Celtic Manor in Wales featured 80 players from 25 nations. The tournament was played in nine competition classes, which reflect different types of disabilities in the categories \u201cStanding,\u201d \u201cSitting,\u201d \u201cVisual,\u201d and \u201cIntellectual.\u201d The tournament is co-hosted by The R&amp;A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA.<\/p>\n<p>Germany is by no means insignificant in the world of sports. In 2026, Jennifer Sr\u00e4ga won the women\u2019s division of the G4D Open, edging out two-time champion Daphne van Houten of the Netherlands on the final hole. That same summer, Sr\u00e4ga led the German team at the European Championships. Anyone discussing Germany\u2019s shortcomings should therefore be precise: there is no shortage of athletes who can compete internationally. The greater gap lies in the breadth of participation, visibility, and the natural integration of inclusive programs at golf courses.<\/p>\n<div hcb-fetch-image-from=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/en\/recipe-for-success-in-womens-golf\/\" class='avia-iframe-wrap'>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"VcyrDmFuhs\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/en\/recipe-for-success-in-womens-golf\/\">A recipe for success in women&#8217;s golf: promotion and equality<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cA recipe for success in women\u2019s golf: promotion and equality\u201d \u2014 Golf Sustainable\" src=\"https:\/\/golfsustainable.com\/en\/recipe-for-success-in-womens-golf\/embed\/#?secret=3TYo1bv1SS#?secret=VcyrDmFuhs\" data-secret=\"VcyrDmFuhs\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" 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Mail<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3779,2636,775,755,1721,3307],"tags":[3820,3818,921,920,3821,3819],"class_list":["post-36537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diversity","category-gender-and-inclusion","category-international-news","category-uncategorized","category-professional-golf","category-special-women","tag-accessibility-in-golf","tag-golf-and-inclusion","tag-haxterpark-en","tag-inclusion","tag-paragolfer","tag-rafa-lawa","post_format-post-format-image"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>When Handicap No Longer Matters - Golf 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