Kevin Barker: Golf can be one of the most inclusive sports
From his holidays to seaside towns as a young child and playing golf with his best friend, to fulfilling a key role in its growth and development, Kevin Barker is part of a driving force for the sport in Britain and around the globe.
The R&A is responsible for organising prestigious events like The Open, the AIG Women’s Open, and The Amateur Championship, but it is doing more than just helping to govern golf.
With initiatives like the Women in Golf Charter, its Golf It! facility, and its close relationship with EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association), The R&A is helping to support people in overcoming challenges or barriers to the sport – and instead aim for those holes in one.
And for Kevin, in particular, it’s a mission that strikes close to home.
“I’ve got a brother and a sister that both have disabilities,” he told Spautism in an exclusive interview. “So, for me, this is an opportunity to attract more people to play golf, whether it’s for the health and the social benefits of the game or just for fun and enjoyment.
“That’s why ultimately you should play any sport, isn’t it? Not everyone wants to compete in The Open, so I was keen that more people get that opportunity to play and feel the benefits of it.
“Golf is a great game that you can play by yourself or with friends, and in this day and age where there are so many time pressures, whether it’s family, friends or work, it does offer a really great escape.”
While Kevin’s love for golf is clear, through his role as Director – Golf Development – GB&I and Africa at The R&A, he has grown more aware of the challenges that are present for people with physical, sensory or neurological differences.
And one prevalent obstacle, as EDGA President Tony Bennett also referred to in his interview with Spautism, is the fear of stepping into unknown territory.
“I’ve learned a huge amount from working with Tony and the other EDGA personnel, and from meeting the players. I also saw what the G4D Tour had done, and thought that was a brilliant showcase for individuals with a disability,” Kevin said.
“It’s important for The R&A to show leadership in this space, and we were really keen to start up our own G4D Open, a joint venture with the DP World Tour and supported by EGDA, and for that to be right up there at the top of the competition pyramid.
“At the end of the day, people with a disability, they’re just people, and golfers with a disability, they’re just golfers. But there’s a lot of nervousness about dealing with people that have a disability.
“Particularly in this day and age with social media, people are almost scared and nervous to do anything. That’s a terrible position for us as a society to be in, that we’re scared to do the right thing for fear of any kind of negativity or retribution.
“It’s gone completely the wrong way to where we should be. We should be embracing opportunities and seeing the opportunities that exist out there to do things.
“All the golfers really want to do is play golf, so let’s give them an opportunity to play.”
One of the unique benefits of the sport is the handicap system, which allows players of all skills and abilities to play together, regardless of age, mobility, gender, or any other differences.
Kevin continued: “You can play it irrespective of your gender, whether you’re good or not so good, whether you’re able-bodied or you have a disability. And thanks to the handicapping system that we have in the sport, you’re able to play against anyone.
“You couldn’t put me on the tennis court with Jannik Sinner; I wouldn’t even see the ball, let alone get a racket to it, but I can play on the same golf course as Scottie Scheffler [golf’s world number one male at the time of writing] because we’ve got the handicapping system.
“And that makes golf a unique sport, so whether you want to play it competitively or recreationally, it’s got lots of options. This helps us tackle some of the perceptions that are out there about golf being elitist and expensive.
“Golf can be one of the most inclusive sports.”
While The R&A promotes the message that golf can be played by anybody, it is also being vocal about the sport’s health benefits, which is once again rewriting public perceptions.
Kevin explained: “Previously, if you’d asked a medic what they thought of golf, some of them might have shrugged their shoulders and thought, ‘Well, what’s the point in that?’ But over the last 10 years or so, we’ve done quite a lot of research and we’ve been able to show that there are many health benefits to our sport.
“There are lots of sports that, as you get a little older shall we say, or you pick up injuries, they tell you that you’ve had enough because your body’s no longer capable of doing what the sport likes you to do.
“But you can play golf from aged four to 94, it’s accepted by the World Health Organisation as a moderately intense physical exercise, great in various conditions, and a sport that’s good for your health.
“I’m not saying there aren’t other great sports out there; I love all sports pretty much. But golf is undoubtedly one of those and I would just urge people to give it a go because there’s room for all of us in this game, and we should take that opportunity.”
