The Case of PGA Tour Inc
PGA TOUR, INC v. MARTIN
Facts of the Case
In 2001, a case called PGA Tour, Inc v. Martin was opened due to a disabled golfer, Casey Martin (respondent), who proclaimed that the PGA Tour (petitioner) could not legally deny him the choice to ride in a golf cart in between shots. Preceding this case, the PGA Tour required that all golfers should walk in between shots after the third stage, and reasoned that this policy represented an important characteristic of the game of golf. The case was presented when Martin, who suffers from Klippel-Trenaunay- Weber Syndrome, qualified for the 2000 PGA Tour and appealed with documentation of his ailment for permission to use golf carts and was denied. His appeal was denied on grounds that the play areas of the tour competitions are not places of “public accommodations.” Martin filed his complaints under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which forbids discrimination on the foundation of disability in places of public accommodation. Martin’s ailment makes it fundamentally impossible to walk all 18-holes of the game without causing him pain, anxiety, and extreme fatigue.
Decisions (Holdings)
The Supreme Court, therefore, deliberated whether a competitor with a disability may be denied golf cart usage because it would jeopardize the integrity of the sport or whether or not the ADA protects access to professional golf tournaments by players. The Magistrate Judge decided that PGA Tour, Inc should be seen as a commercial enterprise and not as a private club. The Ninth Circuit ruled that golf courses are considered to be places of public accommodation even during professional competitions.
Reasoning (Rationale) The court concluded that the purpose of walking after the third stage of the tournament is adhered to in order to inject fatigue into the player’s swing. However, the fatigue produced by walking the golf course was not deemed significant enough under normal measures compared to the fatigue
Facts of the Case
In 2001, a case called PGA Tour, Inc v. Martin was opened due to a disabled golfer, Casey Martin (respondent), who proclaimed that the PGA Tour (petitioner) could not legally deny him the choice to ride in a golf cart in between shots. Preceding this case, the PGA Tour required that all golfers should walk in between shots after the third stage, and reasoned that this policy represented an important characteristic of the game of golf. The case was presented when Martin, who suffers from Klippel-Trenaunay- Weber Syndrome, qualified for the 2000 PGA Tour and appealed with documentation of his ailment for permission to use golf carts and was denied. His appeal was denied on grounds that the play areas of the tour competitions are not places of “public accommodations.” Martin filed his complaints under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which forbids discrimination on the foundation of disability in places of public accommodation. Martin’s ailment makes it fundamentally impossible to walk all 18-holes of the game without causing him pain, anxiety, and extreme fatigue.
Decisions (Holdings)
The Supreme Court, therefore, deliberated whether a competitor with a disability may be denied golf cart usage because it would jeopardize the integrity of the sport or whether or not the ADA protects access to professional golf tournaments by players. The Magistrate Judge decided that PGA Tour, Inc should be seen as a commercial enterprise and not as a private club. The Ninth Circuit ruled that golf courses are considered to be places of public accommodation even during professional competitions.
Reasoning (Rationale) The court concluded that the purpose of walking after the third stage of the tournament is adhered to in order to inject fatigue into the player’s swing. However, the fatigue produced by walking the golf course was not deemed significant enough under normal measures compared to the fatigue