Casey Martin Case Summary

In November 1997, Casey Martin, a highly talented, professional golfer, filed a suit against the PGA tour. The first hearing took place in the United States District Court in Oregon with a case title Casey Martin, Plaintiff v. PGA Tour, Inc., Defendant (984 F.Supp. 1320). Casey Martin has a rare degenerative circulatory disorder in his right leg that inhibits his ability to walk naturally and can cause severe pain. Martin’s disorder is classified as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. During the 1997 PGA golf tour, Martin was denied a request to use a golf cart during the third round of the tournament to accommodate his special needs. The tournament rules prohibit competitors to use golf carts during the third round. Martin filed a suit under Title III of the ADA, which

They also argued that the walking rule is a substantive rule of its golf competitions, and if they modified the rule it would fundamentally alter the competition because then not all players would be competing at the same rules. However, the Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s judgment by determining that golf courses and stadiums are places of public accommodation even during professional tournaments, and not allowing Martin to use a golf cart is a violation under the ADA. Also, that his use of a cart would not fundamentally modify the nature of those tournaments. Hence, there were two key issues of this case. The first being whether the PGA Tour operates a “place of public accommodation” as stated in the ADA Title III on the golf courses. The second issue was whether the PGA Tour violated Title III of the ADA by refusing to modify it’s “no golf cart rule” for Martin who requested a modification because of his