The Blind Golf Story
By Bob Andrews
One more article or story about golf could be of some interest, but
probably nothing that captures the imagination. However, if one were to
precede the word blind in front of golf it always gets everyone’s attention –
then they follow up by asking the questions. Yes, there is such a thing as blind
golf and the players are represented by an organization called the United
States Blind Golf Association (USBGA).
In 1946 a hand full of totally blind men, primarily recent World War II
veterans, gathered in California. Their purpose was to play some competitive
golf rounds. More startling was the fact that they were playing according to
the Rules of Golf. One then asks how is that possible? Well, blind golf is a team
sport and every blind golfer has alongside him the most important part of his
equipment – a partner, often referred to as a ‘coach’ or ‘guide’. Those first
competitive golf rounds became an annual event and 70 years later the
National Championship, as it has become known, continues on.
Not too many years after this blind golf story began an organization was
needed to validate the growing membership. So in 1953, the USBGA was
organized. Several member players, prior to losing their sight, belonged to
clubs or knew successful business men and even Hollywood entertainers.
This was extremely important because those contacts often opened up golf
courses for the USBGA to compete on. In addition it was the beginning of a
tradition, still in place today, of assisting members with tournament expenses.
It was accomplished through entertainment shows and golf scrambles that
gave sighted golfers an opportunity to play with blind golfers.
Some great personalities were part of the USBGA history as well as
famous golf clubs and courses. Friends of blind golf would include Bob Hope,
Bill Cosby, HRH Prince Andrew of the Royal Family, and even former
President Gerald Ford. More recently, Eli Manning has been the host of a very
successful fund raising blind golf event. Through the years blind golfers
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and the USBGA have had the privilege of playing at famous locations such as
Mission Hills, The Riviera Club in L.A., Firestone, Wentworth in England,
Sedgefield in NC, and numerous times at Disney World’s Lake Buena Vista
Course.
Several PGA tour golfers have supported the USBGA and even played in
demonstration rounds with the members. First and foremost on that list was
Ken Venturi, former golf TV color analyst for CBS. He dedicated one weekend
every year for 25 years supporting “my friends, the blind golfers.” British
Open winner, Ian Baker-Finch teed it up with USBGA players. One of the most
memorable rounds ever was with U.S. Open champion, Payne Stewart, who
played with a blindfold on! He lost to the USBGA national champion but
helped create a national awareness of the ability of blind golfers. Civic
organizations like the Rotary Club, Lions Clubs, and golf equipment
corporations all contributed throughout the history of the USBGA. PGA club
pros all over the country have also helped make the annual national
championship a special event.
The notoriety and the overall growth of golf stimulated the beginning of
international blind golf with new organizations in the United Kingdom,
Canada, Japan, and Austrailia. International golf matches were held which
eventually grew into major tournaments with blind and vision impaired
golfers. It wasn’t long before an International Blind Golf Association was born
in 1998. The first World Championship was held in the United States and is
now held biennially around the world. The financial backing from a very
generous Japanese business man, Dr. Hirahusa Handa, made the growth and
interest in blind golf world wide possible. The United States Golf Association
took note of the growth of blind and disabled golfers and asked the USBGA to
help write The Rules of Golf for Golfers with Disabilities. The Royal and
Ancient Golf Association also participated and the two small exceptions to the
rules were made official: (1) grounding a club in a hazard and (2) allowing a
coach to stand on the line of play as well as the line of a putt.
Around the turn of the century there were many additions and changes
to the USBGA. The biggest came with the inclusion of vision impaired golfers.
Another great addition was the development of a website, blindgolf.com. With
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the growth of the web and the use of computers by the blind, communications
opened up new possibilities. The Midnight Golfer, a quarterly newsletter was
circulated throughout the country. Several regional golf tournaments were
included in the schedule. The use of net scores to determine title winners
became the norm generally around the world. The USBGA however, stuck to
its roots and gross scores continue to determine a national champ.
The last decade of the 1900s brought some other updates and exciting
developments. The organization finally became an official IRS recognized 501
c-3, non-profit association. A marketing class at Florida International
University was given an assignment – to create a catchy motto that both says
and captures the uniqueness of blind golf. Well, they did and the membership
proudly displays “You don’t have to see it, to tee it!” as its motto. Found in
some very old files of the USBGA was a letterhead on stationary with the
familiar emblem of a golfer putting with his coach kneeling down lining up the
putt. In the early 1990s it was given a modern graphic look by a Disney World
artist and became the national tournament logo. About the same time the golf
ball with sun glasses was given a face lift and turned out to be perfect when
placed on a logo pin. Recently they have been slightly modified but remain as
popular symbols.
With so much history it was inevitable that a hall of fame needed to be
established. The USBGA Hall of Fame recognizes the three entities which made
blind golf famous: the players, the coaches, and friends of blind golf. On the
website one can read the bios and statistics of the great players and coaches.
Also included are the articles about friends of blind golf who provided
financial grants, tournament organization, training and so much more. Six
decades of wonderful stories are told in the hall of fame.
So now one knows – blind golf is not about a blind or vision impaired
person with a golf bag full of clubs. The story is about what happens when the
blind or vision impaired person joins up with a sighted coach. Add to this
ultimate team, the friends of blind golf, and opportunities will abound. Yes, the
USBGA members have teed it up nationwide for the past seventy years and
look forward to future competitive golf games.
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