Playing Blind Golf
Blind golf is outstanding in the area of disabled sports in that it includes only minor modifications to the standard rules of golf. The principle of playing is that blind or partially sighted golf players have a sighted coach who assists the golfer in describing distance, direction and characteristics of the hole, and helps with club head alignment behind the ball, prior to the stroke. From this point, the golfer is on his own, and it is her/his skill that determines the resulting stroke.
Other than the coach, there is only one relaxation to the standard rules: blind or partially sighted golfers are allowed to ground their club in a hazard.
Blind golf competitions are set in classes determined by the golfer’s level of sight, using the same categories as in other branches of sport played by the visually impaired:
- B1 No light perception in either eye, or slight light perception but inability to recognise the shape of a hand at any distance or in any direction
- B2 From ability to recognise the shape of a hand, up to visual acuity of 2/60, and/or visual field of less than 5 degrees
- B3 visual acuity between 2/60 and 6/60, and/or visual field of between 5 degrees and 20 degrees
Read more about this topic: Blind Golf
Famous quotes containing the words playing, blind and/or golf:
“Living toys are something novel,
But it soon wears off somehow.
Fetch the shoebox, fetch the shovel
Mam, we’re playing funerals now.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“But he though blind of sight,
Despis’d and thought extinguish’t quite,
With inward eyes illuminated
His fierie vertue rouz’d
From under ashes into sudden flame,
And as an ev’ning Dragon came,”
—John Milton (1608–1674)
“If there is any larceny in a man, golf will bring it out.”
—Paul Gallico (1897–1976)