Partially blind golfer's plea for a partner

Yorkshire Post (UK)
Saturday, October 27, 2007

Partially blind golfer's plea for a partner

By Howard Williamson 

When is a handicap of 45 a thing of pride? When your sight is so bad the golf 
ball is just a white smudge on the green...
That's how it is for novice Gary Bond who swops a white stick for a set of golf 
clubs once a month.
Gary is assisted at local courses by his friend and colleague Martin Edge who 
stands behind him and tells him where to hit the ball.
They make a good team but Gary, 49, an IT developer, is looking for more 
golfing guides so he can play more often.
Martin, 47, an IT technical specialist with HBOS, said: "It's impressive that 
Gary can even strike the ball and he's only a shot per hole behind me. He hits 
a long drive of 200 yards."
Challenge
Gary, married, of Kennett Lane, Garforth, took up the sport just two years ago 
- because it was a tough challenge.
"I was born with no sight in my left eye," he explained, "and I was very 
short-sighted in the right one. I was registered blind in 1976 but my sight 
deteriorated in 1986 to the point where I had to have a cane and guide dog.
"I can distinguish contrasts and some shapes," he said, "and I can tell your 
notebook has white paper.
"I'm very competitive and so I expect to do better than I have," he went on. "I 
aspire to be average! I went round the first nine holes at Roundhay today in 58 
and then did 59 for the second nine.
"As my handicap is 45, that was equivalent to two over par for this course. I 
had four goes at hitting the ball today on the seventh tee."
But that is not so bad. At a blind golf tournament at Fulford, York, in August, 
he shot 32 for one hole.
"I wasn't proud of that," he said.
There are 50 or 60 registered blind golfers in England and Gary hopes to reach 
the top 10 in the Order of Merit so he can play in the Auld Enemies Cup against 
Scotland.
The downside of his disability is that he sometimes holds up players behind 
him. "They don't realise I can't see," he said. "They just see somebody 
zig-zagging across the fairway. It can be time-consuming for them."
But his blindness also has its lighter moments - even if he doesn't think so at 
the time!
"I fell into a ditch when we were playing at Temple Newsam," he recalled, "and 
at Horsforth I fell into a bunker with a huge drop. I ended up on my back - it 
was quite a shock. 
"Fortunately, I am learning to fall properly!"
Would-be golf guides can contact him on 07770 535022.
l Blind people are known to have played golf since the 1920s in the USA and 
before the Second World War a match took place between two blind Englishmen and 
two Americans.
The English Blind Golf Association was formed in 1982 and its most successful 
member has a handicap of just nine.

Last Updated: 27 October 2007 7:05 AM

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Partially-blind-golfer39s-plea-for.3421635.jp
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