Players from Sherborne Golf Club recently hosted the England & Wales Blind Golfers Association in a friendly match. EWBG members travelled from across the country with their guides to play the match.
The main purpose of the EWBG is to provide visually impaired individuals the opportunity to enjoy and, if they wish, compete in the game of golf whether as a beginner or a seasoned golfer.
Blind golf is a team game comprising a visually impaired player and a sighted guide or caddy. They follow the same rules that all golfers follow with a few minor adjustments. The player, once set up, gets comfortable and makes the swing or putt just like any other golfer. The guide is the player’s eyes and describes how the ball is sitting, the distance to the hole, hazards and direction. They line up the player and the club. Once the ball is hit they describe how the ball flys and the result. On the putting surface they assist the player to line up the putt.
Sherborne players heaped fulsome praise on their EWBG opponents, saying how hugely impressed they were with the quality of their ball striking, distance control and accuracy. Club Captain, Iain McVie spoke for everyone at the club when he said how humbling it had been to play against golfers who, though physically disadvantaged, showed the same determination and passion for the game of golf as those without physical impairment.
This was the first time Sherborne Golf Club had hosted such an event. The club was delighted to receive generous feedback from the EWBG players. Notably, the friendliness of Sherborne as a club, the course and the meal after the match. Such was the enjoyment expressed by all those taking part that talks are already underway to make this a regular event.
