Anyone who has spent any amount of time on a golf course will tell you what a frustrating sport it can be — even if you’re working with all five senses.
This week at the Westlock Golf Course, however, there will be 17 taking on the course with just four of their senses for the Western Canadian Blind Golf Tournament July 25-27.
The club hosted the same tournament in 2007, and the members of the Western Canadian Blind Golf Association liked the experience so much they chose to host this year’s event there again.
“One of the reasons we chose Westlock again is because when we did it in 2007, we were just so impressed with the volunteer support we have and the support we see from the course,” said Johanna Camarta, an association member and tournament organizer.
She added that in 2007, many of the golfers who took part said it was the best tourney they had ever been to.
For the most part, the rules for blind golf are exactly the same as the PGA rules. The two notable exceptions are that players are allowed to ground their club in a hazard or bunker, because they need the sense of feel to judge the distance, and that the coach/caddie can stay behind the golfer while putting.
“Putting is all about timing, distance and sense of feel. When I have to trust my coach, he has to know what I’m doing as well — how hard I’m going to hit the put,” Camarta said. “That part is definitely about trust.”
Blind golf, while technically classified as an individual sport, is much more of a team effort, she added.
She can work with many different coaches, but wouldn’t be able to play the game without having someone else there.
Camarta, a resident of Riviere-Qui-Barre, is a member of the Westlock Golf Club. She has been playing blind golf for a decade, and got into it after reading a story in the Edmonton Journal.
She said it was something she never thought she would be able to do, but discovered she could golf with the assistance of a coach. Taking up the sport has allowed her to spend time on the course with her husband and three sons, who are all avid golfers.
“That’s the great thing about golf. It doesn’t really have many barriers; it’s something that anybody can do,” she said. “It’s a great sport that way.”
The event starts Monday, July 25, with a coaching clinic for younger players, before the blind golfers and their coaches participate in a scramble event at 1:30 p.m. The tourney runs Tuesday and Wednesday.
For more information about the tournament, contact the Westlock Golf Club at 780-349-2478, and for more information about blind golf visit www.blindgolf.ca.
