What do you do when your golf partner in your four ball scores an ace? Oh yes, and by the way he happens to be legally blind. Blind golfer scores hole in one and does not see the ball go in the hole. Disbelief on his part was thick in the air after I cried out, ‘its gone in the hole!’ It was a low bullet on a 155m par 3 and that thing just disappeared into the hole. Gobsmacked and stunned were the orders of the moment. The other members of our group were suitably shocked and not sure how to react. Being on the back nine of our own lives everyone’s eyesight was not particularly brilliant and a fair bit of doubt remained, I sensed.
Coming To Terms With A Blind Golfer’s Triumph
As I walked up the fairway, and the others were transported via wheeled vehicles of various types, it was not until Freddie reached into the hole and felt that small hard sphere that belief began to sink in. Yes, it truly was the uncommon hole in one. The man had struck golfing gold and plucked an ace from the pack. There was not as much hollering and whooping, as I remember from my own piece of golfing luck or skill. Perhaps, that was just old age or trouble coming to terms with a blind golfer’s triumph. I don’t really know, but hells bells it was a one on a par three, which is an eagle too.
Blind Freddie & The Golfer’s Ace
Did the fact that Freddie did not see it go in take away from this sublime achievement? I don’t think so, in fact my own first ace was so unlikely that I too did not see the ball go in the hole. It was on a sanded, scarified green and a white golf ball on a green covered with white sand is bloody hard to see. Especially when you think you have no chance from some 180m and you aren’t a gun golfer to begin with. That is the thing about holing out, it is so unlikely that it lives in the realms of fortune rather than talent for most golfers – sighted or not. High fiving on the tee still happened and big smiles were breaking out on faces. This was repeated on the green and a bit of basking in the rarefied air of the ace was shared by all. Way to go Freddie! You’re the man!
Should We Be Shamed?
Blind golfer scores hole in one and how does it feel? Freddie seemed to take it in his stride and it was not his first. He is a pretty good golfer and regularly outperforms many of us at the golf club. Should we be chastened by his achievement? Does the fact that most of us can see a whole lot more than Freddie mean that we should be playing better golf and scoring lower numbers? It is an interesting conundrum and one I have pondered before in relation to Freddie being a much more consistent putter than me. I have rationalised it out somewhat along the lines of him trusting his line more because of limited sensory information coming in. Plus, there is the old chestnut about the other senses coming to the fore to compensate. Whatever, Freddie gets the job done more often than not. Now, he is the reigning holder of the golden ace at our club.
Ace’s & Golfing Glory
Funnily enough, the ace did not presage a victory in the weekly competition. Indeed, Freddie was whinging about his poor play over all. I looked at him and told him that bloke’s who have just had an ace aren’t allowed to complain about stuff – it just isn’t the done thing. I mean, some golfers never achieve a one on a par three in their lifetime. I do remember being so overcome after my own first hole in one that I shared it excitedly with the guy behind the counter at my local bottleshop. This chap just snarled at me, ‘some of us have to work for a living.’ Talk about pricking balloons at birthday parties. The golfing world is not universal and these masterpieces are not appreciated outside of the golfer’s purview. Knocking a small ball around with a variety of sticks is a strange pursuit when viewed from the perspective of the uninitiated or indifferent. Blind golfer scores hole in one could be a nihilistic credo for those uncomfortably perched on the cheap seats of life. If you have a bone to pick or an axe to grind, perhaps. However, those of us who truly love the game of golf know that a hole in one is pretty bloody special. Nothing says equitability as the fact that sighted or not both kinds of golfers can score a hole in one at golf. The only prerequisite is, perhaps, being lucky enough.
Blind Golf Australia
“Welcome to Blind Golf Australia – your gateway to a world where vision impairment is no barrier to enjoying the sport of golf.
We’re thrilled to have you here, and we invite you to explore the exciting realm of blind golf with us. Our mission is to create an inclusive and supportive community for visually impaired golfers and enthusiasts across the country.”
Joining A Golf Club
“Sometimes, I wonder whether golfers are the most boring bunch of old farts on the planet? But most times, I know that they are. Is it worth joining a golf club? Hell yes, cause the game of golf is the most infuriatingly obsession generating pursuit on the planet. The golf bug can bite and the infected individual is goners for the foreseeable future. FMD. Membership, 7 day-a-week playing rights membership, you know, the real thing, makes golf so much better. In my experience, being a member of a real golf club, none of that social club malarkey, is what golf is really all about.”
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Stoic Golfer.
©GolfDom
