Visually impaired can golf too!

Throw away everything golf coaches say about keeping your eye on the ball. Apparently one can still hit the little white ball and win a world tournament with both eyes closed.

At least it has been the case for David Morris, a blind golfer from the United Kingdom who has three world blind golf championships under his belt.

"Any golfer can tell you that this is an exciting challenging game. But I am here to say that golf is not an esoteric sport reserved for the seeing," said Morris yesterday at an event to promote the game of golf for the blind and visually impaired community in Taiwan.

With the collaboration of Green Worldwide, a golf consulting company based in Hong Kong, and the International Blind Golf Association, Kuo Hua Legendary Golf Academy hosted the country's first exhibition golf tournament for the vision impaired.

Along with eight blind or visually impaired golf players from different countries around the world, a handful of local entertainers and golf celebrities such as Hong Chia-yuh and Yeah Chang-ting teed off the game on Tuesday at the Kuo Hua Golf Club located in Beitou.

The game was played in the shotgun 9-hole style, which means the golfers play only up to half of a normal course. Each 4-person team includes three seeing and one blind or visually impaired player.

According to the official rules of IBGA, blind golf is played strictly according to the Rules of Golf produced by the Royal and Ancient. The R&A has published "A Modification of the Rules of Golf for Golfers with Disabilities" which allows blind golfers to ground their clubs in a hazard.

A player uses a sighted coach or guide to give verbal information about each hole, help with club selection and placing the club head directly behind the ball. From then on it's the blind golfers' play.
"It has been my lifelong dream to promote golf in our society," said Club President Ho Li-chun. "I hope by introducing the sport for the blind and visually impaired community, we can also promote a healthier way of life for all."

To live up to their promise, together with the Institute for the Blind of Taiwan, Kuo Hua Legendary Golf Academy has opened 10 spots for any blind or visually impaired individuals in a year-long training course at their club.