Organisers of ‘blind golf’ hope to see the sport continue to grow

ABC NEWS (Australia)

For many, weekends are meant for getting out on the green. In Tasmania, there's a push to ensure people who are blind, or have low vision can enjoy that too, with blind golf organisers hoping to see the young sport continue growing.

Transcript

00:00Pat has always been an avid golfer, but two years ago it got a lot harder for him to play

00:09the sport he loved.

00:10I was struck down I guess by a hereditary disease of the optic nerve which gave me quite

00:19severe vision loss.

00:22Not willing to give up his passion, he's since helped establish blind and low vision golf

00:27in Tasmania, which, only a year old, is hoping to grow.

00:32And it can be for beginners, but it's also there for people who have got or developed

00:39vision loss over time and can come back into play.

00:45Players head out on the course with a caddy, who also acts as a navigator.

00:49Golf is looked upon as a sport for exclusive people, it's certainly not, it's a game for

00:55all.

00:56This is Owen Triday in Kingston, participant Dylan's trading his cricket bat for a golf

01:01club.

01:02Very different compared to what I expected.

01:03I thought you'd sit there and hit a ball as hard as you could, but you know, so it's very

01:07different.

01:08While his heart is still with his first love.

01:10I think blind cricket's 20 times better than blind golf.

01:13He's encouraging anyone curious to give it a go.

01:16Try not to be nervous, just come out with a smile on your face and you'll love it, so

01:20that's what I did.

01:23If golf isn't your sport of choice, that's okay.

01:26Offerings in Tasmania also include blind cricket and blind tennis.

01:31Come and Try Days for both sports are being held across the state.

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