This is all about you playing against the course and yourself. Course challenges, working with your coach, and just making contact is challenging. Blind golfers play because they enjoy the game. They appreciate and welcome the game and all that comes with it and they manage their expectations.
Having fun sounds like some generic catch phrase, but you would be amazed at how some golfers react to the game and the adversity of a round with negative energy and comments. We all know we learn through mistakes, and lessons, and the way you react to that will have a direct impact on your game. Take the lessons and grow as a golfer. You have to be present, and be aware of what you are doing – you are a blind/visually impaired golfer and that is just amazing. What a beautiful thing it is to live life, and be able to do some of that on a beautiful course, in a natural setting with good people
Knowing the rules is not overwhelming. It is a quick read and many different articles and groups like Blind Golf Canada, International Blind Golf and Golf Canada have some great resources. Have a look and you will begin to appreciate the importance of out of bounds, hazard play, club rules, lost balls – the “hard rules” are all the same. With the exception of being able to ground your club in the sand, and a few nuances for the Ontario and Canadian Championships. The “unwritten, soft rules” are just as important. Etiquette, ethical play, pace, even a positive outlook all play an important role that should just happen naturally when you learn, love and laugh at all things blind golf related.
Here is a statement for you. Handicaps are magical. “But they are hard to calculate, I don’t know what a Slope Rating is, and Course Rating is confusing” – help? So much intimidation over something that is very simple. What most people think of is this giant blackboard covered with weird formulas and strange calculations. The reality is handicaps are easy to track, and there are some great resources to help you do when you are a member of Golf Canada. Every OBG member becomes a member of Golf Canada as well, and so accessing those tools is as easy as signing in and posting your score. Oh, and slope and course rating aren’t complicated, they kind of mean the same thing. Course Rating tells scratch golfers how difficult the golf course will be (difficulty of a golf course for the scratch player under normal conditions) and Slope Rating tells bogey golfers how difficult it will be (the difference in difficulty for all other players, compared to the scratch player) – not that hard. Once you realize how much a handicap can help level out the playing field, allowing you to be able to play any course against any opponent and still be able to remain competitive. If you are looking for more details Golf Canada – Handicapping is a great place to start.
It all sounds so simple. Fun. Rules. Handicaps are equalizers, and magic. It really is that simple.
Is this article going to make a difference for a blind golfer? Absolutely. Many blind and visually impaired golfers were terrified of trying to keep a handicap, or understand the rules to the best of their abilities, until they realized just how easy it was. Having a good understanding of the above allows you to then focus on the physical, and mental aspects of the game. You can practice and tune your swings, stances, arms/wrists/shoulders. You approach the game with a solid head space, and being completely open to having a round of golf. How well that round goes is all about you playing your game.
After all, it will always be about your game.