The Midnight Golfer Newsletter
Volume
12, Number 1
Spring Issue 2002
Bob Andrews, Editor
Remember – we are a non-profit
501c3 organization trying to encourage all people with sight impairments to
play golf.
Your contributions are
greatly needed.
Lions Clubs
International Foundation -
The next time you meet a member of a Lions
Club take the opportunity to say thanks for supporting blind golf and the
USBGA. Some of the benefits blind golf
will enjoy over the next three years have not even been thought of. The obvious increase in membership and
tournament play is expected, and new relationships with local Lions Clubs and
their support will soon develop. There
is so much to look forward to and the USBGA appreciates the partnership with
the International Lions Clubs Foundation.
On June 20, 2002, the Memorandum
of Understanding
was signed. Basically, it reiterates
the goals of the partnership, which are straightforward. The grant will help the USBGA’s efforts to
develop more and better golf opportunities for sight-impaired people, while
creating public awareness about Lions and the Lions Clubs International
partnership. One of our nationally known members, Tom Sullivan, will be getting
the message out about Lions. He has
recently agreed to be a spokesman for LCI around the world.
L
to R: J Frank Moore III, International President, LCI; Joe McCourt, USBGA
Junior Golf Director; Bob Andrews, USBGA President; and Dr. Jean Behar, Chairman LCIF at the check presentation LCIF international directors meetings
in Amelia Island, Florida, this past April.
This September 17-18,
USBGA members will be back in Texas competing for the national title. The last time
a blind golf championship was held in Texas was in 1971. Back then the tournament took place on the
outskirts of Houston, at a course appropriately named “H&H Guest Ranch”!
Believe it or not, three of the blind golfers that competed back then
are registered to play at the Trophy Club, site of this year’s championship.
The Ben Hogan designed Trophy Club course is located in the Dallas – Fort Worth
area.
Who were those three
blind golfers that teed it up over 30 years ago? One was a first year rookie, Bob Andrews, who is currently the
President of the association. Another
was Nick Genovese, a veteran of
many national tournaments, having played in his first event
way, way back in 1951. He has been a member longer than anyone else currently
competing. The third golfer was Pat Browne, former President of the USBGA, and
the best blind golfer to ever play the game. Bob, the rookie back then,
commented about golfing at the H&H Guest Ranch; “It was special because it
was my first National Championship, but it was even more memorable because it
was played in the rains and winds of a mild hurricane.” To add to his
collection of “great moments in blind golf” he added, “Like most first time
competitors in a national tournament I was
given the last starting time. The winds and rain got considerably worse
as the day progressed. My playing
partner, Dr John Wood, through in the soaked towel. By the time I dragged off
the course the clubhouse was closed and there was no one to be found. ‘Yepp...’ as they say in Texas, the scores
had been tabulated and the trophies done been given out!” The winner that weekend was Joe Lazaro, one
of the best
blind golfers over the years, and the holder of seven National Championship
titles. Oh yea, for the record, the hurricane’s name was Fern, and the
date was Sept 9-10, 1971.
The Colleyville Lions
Club, host club for the 57th national tournament is busy preparing
for a great USBGA event. Any blind or
vision impaired member that is still contemplating registering better do so
soon because there will be a cap on entries.
Get in touch with the USBGA office to register. As part of the “Open”
this year, Canadian golfers, who are members of the WCBGA, are also welcome
down in cow town. Earlier we
touched on a bit of blind golf history.
All those coming to Texas will have the opportunity to hear about two of
the first ever recorded blind golf matches that took place in 1941. Jack Shannon carried the bag for his blind
uncle, Marvin Shannon, when Marvin competed against Clint Russell at the
Rockwood Golf Course in Fort Worth.
Jack will be at the awards banquet to share the story about those
historical matches.
Although
the California Blind Golf Classic is just a few weeks away, it is
possible that a late entry may get in.
July 28–29, are the dates so call Howard Shaw for the latest scoop.
The Raleigh, North
Carolina tournament is still open to all totals and peekers. Those dates
again are: October 27-28, 2002. Jim
Baker is the “go-to” person for this event held at the RGA Golf Club. He can be
reached at: Tel: 615 -391 -0317 or email: jvbaker@mindspring.com
The National Championship is also an “Open”.
Vision impaired members with a handicap under 44 are welcome to register. Slots are still available for B1, 2, and 3
golfers, for the September 15–18, 36 hole tournament. Call or email Bob
Andrews.
Tel: 850 -893 -4511
email: usbga@blindgolf.com
The USBGA Board is due to get shuffled this year at
the annual meeting in Texas. Jim Baker is running for president and Phil
Blackwell for vice president. Bill
McMahon, Sheila Drummond, and Ron Murner are seeking Board positions. Bill has many years of experience on the
Board and wishes to continue serving.
Sheila is filling out the position vacated by David Meador, due to his illness; and Ron is
stepping up for the first time.
Eligible members who are not going to be participating in Texas are
encouraged to vote by proxi. Another
membership letter will be sent out in
August if anyone wishes to throw their hat in to the race.
Sheila A. Drummond:
I live in NE Pennsylvania. Before going blind I was an X-ray Technician. In 1981 I went blind from diabetic retinopathy. I started playing golf 10 years ago, but never played when I was sighted. As a member of the USBGA for the past 7 years I have played in numerous National Championships as well as the Ken Venturi Guiding Eyes Classic.
Ron Murner:
I have been a USBGA member for about three
years. I am not a seasoned
veteran. I haven't played in that many
tournaments, but the ones that I have played in were really great
experiences. I understand what the
USBGA is trying to do and what they are trying to uphold. It is the right time in my life to run for
the Board and it will be a great challenge for me to undertake.
By Tom Mirus
At the Guiding Eyes Classic two questions came up
regarding two rules that are short and easy to understand. Since many tournaments are on the horizon,
this will be a bonus issue because you will get two rules for the price of
one! First is Rule 6-7, Undue delay;
Slow play, and the other is Rule 21, Cleaning the ball.
Rule
6-7--Undue Delay; Slow Play. The first
sentence reads, “The player shall play without undue delay and in accordance
with any pace of play guidelines which may be laid down by the committee.” In the USBGA National Tournament Regulations
the association has established a guideline that reads, “Approximately two and
one half (2 1/2) hours for nine holes per twosome is expected. That is about 50 minutes of playing time for
every 3 holes.” That is the basis under
which I operate at the events I officiate.
The first group off the tee is held responsible for establishing an
acceptable pace. All groups after that
are measured on a combination of time and their position relative to the group
in front of them. I hope to have a
revision of the pace of play section of the tournament regulations for the
national tournament in Dallas for the Board to consider. I can tell you that I do not like to
penalize anyone for slow play. In the
majority of the time, the players I have had to speak to about pace of play
have responded favorably to my persuasion and avoided any penalties. The best thing you can do is play ready
golf. If it is clear to hit and you are
not interfering with your fellow competitor, play away!
Rule 21—Cleaning the Ball. This rule came up at Guiding
Eyes when a player was taking relief from casual water. He asked me if he could clean his ball. The answer was yes. Rule 21 explains that there are three
occasions when cleaning your ball is not allowed. Here’s the rule: “A ball
on the putting green may be cleaned when lifted under Rule 16-1b.” I’m sure most everyone knew this. The rest of the rule reads: “Elsewhere, a ball may be cleaned when
lifted except when it has been lifted: a) To determine if it is unfit for play
(Rule 5-3), b) For identification (Rule 12-2) in which case it may be cleaned
only to the extent necessary for identification, or c) Because it is
interfering with or assisting play (Rule 22).
If a player cleans his ball during play of a hole except as provided in
this Rule, he shall incur a penalty of one stroke.” So, if you have lifted your ball under any rule of golf other
than the exceptions above, you may clean it.
I hope everyone has a great summer.
The rules are there to help the golfer.
Knowing the rules can prevent penalties or disqualification and help you
enjoy the game more.
Best of luck to the USBGA’s World Championship
competitors. I hope to see all of you
in Dallas.
Ron Murner, one
of the USBGA’s relatively new members, qualified to compete in the Ken Venturi
Guiding Eyes Classic for the first time. It is an invitation much sought after
by the blind golfers. The MG asked Ron to
share his thoughts about the tournament and his weekend.
I flew from Cleveland and landed at LaGuardia Airport. I knew that I was
in the right place when a guy came over and put me in a limo, took me to the
Mt. Kisco Holiday Inn (by the way, it was a great room.) and the desk clerk
handed my wife a set of keys to a PT Cruiser.
We shared the car with Andy Stewart and his coach, Jeff New. Jeff did most of the driving, which made my
wife very happy.
On Saturday afternoon we went to Mt. Kisco C.C. John, the starter, came to the car, took my
clubs and put them in a cart. John did
a great job all three days with the blind golfers. On Sunday the blind golfers
played in their tournament. I was
paired in the last group with Walter Dietz.
Both Walter and I were interviewed by a local newspaper reporter. Our names were announced at the tee off on
Sunday. Each team had captains, or scorekeepers, and a gallery that followed
you as you played the course.
Unfortunately, I didn't make the cut. I don't know how to get out of
bunkers. While the qualifiers continued
to play the tournament, those of us who didn't make the 9-hole cut competed in
chipping, pitching and putting contests.
Later that evening we had a great barbecue at the club. We met a lot of the volunteers and
sponsors. It was a great evening.
On Monday we played in the corporate/sponsor scramble. In this format I
started with a group, played three holes with them, then waited on the tee and
played three holes with a new group. I
met a lot of very nice people and every group that I met was very accepting of
me. With each group, believe it or not,
I had some nice shots and they used them.
Two highlights happened this day.
As I walked to the 17th tee, Ken Venturi was there to greet me. I was very nervous meeting him and so was my
wife, Pat. I thought that she was going
to pass out. At the banquet Monday
night Ken mentioned that there were two blind golfers who had never attended
the tournament before and that Ron Murner's wife was so nervous that he thought
she was going to faint. That was pretty
cool. The other highlight was I won “closest to the pin” on the par three #4
hole. My shot was 15 feet 11 inches
from the hole. I didn't think that it
would hold up, but it did. I won two
tickets from American Airlines to anywhere in 48 states or the Caribbean. I've never had such a great trip and I hope
that I qualify again. Later that
evening, most of the blind golfers got together in the lounge at the Holiday
Inn to talk, laugh, and spend time with each other. These tournaments are
special to me, not only to play golf, but, more importantly, to be around my
peers.
Scores:
Phil Blackwell 110 Corcoran Cup, 1st Gross
Angela O’Rourke
117 Cribari Trophy, 2nd
Gross
Jim Baker 119
McFarland
Trophy, Low Net 76 – a blind draw
Pat Browne 120
Andy Stewart 121
Sponster Award, Most Improved
Bill McMahon 135
Did not make cut: Ron Tomlinson (UK), Sheila Drummond,
Robert Dillinger, Ron Derry, Otto Huber, Jim Oyer,
Joe
Nessinger, Walter Deitz, Ron Murner.
Hey guys… there are too
many names on our get well card! David Meador continues to do well and is almost through his
chemo and radiation treatments. Chuck Koepke is NOT swinging
a club as he awaits a doctor’s decision on bypass heart surgery. Dennis Smith is recovering just fine from a
stint replacement in his leg. Angela O’Rourke is
rehabbing after another mild heart attack. And finally, Keith Melick
continues to get his back into shape and is still doubtful for the nationals.
There is no more room for bodies on the golfing wounded list!!!
Two web sites will give you lots of
info and pictures about blind golf, if you’re interested. For pictures from recent events go to Hans Ogren’s site: http://www.hansiboy.com/Blind%20menu/Menu%20for%20blind.htm Hans is Dennis Wyatt’s
coach. And if you are interested in the World Championships in Winnipeg, Canada,
go to: www.mataspr.com
A new Board Directive
will simplify qualifying for the Guiding Eyes Classic. All 36-hole scores from
the nationals will count in the standings. The top 15 places will get an
invitation.
From an LPGA member: Tips for sight
impaired golfers to better see the club head: Draw a circle
on the clubface to align the ball with the center of the club. Also, apply
yellow, orange, or red paint on shaft above the housel, or leading edge of the
face of the club, to assist with set up. Paint the putter dark and use yellow
balls. Use colors that best suit your sight limitation.
A
busy summer for Junior
Golf. Three Lions camps
around the county will get the Snag golf game to introduce blind and vision impaired
youths to golf. Jim Baker and Joe
McCourt will be at Camp Dogwood in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, on July
15-16. Another blind golfer, Lion Dick Pomo will help Joe with the kids and
clinics at the Wisconsin Lions Camp in Rosholt, on July 22-23. And then Joe and Jim will be at the Texas
Lions Camp in Kerrville on July 29-30.
Late breaking news: Koepke
just got word from his doctor saying all is clear and he will be able to
compete this summer.
AND,
late…overlooked news in the last MG. Another blind golfer had a “Hole-In-One”.
Using a 7 iron on a 135-yard par 3, Bob Andrews recorded a ONE (1) on the third hole
at his home course, Killearn Country Club, Tallahassee. Since the elevated lip of the front trap hid
the base of the flagstick it was not clear where the ball went following the
first bounce. After a quick search came
up empty, coach Bill Mormile walked by the pin to check the bottom of the
hole…just in case…and sure enough!!!
By Phil Blackwell
The Heather Farr Leader Dog Classic was held in Arizona this past May
1-3, has been in existence since the 1980’s.
It was hosted by one of our members, Joe Nessinger. This year’s
tournament was a sanctioned event. The
tournament was open to all USBGA members, B-1, B-2, B-3.
I was at the tournament
two years ago and remember that the desert temperatures reached 100
degrees. This year, however, the
weather was near perfect. The 85
degrees and the great course made it a very enjoyable time.
Sybil, my wife and
coach, and I were the Blind (B1) gross winners. We were very surprised to place, but everything seemed to work in
our favor this year. On the tournament
day I had the privilege of playing along with Charles Adams and his coach,
Carl. They won first place
vision-impaired gross (B2 & B3).
The staff at Orange Tree
Resort was, as always, great. They made
sure everything was in order and ready to go on both the tournament and sponsor
scramble days.
Scores:
Blind (B1)
Phil Blackwell 100
Andy Stewart 117
Jim Baker 124
Angela O'Rourke 128
Ron Murner 132
Joe Nessinger 132
Ron Tomlinson 136
James Meacham 142
Walter Dietz 143
Dick Pomo 154
Vision Impaired (B2 & B3)
Charlie Adams 90
Dennis Wyant 102
Roy Holt 102
Dennis Smith 110
Joe Hojnicki 110
Bob Comba 120
