THE MIDNIGHT GOLFER NEWSLETTER
2003 Spring Issue
Volume 13, Issue 1
Guiding Eyes Masters Wet But Playable
Amateur Tour Players Raise Funds
USGA Foundation Grant and Conference
AFTER 10 YEARS
Despite
losing his sight at age twenty-two in 1967, while serving as a U.S. Marine in
Vietnam, Bob Andrews has spent his adult life as a builder. He has built not only furniture and homes,
but also the United States Blind Golf Association (USBGA), elevating the
association to the higher and more prominent level it is today.
Bob has been successful in business and golf. Only a few short years after losing his sight, he began working as a furniture maker while living in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Tina, and their three sons, Travis, Ben, and Mike. He later moved to Tallahassee, Florida, and designed and built homes, one of which received the Parade of Homes “Best Exterior Design.” During this period, he also learned the game of blind golf and played in his first USBGA tournament in Houston in 1971, with his father as his coach. From 1979 to 1988, Bob decided to stop playing competitive golf and focus on his construction career and family.
It was not
long after Bob returned to golf in 1988 that he became actively involved in the
USBGA. First he served on the board of
directors for three years. Then in 1991
he created “The Midnight Golfer” newsletter as a way to communicate with
the membership. In August of 1992 Bob
became President of the USBGA and made a very strong impact on the organization
during his ten-year reign.
Through
his foresight and persistence, Bob guided the USBGA from a small organization
of totally blind golfers to a larger, more prominent and internationally
recognized, association of totally blind and visually impaired golfers. The
Internet site www.blindgolf.com was
established by him as a means for people around the country and world to learn
about blind golf.
He helped to establish and gain nationwide
acceptance for the USGA Rules of Golf for Golfers with Disabilities. Bob also brought in vision impaired PGA pro,
Tom Mirus, as the USBGA’s first “Senior Rules Official.” All of these accomplishments brought
credibility and standards to the game of blind golf.
His efforts as a fundraiser also made a dramatic difference in the USGBA. Over the years Bob helped to develop and introduce the USBGA logo pin, the ladies pin, and the coaches patch, all of which build awareness for the association and serve as a means of raising funds. He worked to increase media coverage of blind golf by getting the Golf Channel, Southern Golf, and others interested in the national and international championships. This, along with forming a 501(c)3 non-profit status for the association, helped in securing a substantial three-year grant from Lions International.
Bob’s
enthusiasm for the game of golf also inspired him to introduce a USBGA Junior
Golf Program together with his friend Joe McCourt, its first director. Finally, Bob was a founding member of the
International Blind Golf Association (IBGA), which was established in
1994. Today he continues promoting the
game of blind golf internationally by serving as Vice President of the IBGA.
Bob
Andrews is an internationally known golfer, promoter of blind golf and
fundraiser. His enthusiasm and
dedication to the game of blind golf has benefited many and brought greater
awareness of the game to the public. On
May 22, 1997, Bob received the Dennis Walters Courage Award from
the International Network of Golf. The
description of that award sums up Bob, his contributions, and his accomplishments
in an excellent way: “An individual who has overcome tremendous odds to play
and contribute to the game of golf.”
Phil Blackwell and his
coach, Rod Turnage, finished once more atop the leader board at this year's Ken
Venturi Guiding Eyes Golf Classic in Mt. Kisco, New York, on June 8. Despite wet conditions, Phil and his coach
walked off the 18th green posting a 110.
David Meador and coach Everett Davis followed in second place with a
114. Pat and Patrick Browne gathered up
the third spot at 118. Jim Baker,
coached by Kyle Seeley, finished a close fourth at 119.
Conditions were wet indeed after the area received some ten inches of rain in the preceding month, including a steady sprinkling on Saturday, the day before our competition. The above four were the only ones to break 66 on Sunday's front nine, which was the required cut to continue to the back nine. “Normally, around half of the 16 blind golfers qualify for the back nine, but the usual tough Mt. Kisco course proved even tougher this year," said Association President Jim Baker.
Just a swing or two away
from the cut were Chuck Koepke, Ron Derry, Gerald Stricklin, Otto Huber, Sheila
Drummond, and Tom Sullivan. Chuck
Koepke, who lofted approach shots in tight to the pin from 100 yards dominated
the “pitch” competition. Walter took the chipping contest. The putting contest
that followed was won by Sheila, rapping a forty-footer to within one foot
eight inches.
Long recognized as the
"Masters" of blind golf, this year's tournament was cut from a
different cloth. Champion Phil
Blackwell was rewarded at the evening banquet with a blue jacket signifying his
“Masters” win, incidentally his third in a row. Equally fitting was a similar honorary “Masters” jacket presented
to Pat Browne for his lifetime record of impressive performance, including 17
wins over the tournament's 26-year history.
Banquet
attire at the awards dinner head table was likewise special this year. Instead of Ken Venturi, always a sharp
dresser, we were
graced by a new professional look and leader -- former lady’s professional
golfer, Jane Blalock. Ken Venturi
appears to be stepping down after serving as the heart and soul of this
fund-raising event from its inception.
He continues to be a friend to all of us -- a personal bond underscored
by a letter from Ken read at the banquet.
Although no one can replace Ken, Jane Blalock's credentials are
impressive, winning 29 LPGA events from 1969 to 1984. She continues her winning touch today as an independent corporate
marketing consultant and President of the Senior Lady's Tour. Like Ken Venturi, Jane's demeanor and energy
throughout this event were first class all the way, announcing to all that she,
too, is now thoroughly hooked on Guiding Eyes and blind golf. She seems a sure thing to serve as a great
choice to succeed Ken as the tournament's inspiring personality for the
foreseeable future.
Tom’s Tour Teams up with SeekData Inc
By Bob Andrews
Once a year PGA professional Tom Mirus dedicates a day on his Edwin Watts amateur tour for the purpose of raising funds for the USBGA. This year his tour players and a couple of close friends responded by presenting the association with over $3000!
Coach Tina
Andrews and I had the pleasure of meeting the players on a par 3 hole at
Mission Inn, Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida, where we spent the day demonstrating
blind golf shots… some of which actually hit the green. Joining us on the tee
were Tom’s good friends, John Munyon and Lu Jeppesen, who conducted the
fund-raising activities. It was their
company, SeekData, Inc., which quite generously doubled the day’s tour-players
dollar contribution and therefore the tidy sum.
Over the past few years Tom Mirus has given his time to the association through his position as Senior Rules Official at USBGA major tournaments. His dedication and professionalism while refereeing our events has gained him the nickname “The Sheriff” and, despite the friendly title, his efforts are greatly appreciated. No doubt Tom enjoys the same respect from the players on his amateur tour as evidenced by the near 100% participation by the golfers in his USBGA fund raising event.
Blind
junior golfers will benefit because of the funds raised. In addition, the money will be matched by a
USGA grant assisting the USBGA in purchasing special kids golf equipment from
SNAG. All and all a very successful
story with the bulk of credit going
to USBGA member and friend, Tom.
The USBGA
Junior Golf Program has gotten off to a great start in 2003 with the help of
the new director, Tom Fink, a PGA member from Nashville. The
focus of this year’s junior golf program is to have several clinics throughout
the country. They will be held in
conjunction with LCIF supported golf tournaments and at many state blind
schools.
The
clinics this spring involved the state blind schools from South Carolina,
Tennessee, and Missouri. They were very successful because of the
organizational work of Phil Blackwell, Jim Baker, and Tom Fink, along with the
help of the other golf professionals and volunteers involved.
Thru
grants, the kids received shirts and logo pins. Ten to fifteen students from each clinic will also receive follow
up lessons. Part of this year’s grant money will also be used to help provide a
set of SNAG clubs to each of the six blind schools.
The
USBGA hosted a Blind Golf Clinic on Monday, April 7 at the South Carolina
School for the Deaf and Blind (SCSDB).
Phil Blackwell and his coach, Rod Turnage, organized this clinic. It was run with the help of Junior Golf Tom Fink. The clinic was held at the Spartanburg
Junior Golf Facility (SJGF), which is a First Tee
facility. It has a state of the art
practice range and short game complex with two practice putting greens. Because
of rain, Executive Director of The SJGF, Mike Byce, and
Mike Hollifield from the SCSDB, decided to change the location to the school
Gym.
Along
with Mike Byce, Tom Fink, and Rod Turnage, a number of PGA members and Lions
volunteers got some hands on experience working with the blind and
vision-impaired students and SNAG golf clubs. There were 24 students at the
clinic and everyone had a great time.
Larry
Seay of Carolinas Recycling Group and Chick-Fil-A provided lunch. Phil
received a number of letters from the students thanking everyone involved for
introducing them to golf and about the great time they had. Some of the
students also commented on the food and said it was much better than what they
would have had for lunch at school!
Another
clinic has been scheduled for the fall when the weather should be better. This
will give the students a chance for some fun and excitement learning more about
golf. Mike Hollifield at the SCSDB is planning to introduce golf into the
Physical Education curriculum next year.
The Middle
Tennessee Blind Golf Clinic was held at the Aspen Grove Golf Course in
Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, on April 22, from 10 AM until 2 PM. There were 32 blind
and vision impaired students from the Tennessee School for the Blind, the
Williamson County Vision Program, and the Metro Nashville Vision Program.
Tom Fink and nine other local golf professionals, along with 18
volunteers, helped the clinic run smoothly. The 22 beginning golfers were
introduced to golf using SNAG equipment in the morning and hitting real balls
in the afternoon. The 10 intermediate golfers hit balls and putted in the
morning. They then played a few holes after lunch.
Long time USBGA member and motivational speaker, David Meador, talked briefly after lunch to all of the participants and volunteers. He encouraged them to continue to play and enjoy golf as a life long activity. All of the students seemed to enjoy the opportunity to learn about golf, legitimately miss class and be outside on a beautiful spring day.
St. Louis
Blind Sports Festival
The St.
Louis Blind Sports Festival was held on Thursday, May 15 at Tower Grove Park
from 9:00 AM until 2:30 PM. The USBGA was involved in the golf clinic part of
the festival. The festival also
introduced blind and vision impaired students to bowling, tandem biking and
beep ball. There were 78 kids from the Missouri School for the Blind (MSB), the
St. Louis Vision program, the Special School District for disabled Students,
the Delta Gamma Center and the St. Charles Vision Program. Although it rained
in the early morning, it cleared up after 7:30 AM and ended up to be an ideal
day for golf.
USBGA
Junior Golf Director, Tom Fink, ten golf professionals from the Gateway PGA
Section and about 40-50 teachers and volunteers were kept very busy during each
of the four, 45 minute sessions. Even though each student only had a short time
to be introduced to golf, the response was very enthusiastic and the MSB would
like to include golf in the P.E. curriculum by starting an after school program
next year. The Sports Festival received TV coverage from three local affiliate
stations, which provided tremendous exposure to the event.
by Dick Pomo
The
Heather Farr Leader Dogs Classic was held on May 1st at the Orange Tree Resort Golf Course in
Scottsdale, Arizona. Joe and Merry Nessinger hosted the event for the 13th
year and all who attended had a great time.
While the
unstable economy certainly affected attendance, 14 golfers participated. Seven
totals and seven partially sighted golfers attacked the course. After the sand
settled, our friend Ron Tomlinson, from across the big pond in England, with
the assistance of his coach and wife, Stephanie, took home first place. Ron
shot 122 and Joe Nessinger, for the fifth time, took second. In the Visually
Impaired Division, Charlie Adams shot an incredible 81 to easily win first
place. What about the rest of us? Well,
let’s just say that while it was in doubt at times, we all finished.
Friday’s
Scramble Tournament gave both blind and visually impaired golfers the chance to
play as part of a team with many of the tournament supporters involved. Again,
while numbers of participants in the scramble were down, enthusiasm and good
fellowship served as the foundation for the team competition. The tournament
and scramble concluded with a wonderful dinner and auction.
As usual
with such tournaments, what took place on the course was only a part of an
enjoyable several days. The hotel housing the golfers blended itself well to an
evening get together of old and new friends; and the pool side setting combined
with a little liquid refreshments did wonders to make all of our games better
after the fact. While this tournament may appear to be early for those from
colder climates, the warmth of the sun combined with spending time with
enjoyable folks made the trip well worth it.
By Tom Mirus “The Sheriff”
This
edition of “By The Book” will be
short and is as much of a tip as a rule discussion. The topic is the teeing ground.
Rule 11 concerns the teeing ground.
The teeing ground is the starting place for the hole to be played and is
defined as “a rectangle area two club lengths in depth, the front and sides of
which are defined by the outside limits of two markers.”
The ball
may be placed anywhere in this area, “on an irregularity of surface on the
ground or on a tee, sand or other substance in order to raise it off the
ground.” A player may stand outside the
teeing ground to play a ball within the teeing ground. Before a player plays his first stroke on a
hole, the tee markers are deemed to be fixed.
A player cannot move, or allow to be moved, a tee marker for the purpose
of avoiding interference with his stance, the area of his intended swing or his
line of play.
I bring
this up because it can play into a player’s strategy in playing a hole. Many times your group is not the first to
play from a teeing ground. There may be
divots, scuffed turf, uneven areas, etc. between the tee markers. You should be aware that you may tee your ball
up anywhere in the two club rectangle extending back from the tee markers. This is most helpful on par-3 holes where
irons are used for most shots and divots are often numerous. Knowing this will allow you to find the best
place to get a level stance to play your shot.
It also lets you choose what side of the tee might be best to play from
to maximize your chances for a successful shot to the green or fairway.
So, remember, if you can’t find a place you like between the tee markers, take a step back and see if there isn’t a better place to put your ball in play.
I look
forward to seeing everyone in Portland in September. If you have a question or a topic you would like to see covered
in “By the Book”, send me an email or
let me know next time we meet at a tournament. tmirus@aol.com
The USBGA applied for another USGA grant in 2003 and again this year commissioned the grant writing skills of Judith Mirus. The focus of the grant request was to help fund five blind golf clinics, provide follow-up golf lessons for some of the kids, give out T-shirts to each student and volunteer, provide USBGA Informational Packets to everyone, and give a set of SNAG Clubs to each of the six blind schools involved in the clinics. The SNAG Clubs will be an encouragement for golf to become a part of the P. E. curriculum because they can be used in a gym.
Even though an organization never gets everything asked for in a grant application, I must admit I was disappointed in the grant that was awarded to us because we did not receive any money that would help spread the word about blind golf and the USBGA. We had hoped to receive funds to enable us to distribute logo T-shirts and USBGA Informational Packets to each person attending the clinics. The USBGA did receive a grant for $11,440, which consisted of $650 for the use of the courses in Spartanburg and Nashville; $6,500 for follow-up golf lessons for some of the participants in the clinics; and $4,290 as a matching grant for SNAG Clubs for six blind schools.
The USGA
Foundation had a conference in Colorado Springs on March 28-30, for all
organizations, programs and facilities that have received USGA grant money over
the past several years. There were over 300 people that attended the
seminars. Smaller group meetings
focused on what programs the USGA Foundation will be giving their grant money
to and how to obtain it. The USGA Foundation changed the guidelines under which
they will give grant money, with 80% going to youth programs and 20% going to
disability programs. We are one of the few groups in which our programs fit
into both categories.
Another topic discussed was the importance of fund-raising and having a
large diverse group of supporters. I was fortunate be able to speak with
several people from state golf foundations who shared some ideas with me. One
idea was to set up an Advisory Board comprised of many of the USBGA’s strongest
supporters and have them raise funds on an annual basis for the USBGA.
Another possible source of financial support for the USBGA is trying to find other corporate and family foundations that might be interested in blind golf. There are over 250,000 different foundations giving out grant money each year. The hard part is to find which ones might be interested in our cause and then send in a grant application to them.
These are just a few ideas that the USBGA Board will be looking at this year and we would appreciate any other suggestions from the membership or interested USBGA supporters concerning fund-raising. Contact me or any other board member about this issue at your convenience.
Blind golf makes another chapter in a book. Now in bookstores.
Sports Illustrated writer
Rick Reilly has a new
book,
“Who’s Your
Caddy?” The last chapter is on blind
golf. It is available in print, large print, CD and cassette.
BOARD MEMBER ELECTION
A three-year position on the board will come up for election
at the general meeting. Dick Pomo is
the current board member and will be running for re-election. If you wish to be nominated contact Jim
Baker.
FROM ONE LION TO ANOTHER
Coral Gables, Florida, Lion
Leonard Goldstein collects golf balls on his walks. This year he donated over 500 balls to the Wisconsin Lions Camp.
This is GREAT! Wouldn’t it be
nice for more Lions and supporters to pitch in and help!
Thanks,
Leonard.
Bob Shifley:
Earlier
this year a cat scan diagnosed that Bob had bladder cancer and it had invaded
his bladder wall. Surgery was performed on June 23 at Munroe Regional Medical
Center in Ocala, Florida, for removal of his bladder and prostate. But upon
opening him, the doctors found that the lymph nodes were malignantly involved,
so they just closed the incision and will follow up with chemotherapy starting
on July 17. I’m sure some encouragement from all of us would help Bob to keep
fighting since we would all like to see him golfing again. 1312 Ballesteros
Dr., The Villages, FL 32162-0112,
(352) 753-6386.
Andy Stewart:
Andy had
ACL replacement surgery done for the fourth time on his left knee in late
March. He still needs to have cartilage replacement surgery done on that knee
later this year.
Andy had two tumors removed on June 5.
One was an orange sized encapsulated tumor in his sinus cavity and the other
was a thumb sized neuroma above the palate area. Fortunately both tumors turned
out to be benign.
On
Tuesday, July 1, Andy had another procedure done to relieve pressure and drain
an abscess from his upper left cheek area. 108 Spring Garden Lane, Birmingham,
AL 35217, (205) 669-6728.
Keith Melick:
As of July
2, Keith is still in considerable pain from his chronic back problem. This disc
and vertebrate injury which occurred in 1956 has continued to get worse over
time. He is going to get another complete back examination later this year to
determine if anything can be done to allow him to play golf again. We are
hoping for the best, but if not, he would still like to stay involved with the
USBGA. 1807 Misty Morn Place, Longwood, FL 32779, (407) 869-9626.
Angela O’Rourke:
While playing golf earlier this year, Angela
fell during a seizure and pulled a muscle in her right forearm. She plans to
return to play in the USBGA National Championships in September.
During the second half of 2003 the USBGA, with the financial support of the Lions Club International Foundation, will help host three regional tournaments and the National Championship/Open. The first LCI-USBGA Midwestern Regional Golf Tournament will be in Wadsworth, Ohio, on July 19-21, and is being hosted by the Wadsworth Lions Club. On August 16-18 the LCI-USBGA Raleigh Regional Golf Championship will be hosted for the second year by the Past District Governors Association of District 31-G and the Raleigh Local Lions Club. The third regional tournament will be in Florida. It will be held in Melbourne sometime between October 25 and November 10. More information is forthcoming from Joe McCourt. The National Championship/Open will follow the US-Canada Lions Forum in September. The championships will be hosted by the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation September 21-24 in Woodburn (south Portland). Presently the Midwestern Regional Tournament in Ohio has a full field, but if anyone is interested in playing in the Raleigh, Florida or Portland tournaments, contact Jim Baker (615) 885-2952.
The USBGA Junior
Golf Program will host four blind golf clinics during the rest of 2003. The
first at Camp Dogwood, Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, July 15; then in
Raleigh, North Carolina, August 18 during the Regional Championship; on
September 22, Portland, at the National Championships sponsor scramble; and
finally, one is tentatively set for October in Fort Worth, Texas.
Update on the LCI-USBGA Blind Golf Championships Portland
Plans for the Lions Clubs International-USBGA Blind Golf Championships are falling into place. Most players will be arriving on Saturday and the association will be hosting a small golf outing with about 10-20 key LCI and LCIF leaders including many past and present international directors. This event will be held at the OGA Members Golf Course in Woodburn with morning tee times from 9-10:30 AM. This should be a great time for these LCI leaders to experience blind golf and appreciate how much the LCIF grant is enhancing the growth of the game. Later that evening, the LCI leaders and their spouses will join all the players, coaches, sponsors and volunteers at the Welcoming Dinner Cruise on the Portland Spirit. International Blind Golf Association is hosting the reception.
On Monday, September 22, the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation (OLSHF) will host a Charity Golf Tournament at Willamette Valley Country Club to benefit their Foundation’s charities as well as the USBGA Junior Golf Program and the LCIF. They have worked tremendously hard to organize this fund raising event, which will bring public awareness to blind golf in the Pacific Northwest. Many USBGA players will participate in the charity tournament and the USBGA will have a Blind Golf Clinic for about 35-40 blind and vision impaired students. They will come from the Oregon School for the Blind in Salem, the Oregon Commission for the Blind, the Columbia Vision Program, and the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver. There will be 10-15 PGA pros and many volunteers, including local Lions, to help with the clinic. This will be a great event and should provide plenty of PR and good will to the LCI, OLSHF and the USBGA.
The
36-hole competitive golf tournament will be on Tuesday and Wednesday at the OGA
Members Golf Course starting at 8:30 AM from both the first and tenth tees.
Players will go off in twosomes. The Awards Banquet will be on Wednesday night
at 6:00 PM in the Crown Plaza Ballroom with the evening’s entertainment
provided by Tom Sullivan.