Golf can be challenging at the best of times, but blind people need a little more help to get around the course. Beyond Blindness has a team of volunteer caddies who hit our Valley View Golf Course with blind players for a social round every Tuesday.
The volunteers accompany blind players to guide them to the correct spot, point them in the direction of the hole, and provide information to help them take the perfect swing. They then go and hunt for the brightly coloured ball ready for the next shot. The players don’t use traditional white golf balls, instead opting for fluorescent red ones which some vision-impaired players can faintly see, along with the bright red flags in the holes.
Golf is just one of the many activities Beyond Blindness organises and assists people with, to help them stay social and active. One of their biggest challenges is transport, so they are always in need of people who are able to drive and pick blind members up for activities such as golf.
Beyond Blindness is based in Gillies Plains and assists over 600 members to navigate life without vision. They run a training program to help schools, businesses and community organisations to upskill.
