Young Golf Club recently played host to Australian and International Blind Golf Champions at The Blind Golf NSW Interstate Challenge.

Included amongst the number of Australian and World Champions were Graham Coulton the winner of The British Blind Golf Open, multiple championship winner Doug Sloan, the newly crowned Canadian Open Blind Golf Champion Michelle Watts and our local homegrown hero, Tony Telfer.

The competition was a 36 hole Stableford event with the NSW team taking out the Championship by a margin of 70 points.

Individual Winners: 1st Place Michelle Watts with 65 points , 2nd Mark Eschbank with 60 and 3rd was Tony Telfer with 57 points .

It was great to see many locals coming out to support the golfers and to gain some insight into how vision impaired golfers are able to navigate their way around the golf course under the guidance of their caddies who act as their eyes for the match.

The Caddy will offer advice on the distance, where the ball needs to go, where it has actually gone.

This takes an incredible amount of trust on the part of the blind golfer and excellent communication skills on the part of the caddy.

Unfortunately, the blindfold putting and driving session for sighted golfers on Sunday afternoon was rained out however many of the observers were extremely impressed by the quality of talent on display during the tournament.

The quality of the hospitality, the course and the competition that Blind Golf NSW has elected to hold the next annual interstate challenge back at Young Golf Club in April as they were impressed by the hospitality and the Young course.

Mark that date on your calendar and come and join the fun.

Our golfers wish to thank the following sponsors for this year’s event : Young Services Club, The Golfy, 2YYY Community Radio, BHS Yards, Create8 accounting.

LEA DAVIS-LESIUK