Bob Banks enjoys recreational sports, softball to golf. He spent many years umpiring high school baseball and coached for 32 years. But it's different now. About 12 years ago, he was diagnosed with a rare disease and lost most of his eyesight.
A portfolio manager for Kaiser Permanente, Banks now only plays golf as a member of the United States Blind Golf Association (USBGA).
Established in 1953, the USBGA is a national adaptive golf organization specifically for blind and visually impaired individuals to learn, compete and challenge other members. Tournaments are held throughout the country with the organization's motto at the forefront: "You Don't Have to See It to Tee It!"
A participant in blind golf, unlike sighted golfers, competes in a team sport. The USBGA and its international counterpart, the International Blind Golf Association (IBGA) recognize three categories for players. B1 participants are completely blind. B2 is defined as the ability to recognize the shape of a hand up to visual acuity of 20/600. B3 is classified as visual acuity above 20/600 up to visual acuity of less than 20/200.
Banks, 66, of Walnut Creek, is a B2 golfer and plays on various East Bay area courses in team events, casually with friends and in tournaments, including the organization's yearly national championship. This year's event is scheduled Aug. 17-21 at Highland Park Golf Course in Birmingham, Ala.
The tournament will celebrate the 80th anniversary of blind golfer Charlie Boswell's second place in the inaugural national championship in 1946. Boswell lost his sight during combat in World War II.
According to the USBGA website, blind golf is played via the Rules of Golf governed by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A).
Competitions can be played off scratch within each sight classification or off Handicap Index across all sight classifications. The IBGA has developed a Handicap Scheme that is utilized by all member associations and is used for IBGA-sanctioned tournaments and international competitions.
Since the inception of the organization's junior golf program in 1992, more than 5,000 children and adults have been introduced to blind and vision-impaired golf.
Banks, the current USBGA president, will compete in the national championship as he has for several years. Long-time friend Jerry Shaman, a retired sheriff whom Banks coached in adult softball leagues, is now the golfer’s coach.
Banks participates against golfers from around the country, rekindles friendships, and, of course, shares golf stories.
Sheila Drummond is one such friend. Blind since age 27 because of diabetes, Drummond began to golf after attending a blind person's conference and meeting two men who asked her if she played the sport. She knew nothing of golf but was curious. She visited a local club in Pennsylvania, took lessons, was given clubs and her interest was quickly piqued. Her husband, Keith, also a non-golfer, offered a challenge.
"He said to me 'If you stick with it, I'll start to play,' " Drummond, 71, says of her coach and husband. "Golf is an addiction. Once you start playing, you think you are going to get better, you hope you are going to get better. Every time you have a couple of good shots, it keeps bringing you back, and it did."
Drummond played for many years at the now closed Mahoning Valley Country Club in Lehighton, Pa. It was about two miles from the Drummond's home. The couple now plays less frequently. Approaching 20 years ago, Drummond received vast national media attention when she made a hole-in-one at her home course and became the first totally blind woman to do so. She remembers the occasion vividly.
"It was over water and between trees and some high grass," Drummond of the par-3, 149-yard fourth hole. "I used a driver because I had to hit it over water. I hit the ball and I heard it hit the pin. My husband said, 'I think it went.' I said, oh, come on. We drove the cart up there and there it was in the hole. It was very exciting."
"My husband has never had a hole-in-one, but he says he's coached one. That’s his claim to fame. Claim whatever you can."
Banks' sight difficulties began in his mid-50s. He lost most of his central vision in both eyes within months and then the loss progression stopped. He has Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), an inherited optic nerve disease. About 30,000 people worldwide have the disease, and it devastated Banks. He threw his golf clubs away and changed his mind after watching a video about blind clubs. Several of Banks’ friends provided encouragement.
"Blind golf is kind of like normal golf," says Banks, who plays to an 18.5 Handicap Index. "The only difference is that we have a guide or a coach. It’s a dance.
"I personally have iron head covers and drive head covers with big numbers, just because I like that independence. When my coach describes a hole and says 'We're 150 years out and there's water on the left and there's a bunker on the front right, or whatever,' I know what I want. I can go to my bag and pick it out the club myself."
Banks also cites another slight difference. The USBGA is conducted via the rules of the United States Golf Association (USGA). Under its modified rules for players with disabilities (Rule No. 25.2) blind and visually impaired golfers can ground their clubs in bunkers without a penalty.
"A lot of people can't see the sand," says Bank. "I don't tend to have that problem, so I don't ground my club, but a lot of people do. Of course, you can have a guide or coach assist with lining up a shot. But other than that, it's straight up golf."
"It's what used to look at things, reading text, seeing small things," including a little white ball," says Banks. "They became hard, almost impossible."
While coaches and their players take the team effort seriously, camaraderie and the joy of golf reign. "We joke about it," says Banks. "We (players) take credit for all of the good shots and place blame on them (coaches) for all of the bad shots."
