How golf rekindled one woman’s spirit
Six Nations woman among blind golfers at Woodside tournament

Monte Sonnenberg SIMCOE REFORMER
Monday June 13, 2005

Simcoe Reformer — GREEN’S CORNERS –– The Woodside Greens Golf Park west of Simcoe played host to a distinguished guest this weekend.
She’s Dr. Angela O’Rourke of Six Nations.
Dr. O’Rourke is the reigning women’s blind golfing champion for the United States and Canada. She has won both tournaments twice and is seeking to defend her titles again this year. Of all blind golfers in North America –– men and women combined –– Dr. O’Rourke is ranked in the top 10.
Dr. O’Rourke, 54, had a bright career with the U.S. military when a car accident in 1992 damaged the optical centre of her brain. Blinded, she retired a full colonel feeling her life was over.
Her spirit returned in 1998 when a friend coaxed her into swinging a club on a golf course. O’Rourke recalls connecting with the sweet spot and lining a drive 150 yards down the middle of the fairway.
“It was instant addiction because I had tasted life,” she said. “Golf not only gave me my life back, it helps me with my focus; setting short-, medium-, and long-term goals.”
Dr. O’Rourke was one of 17 golfers taking part in this weekend’s Ontario Visually Impaired Golfers event at Woodside. Three of the participants are totally blind while the remainder are legally blind.
Glenn Babcock of Thornhill helped organize the event. Even with contact lenses, he only has eight per cent vision. Babcock is colour blind. He can read large type so long as his face is right up to it.
Babcock was pleased with the relaxed atmosphere at Woodside. He noted that operators of courses in larger centres seem interested only in turning over customers. Babcock said golfing for the visually impaired at some courses is like being herded on and off the subway system in Tokyo.
“It’s incredibly nice to come to a course like this where everything is laid-back and no one is pushing you,” he said. “Staff have been excellent to us.”
OVIG scored the tournament on the basis of best net team score for the front nine, best net team score for the back nine and the best net team score for all 18 holes.
The front nine winners were Bill Harrison and Ray Huffman, both of Hamilton. The back nine winners were Bill Gibson of London and Joan Brown of Burlington. Overall champs were Joe Simardone of Etobicoke and Dale Marsden of Hamilton.
A major blind golfing event will be held Aug. 8 to 10 at the Burford Golf Course. Similar in format to the Ryder Cup, blind golfing teams from Canada and the United States will compete in Burford for the Nation’s Cup.

Monte Sonnenberg (519) 426-5710 ext. 150
msonnenberg@bowesnet.com