A new partnership between England & Wales Blind Golf, Southend In Sight, and The Norman Garon Trust is set to transform access to golf for people living with sight loss and visual impairment across Essex.
The collaboration brings together national expertise, local specialist support and outstanding facilities at Garon Park Golf Complex to introduce golf as an inclusive, sociable and confidence-building sport for beginners with sight loss, as well as those who may have played historically but stopped due to deteriorating vision.
Every day in the UK at least 250 people begin to lose their sight. For many, this life-changing experience can lead to isolation, reduced confidence and withdrawal from hobbies and social activities they once enjoyed. The new partnership aims to address this directly by creating a welcoming pathway back into sport and into community.
To officially launch the initiative, a dedicated Sight Loss Golf Clinic will take place on March 24, from 2pm to 4pm, at Garon Park Golf Complex in Southend. The session will be hosted on the venue’s innovative Toptracer Range, where cutting-edge technology is helping to redefine accessibility in golf.
Toptracer technology tracks the flight of the golf ball and displays its path, distance and accuracy on individual TV screens in each bay. For visually impaired and blind golfers, this removes one of the traditional barriers to participation, the need to see where the ball travels. Instead, players can receive instant visual feedback on screen, alongside verbal guidance from coaches and support volunteers.
The ambition extends beyond a single event. The partners hope Garon Park will become a recognised hub for visually impaired and blind golf in the region. Participants will be able to progress from the digital driving range to the Par 3 short course, and ultimately to the full-length 18-hole course, creating a sustainable pathway into the sport.
Southend In Sight will work closely with local individuals and families to encourage participation, while England & Wales Blind Golf will provide specialist expertise in coaching and adaptive techniques. The Norman Garon Trust, owners and operators of Garon Park Golf Complex, see the initiative as a natural extension of their charitable commitment to inclusion, wellbeing and community engagement through sport.
For further information about the Sight Loss Golf Clinic at Garon Park on March 24, email matt@garonparkgolf.co.uk or call 01702 601701.