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IBGA NEWS ITEM
REPORT FROM ERNST CONRADIE, SOUTH AFRICAN BLIND GOLF
9 X 9 MAD STUNT - FIRST FOR WORLD GOLF
BACKGROUND
I have decided to do another mad stunt this year to show people that blind and visually impaired people can also play golf and that we can do it sometimes better. I took the no 9, because this was my number when I played blind cricket for South Africa in the first and second blind cricket world cup in 1998 and 2002. With this I have done some research on the internet and saw that nobody (able or disabled} in the world played 9 holes on 9 different courses in 12 hours and I decided to go ahead and try this.
THE DAY
It was an early start for me and my supporting team, we met at my house the morning around half past four, to load everything for the day and to do a medical before I will start.
The team arrived at Glendower golf club around half past five, this club was the host of the SA golf open for the last three years. It was a cool morning with some clouds around. My daughter, Megan started with me and run with the clubs for the first nine holes. I have completed this course in 30 minutes and 54 shots.
My second course was a bit of a nightmare, this was Ebotsi links. The holes on this course is very long and the course is very uneven, lots of hills and a very narrow fairway. I battled around an hour on this course.
The next 6 courses were very flat and dry, because our rain only start in Gauteng in October. These course My daughter and my friend's son made turns to guide me through the courses. The average shots on these courses was around 53.
My last course, my home course Modderfontein. We arrived around 10 past four at the course, tired and very sore calves and feet, but I must go for it. Sorry to say but the golfers was not as friendly here as at the other courses, because they didn't want me to play through and I had to wait on the last three hole, but I manage to play this course in an hour an 10 minutes. I have putt my ball into the last hole 20 past five in the afternoon to finished the 9 X 9 stunt in 11 hours and 20 minutes.
What a long day of golf and travel. I have completed the stunt without using a golf buggy at one of the courses. For me this was a worthwhile stunt because more people knows about blind golf. I also had a few radio interviews after my stunt, whereby I talked about the stunt and also about blind golf not just in South Africa but around the globe.
Thank you to my support team, Megan (my daughter), Justin (Friend's son), they guide me through all the courses. Natalia (Social media), Mark and his team (Medical), George of Cargo motors for the two vehicles and drivers to drive me and the team from course to course.
Thank you also of necessity to all the courses, Glendower, Ebotsi, Benoni country club, Benoni Lakes, ERPM, Germiston, Huddle Park, Royal Johannesburg and Kensington and Modderfontein.
The next stunt for 2018 is already in the planning phase, watch this space. Please give me a call if you want me to come and do a golf stunt in your part of the world.
International Blind Golf Association