The Game

What's your handicap?

by Tim O'Sullivan

On the links of the Natanis Country Club outside Augusta last Friday the term "handicap" became a double entendre. It was the occasion of the third annual Eye Opener Golf Tournament, an event for the visually impaired, and golfers and their spotters were out to do some swinging.

"Where's this hole that I'm supposed to be aiming at?" participant Dale Morgan of Gardiner asked of her spotter as she geared up for her first swing. Her spotter, Kim Michaud, was giving lessons on the fly to Morgan, who was playing for the first time. When Dale took a big swing and missed, though, she got as frustrated with the little dimpled ball as any seasoned professionals. "Ohhh beans! This is embarrassing," she said, which drew a quick response of "No it isn't!" from the 10 other golfers there to play.

Dan Bece is the event organizer and director for the visually impaired at the veterans hospital in Augusta. He modeled the event after the national golf tournament for the visually impaired held in Iowa City. This year's competition began with Abby Spector, winner of five consecutive Maine Women's Amateur Golf Championships, hitting the ceremonial first ball. As Abby approached the tee, the affable atmosphere of the event took over. "Wouldn't it be more appropriate if she missed the first ball?" asked one of the golfers. "Can we blindfold her?" called another. Abby struck a beautiful drive down the middle of the fairway. "OK, Abby, now hit my ball," came a final cry.

The youngest golfer at Natanis was eight year old Dan McClellan Jr. from Ellsworth. He was there with his father Dan and his godfather Ken. As the younger Dan sipped on an extra large orange soda he said that he has been looking forward to the Eye Opener all summer. Golf is his favorite sport, he explained, because its "not that hard, and you don't have to run."

Not all of the golfers were as laid back as young Dan, though. Steve Obremski was geared up for the opportunity to play with a spotter. He said it's hard to find one on your own, and thought the Eye Opener was a great opportunity to meet potential future spotters. But Obremski was clearly not there to kowtow to anyone. As he prepared to chip onto a green, he asked his spotter for distance, and she replied 50 feet. Obremski took the appropriate swing, and the ball sailed past the cup, which was only about 20 feet away. As the spotter walked him across the green, she told him when they passed the hole, and then kept walking him to the ball. Steve was not pleased with the result. His spotter lined him up again, but this time Steve did not ask for distance. "I know how far it is now," he muttered to himself, "and that was no 50 feet."