Could a GPS help a limited sight person play golf?

[AuntieNae]

GPS Application for playing Golf?

I am not a golfer, just trying to help a friend! I am hoping there might be another Geocacher who is also a Golfer who could give me some advice on this.

My friend’s husband suffered a devastating eye injury at work. Prior to the injury, he was an avid golfer. He is now of course, dealing with the emotional side of what his limitations are. I do not play golf but my friend, after seeing what I could do with my GPS, asked if we could use the technology to allow her husband to return to golfing. Pretty much, standing at one green, he is not able to see where the next is.

Would it work if I would mark the holes as waypoints, thereby making it possible for him to use the GPS to determine where and how far the next hole is from his present location? He could then play to the hole, using the GPS?

Any advice is appreciated I just think it would be neat to give him back his favorite sport!

AuntieNae

[rpaske]

Just did a Google Search and found http://www.igolftech.com/productigolfgps.php

[EnergySaver]

In theory, it seems like you could do it. To me the issues that come to mind are:

(1) When your not moving (as in tee-ing up) you will not get accurate directional indications, but then again I suspect that alignment of the tee platform would be just as handy as the accuracy of a GPSr arrow. So yes, the GPSr would help you with distance to the tee.

(2) Assuming you hit the ball to the green, having the coordinates of the green are helpful. But if you can’t see very well, how do you know where you hit the ball; and for that matter how do you find it, when it’s not on the green.

Part of the solution, might be making the balls easier to find … check out http://www.radargolf.com (here: http://www.low-vision.org/golf.html), they sell a hand held system ($300) and micro chipped balls ($40 dozen) … lot of money for the balls, so it’s a good thing they’re easier to find.

I would also suggest the golf section on http://www.low-vision.org … http://www.low-vision.org/golf.html

[kbraband]

One resource your friend may want to check out is B.O.L.D. ( http://www.wisconsinbold.com ) We have several types of outdoor activities for the blind and visually impaired. No golf, that I’m aware of, but skiing, bicycling, hay rides and other events. I’ve been a ski guide for the past 3 years.

[brkster]

As a golfer/hacker, I don’t see where a GPS would come in too handy, except for knowing direction and distance, but it still requires the ability to hit the ball and get it there (which I sorely lack). Vision is important mostly in tracking the flight of the ball or picking out landmarks at which to aim for along the fairways or on the greens. Sorry to hear about your friend’s accident. I hope things can work out for him.

[Geoffnsara]

I have played courses that golf carts with gpsr’s built in. So thatyou always know how far it is to the green. At 1 course you could even order food from the clubhouse so it would be ready when you got there. These courses were out west. The only one around here that I know of with gps carts is silver spring country club.

[wooden_nickel]

I too have played several golf courses, most of them around Wisconsin, that have GPS technology on the carts to give you course layout/distances and also keep your time of play. Many new courses are providing this extra feature. While this would help an individual with loss of sight to gauge the distance and direction that he or she should hit the ball, I do not really see a way for that individual to track where their ball has gone if they can not rely on their sight to follow the ball once it is hit. Until someone develops that golf ball with a tracking device, GPS alone won’t be able to help out that much and the rest of us will still be donating golf balls to high grass and the woods!

[EnergySaver]

quote:

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Originally posted by wooden_nickel:
Until someone develops that golf ball with a tracking device

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They have … http://www.radargolf.com

[wooden_nickel]

duh…note to self…read all previous posts…!

Now that this product is available, I might actually have to buy golf balls since I won’t spend all that time in the tall stuff finding other’s lost golf balls while unsucessfully looking for my own!

With the GPS on the cart and RadarGolf I could certainly see the opportunity to give your friend back his favorite sport. Thanks to EnergySaver for the great info!

All the best under par golf to him!

[kbraband]

B.O.L.D. is going to be featured tomorrow morning on National Public Radio WUWM FM 89.7 during “Morning Edition.”

Also, here’s a piece from the latest B.O.L.D. newsletter that may be of interest to your friend:

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Blindskills, Inc.
A young mother has just learned that her baby has an eye disease that will ultimately result in blindness. She has heard about Blindskills, called and requested information on how-to techniques and available resources.

Elsewhere, a computer programmer’s aging mother was diagnosed with macular degeneration. He began searching the Web for information regarding the various facets of the disease and the possibility of assistive aids. He found the Blindskills Web site and contacted them.
Although the young mother and the computer programmer looked for answers in different ways, they share a common information resource. Each of them found help from Blindskills, Inc.
If you or someone you know began to lose vision, what would you do and to whom would you turn for help?
Blindskills, Inc., an Oregon-based nonprofit corporation since 1983, distributes information to visually impaired people and their families. It provides this service in many ways.
o In the past year, Blindskills, Inc. assisted over 1400 individuals who contacted its staff via the toll-free number, which can be reached from anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.
o It maintains a Web site with hundreds of links to organizations and services for visually impaired people.
o Blindskills publishes a quarterly magazine written by and for visually impaired people, available in large print, cassette, braille or disk. Its content includes information on adapting to life with low vision, techniques of daily living, career interviews, recreation and sports, technology tips and reviews, and descriptions of new products and services designed for visually impaired people.
o Other publications include:
o Job Hunting Resources For People With Vision Impairments, a handbook for visually impaired people who are seeking employment;
o Connie’s Kitchen, a cookbook which includes many tips for low vision or blind cooks;
o “Where Do I Go From Here,” a free cassette for people who are just beginning to lose vision. The tape includes a companion piece, in print for family or friends, which gives suggestions for assisting someone with low vision.
o Carol McCarl and Nolan Crabb, blind staff members of Blindskills, Inc. provide blindness awareness presentations at conferences, schools, service clubs, etc. They can provide one-on-one or group training on certain software applications and e-mail management.
o Blindskills sponsors a monthly LOCAL support group for those who are experiencing vision loss. Staff members can provide assistance to others interested in starting such support groups in their communities.
o People at Blindskills, Inc. will assist visually impaired people of all ages to obtain the information, services, and products they can use to adapt to living with vision loss.

You may contact Blindskills in a variety of ways. If you wish to subscribe to DIALOGUE, a quarterly publication, you can most easily do so by calling our toll-free number listed below. Blindskills does accept Visa and MasterCard for products and subscriptions.
Blindskills, Inc.
P.O. Box 5181
Salem, OR 97304-0181
Toll-free (800) 860-4224 or (503) 581-4224
Fax: (503) 581-0178
E-Mail: [email protected]

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