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About English Blind Golf AssociationBlind people are known to have played golf since the 1920s in the USA. It is also on record that a match between two blind Englishmen and two Americans took place before the Second World War. The United States Blind Golf Association was established in 1947 and organised events have taken place in America since then.In Britain there were individual visually impaired people playing golf in isolation. There was also a small group based around St Dunstan's, who received professional tuition. In 1982 the English Blind Golf Association (as it is now known) was founded - it was then called the Visually Handicapped Golfers Association. The EBGA developed gradually becoming a registered charity in 1989 and a company limited by guarantee in 1997. The main purpose of the EBGA is to provide visually handicapped people with the facility to train and compete in the game of golf. Training is provided by giving new members support to receive lessons from professional golfers. In addition each year the organisation invites all members to attend a training weekend at which PGA professionals teach the various aspects of the game. Assistance is also given to schools for the blind where pupils want to start to play golf. During their learning period people who are new to golf or are finding adapting to their new situation of impaired sight difficult, join a group within the EBGA called The Challengers. These beginners compete in four regional competitions each year and the winners join the more experienced players at the Lawrence Levy British Blind Masters in July or August. Players of more experience and with lower handicaps (the lowest is currently playing off a handicap of 9) meet together on six occasions each year for the EBGA major competitions. There are three one day events, a two day English Strokeplay Championship, a Matchplay Championship played over three days and the Lawrence Levy Blind Masters, a four day 72 hole competition (the only one of its kind in the world). In rotation with the Scottish Blind Golf Society and the Northern Ireland Blind Golf Association the EBGA hosts the British Blind Golf Open Championships every three years. Each year EBGA players strive to be selected to represent England in the Annual Blind Golf International against Scotland for the Auld Enemies Cup. To qualify players have to finish in the top ten in the Order of Merit with the EBGA Captain having the choice of three wildcards. In the series to date the score is England … and Scotland … with … matches halved. England currently holds the trophy. In addition to domestic competition EBGA members can play in open blind golf events around the world including the World Blind Golf Championship which is held every two years. In 1998 the EBGA was a founder member of the International Blind Golf Association an organisation that now has ten member countries around the world. The EBGA has developed gradually through the years and is very much like any other golf club, the major difference being it has no golf course of its own. A handicap system is run which is similar to any golf club and the game is played to the Rules of Golf laid down by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews subject to agreed Modifications for Disabled Golfers. The main differences are that a blind golfer may ground the club in a hazard and the guide can stand behind the players when the shot is played. The EBGA keeps in contact with the R&A and a taped version of the Rules of Golf is produced when the rules are revised every four years. The EBGA currently has nine Patrons, Peter Alliss, Harry Carpenter, Ronan Rafferty, Cliff Morgan, Nick Faldo, Lee Westwood, Henry Kelly, Nigel Mansell and Chris Evans, and appreciates their active support. For example Nick Faldo has participated each year in an event to help raise the profile of the EBGA and Peter Alliss gives the Association a mention during most of his commentaries. The Association is very grateful to get such involvement from its Patrons. As a charity the EBGA is continually raising funds. The Association is fortunate to be the beneficiary of the will of Lawrence Levy (who was the premier golf photographer) and his legacy funds the British Blind Masters and the training weekend each year. The Primary Club funds the English Matchplay Championship each year. In addition many club captains make the EBGA their charity for the year and thereby enable the Association to run its events. Players from the EBGA support by taking part in the golf days of many other charities including the Henshaws Society for the Blind, the Merthyr Tydfil Institute for the Blind and the Kent Association for the Blind. Participation by blind golfers helps to publicise such events and the Association is pleased to help in this way. A Board of Directors carries on the day to day administration and organisation of the EBGA. All Directors are volunteers and they each give a great deal of their time to ensuring the organisation continues and is run as efficiently as possible. The cost of administration is therefore relatively small and the vast majority of funds go to the provision of the main objectives of the Association. As with all charities funding is essential but the Directors are optimistic that they can maintain sufficient funding to continue to meet the main aims of the charity in the foreseeable future. Current Sponsors
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