A pioneering programme for blind and vision-impaired golfers at The Heath Golf Club in Laois is delivering both sporting progress and genuine community spirit, thanks to a partnership that began in 2022.
The initiative was sparked when Laois Sports Partnership Disability and Inclusion Officer Caitriona Slattery approached the club’s PRO, Siobhan Bergin Corri, about opening the facilities to a group interested in learning the game. PGA Professional Mark O’Boyle immediately agreed to lead the coaching.
Since then, monthly sessions have run for six months of each season at the club’s practice facilities — driving range, chipping and putting areas — funded by Laois Sports Partnership and supported by a dedicated team of volunteers. The sessions have always been rounded off with tea in the clubhouse.
“The tea and chat was often said to be the best part of the sessions,” recalls Siobhan Bergin Corri. “We got to know the group and their families really well.”
That informal approach shifted gears earlier this year when the VIP Hub for Vision Impaired sports in Laois announced an Inclusion Games weekend for 14 August. The golfers were asked whether they would like to include a competition. The answer was an emphatic yes.
“We weren’t expecting that,” Siobhan admits. “It had been fairly casual up to then. Suddenly we were thrown in at the deep end — it was sink or swim.”
Weekly Thursday-evening coaching sessions were quickly organised over the first three holes for four players who showed both interest and the ability to progress. The tone changed. Competitive edge appeared: questions about how far a shot had travelled and where it had finished replaced the earlier relaxed chat.
On competition day seven players entered a longest-drive contest measured by Trackman on the range. The four on-course players then contested a two-person scramble over a shortened three-hole layout. The event had all the classic golfing drama — wayward shots, recoveries, and the pure delight of hearing a ball drop into the cup.
A special guest was Sophie Gough from Corrstown, a young player with international blind and vision-impaired golf experience who showed exactly what is possible in the game.
The highlight came on the third hole, a testing par 4 whose green regularly frustrates experienced club members. The winning pair of Ger McHugh (guided by Mary Bland) and Alex Percy (guided by Mary McEvoy) carded a five. They finished one shot clear of George Percy (guided by his PA Suzanne and Siobhan herself) and Lee Moran (guided by Ursula Horgan), who had opened with a four on the par-5 first.
“All of this could not have been achieved without Mark’s expert coaching and endless patience,” Siobhan emphasises. She also pays tribute to the volunteer guides who have been committed from the start: Ursula Horgan, Mary Bland, Mary McEvoy and Breeda Keating.
Club Captain Marion Mills, President Tom Tyrrell (who ran the Trackman competition), members and families turned out in support. Funding from Golf Ireland and Vision Sports helped make the day possible.
The reaction from the participants has been overwhelmingly positive. One message received afterwards captured the impact: “Reports back from Ger McHugh are FANTASTIC! He posted his achievement on the vision-impaired app and also posted videos of his final putt! I’ve NEVER seen Ger so chuffed about anything!”
The programme continues at The Heath Golf Club, with both the coaching and the competitive element set to grow. What began as an invitation to try golf has become a genuine sporting pathway — and a reminder of the power of inclusive club golf in Ireland.
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