Blind golfers chase championship as 79th USBGA tournament opens in Minnesota

The United States Blind Golf Association’s 79th championship opens Sept. 17 at Oak Marsh Golf Course in Oakdale, Minn., bringing together some of the nation’s most competitive blind and visually impaired golfers — from multi‑time champions to players who learned to play again after losing their sight later in life.

Among the entrants is Jeremy Poincenot, 35, of Carlsbad, Calif., a nine‑time USBGA champion who began losing his sight at 19 to Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Poincenot said he nearly gave up the game after his diagnosis but continued at his father Lionel’s insistence; the two now compete together with Lionel serving as his coach and guide. "I thought it was a sick joke," Poincenot said of his father’s insistence that he keep the clubs, recalling the early days after his vision loss. "Then there were a handful of shots I hit that felt just like they used to. OK, I’m ready to play again."

Poincenot’s story is common in blind golf, where players compete in three sight classifications — B1 (no vision), B2 (little usable vision) and B3 (better usable vision) — and are paired with coaches or guides who describe hole layouts, provide yardages, help select clubs and ensure correct alignment. At greens, coaches read putt lines and step out distances with players so they can judge force and trajectory.

USBGA President Bob Banks, who will play in the event, began losing his sight in his mid‑50s, also from Leber. Banks recalled tossing his clubs in anger and depression before seeing a video of a blind golfer and deciding to try again. "So I went and got my clubs out of the trash," he said. Banks said the coaches are ‘‘essentially caddies on steroids’’ who perform many of the tasks sighted golfers’ caddies normally do while also serving as the player’s eyes.

Jake Olson, 28, a former University of Southern California student and the first fully blind athlete to play in a Division I college‑football game, is another high‑profile entry. Olson, who lost his sight to retinoblastoma at age 12, has won multiple blind‑golf tournaments, including the 2019 USBGA National Championship and the 2024 U.S. Blind Open. He said family support has been central to his success: his father, Brian, serves as his primary coach, and his mother has guided him when his father could not.

Olson described the work required of guides, saying it goes far beyond simple alignment. "Guiding a blind golfer isn’t just about lining up a shot. It’s about understanding the course, seeing the shot and communicating it in a way that helps me visualize and execute," he said. Olson has also been active beyond competition as an entrepreneur and motivational speaker.

Not all competitors lost their sight as children. Mario Tobia, 70, of South Jersey, an International Blind Golf Association director, began losing his vision to retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disease, in his 40s. Tobia said golf provided a sport he could continue after vision loss and a way to forge a close relationship with his son, Michael, who now serves as his coach. "I couldn’t even play golf if it wasn’t for him," Tobia said. "I’m very competitive, but whatever happens on the golf course, I can always reflect on the experience of just having that opportunity to be one on one with my son. It’s special."

Players described the sport’s familiar highs and lows. Poincenot compared the thrill of a perfect shot to a ‘‘tuning fork’’ moment, saying the sensation is the same for blind, visually impaired and sighted golfers. Olson called golf ‘‘brutal’’ and said the collaborative nature of playing every shot with a partner can add a layer of frustration, but he emphasized gratitude for continuing to play.

The USBGA championship, founded in 1946, draws a close‑knit yet competitive field that includes veterans and newer converts to blind golf. Early pioneers included Duluth businessman Clint Russell, who lost his vision in an accident and won the inaugural event. Today’s tournaments continue that legacy, offering competitive opportunities for players across the B1‑B3 classifications and fostering mentorship among guides and competitors.

Organizers say the sport’s structure — classification by vision level and mandatory use of guides — levels the competitive field while preserving the nuances of golf. Guides are required to follow rules that maintain the integrity of play; they may describe breaks, distances and hazards but do not physically assist the player’s swing.

Beyond competition, players and organizers point to blind golf’s social and psychological benefits. Banks noted that anger and depression are common reactions to vision loss, and returning to a familiar sport can be part of rehabilitation. For Poincenot and others, travel and unique playing opportunities have been unexpected rewards. Poincenot said losing his sight led to playing on five continents and competing alongside well‑known professionals, experiences he said he would not have had otherwise.

The Oak Marsh championship will award trophies across classifications and provide additional adaptive events in conjunction with the main tournament. With family members, longtime friends and newly met guides on the tee, the competition will test precision, patience and partnership as blind golfers nationwide pursue another season of titles.

For many competitors, the message is succinct: losing sight does not end the pursuit of sport. "You don’t have to see it to tee it," Banks said, echoing a motto frequently used in blind golf circles.