Bengaluru: The lush greens of Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) Thursday echoed with a sound rarely heard there: the cheers of 15 visually impaired golfers taking their first swing at the sport. Some missed, some barely nudged the ball forward. But all of them smiled as they heard the faint thwack of the club meeting the ball.The occasion was Purple Cup, an inclusive golf tournament organised by city-based NGO Enable, which brought together 104 golfers — including professionals, amateurs, and those with disabilities — to prove that golf, often seen as an elite sport, could also be one of the most inclusive.Among the participants was 40-year-old Ujwal Singh, who had never imagined to be on a golf course before. “Initially, I was hitting in all directions,” he laughed. “There was no accuracy. But later, I started scoring. Golf is one sport where we can actually compete with those who have proper eyesight — we just need enough practice.”Ujwal and others received guidance from Ernst Conradie, a South African golfer who is visually impaired and has been an advocate for accessible sports worldwide. His morning training session helped participants understand balance, grip, and trust — trust not just in their bodies, but in the voices of their guides.For Ashish Agarwal, 35, the experience was both exhausting and exhilarating. “At first, my arms hurt just holding the club. I couldn’t hit anything,” he said. “But slowly, with practice, every second swing connected. I even managed to hit the ball around 75 yards!”What made the day even more special was that sighted players were invited to wear blindfolds and play a few shots themselves — a humbling exercise that helped them experience golf from a different perspective. The highlight came from the youngest champion on the course. In the 19–24 handicap category, 13-year-old Nandan S, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of four, emerged as winner. His joy was contagious. His mother Harsharanjini Sadanad said: “What started as a simple recreational activity has become serious now. It’s unfortunate golf isn’t a Paralympic event yet, but I’ll keep supporting him no matter what.“Sandeep Rao, one of India’s few experienced visually impaired golfers, said: “Golf is not accessible to all, so bringing visually impaired and differently abled into the sport was difficult. If more such programmes are conducted across cities, we could represent India professionally in the sport. There is a lot of potential here (in Bengaluru). It’s just that we’ll take more time than others to do it.”
