Fore! He’s a jolly
good golfer!

By Ruth Rovner
For the Times

At age 8, Christian Brown already has been playing golf for three years. The Mayfair youngster takes weekly lessons and has his own set of golf clubs — seven in all — plus a collection of golf balls.
Christian also is legally blind, but that hasn’t stopped him at all.
"I love to play golf on a sunny day and have fun," says Christian, who turns 9 next week.
He’s an active participant in a unique program for young golfers. The Blind Junior Golf Program encourages blind and visually impaired young people from 5 to 21 years of age to play golf. It provides them with equipment — golf clubs, balls and a golf bag — and regular lessons with a PGA golf pro, all free of charge.
Twice a year, those in the program get together to play golf on a nine-hole course at the Overbrook School for the Blind. At this golf clinic, as it’s called, they also participate in several competitions while family and friends cheer them on, and then enjoy a pizza party.
The fall clinic will take place this Saturday, and Christian and his parents will be there; they never miss this event. Last fall, Christian even won a trophy, now displayed in a place of honor in the family living room.
The Blind Junior Golf Program, including the clinic, is sponsored by the Middle Atlantic Blind Golf Association and is open to any youngster in the tri-state area, and even beyond, who’s blind or visually impaired and wants to play golf.
The chip-and-putt golf course where the participants will play on Saturday was designed by Norman Kritz, a Cherry Hill, N.J., resident and co-founder of the Blind Junior Golf Program. Kritz is not blind but has a longstanding interest in community service, especially for youth.
The other co-founder is Gil Kayson, a longtime golfer who is totally blind. He lived in Northeast Philly for 30 years, before moving to the Breyer Estates in Elkins Park with his wife Sandy.
Kayson, now in his 70s, had to confront failing vision that started in his 30s. He loved golf but gave it up as his condition worsened. By age 50, Kayson was totally blind. But by then he’d discovered the Middle Atlantic Blind Golf Association and was playing golf again. He has played ever since and is still an active member of the association.
In 1994, Kayson teamed with Kritz to start the Blind Junior Golf Program. They began to recruit youngsters, as well as golf pros to serve as coaches. Each time a new member joins, a PGA member is assigned to give free golf lessons.
Kayson and Kritz also make sure each youngster has the proper equipment. Golf clubs are often donated by area golf clubs or individuals.
"Then we cut the clubs down to fit the size of our players," said Kayson.
Of course, he’ll be at the golf clinic on Saturday, helping to supervise the contests and hand out awards. Watching the young blind golfers continues to give him great satisfaction.
"In my entire life," Kayson said, "nothing has been as rewarding as this."
Christian and his parents learned about the program from a social worker when he was still in preschool.
"It seemed like a good idea for him to be involved in a sport," said his mother, Judy Brown. "And a golf program for the visually impaired sounded perfect for him."
Eager to learn more, they attended a golf clinic and met Kritz and Kayson, who arranged to have golf clubs made to order for Christian, as is done for every participant. They also put him in touch with a golf coach, Daniel Hoban, the resident pro at the John F. Byrne Golf Course. He’s been taking lessons with Hoban at the Torresdale golf course every week, weather permitting.
"We’re very grateful to Dan," Judy Brown said. "And we’re grateful to the directors, too. They work really hard to organize the golf clinics and the lessons. It’s an amazing program."
She’s especially grateful for the benefits it has brought her son. "It gives him a sense of pride and accomplishment," she explained. "It has helped him in school, too, because it gives him more overall confidence."
Now a third-grader at the Redeemer Lutheran School, Christian has been visually impaired since infancy. When he was 2 months old, a routine medical exam led the doctor to notice that Christian didn’t blink when she snapped her fingers. She ordered an MRI and he was soon diagnosed with DeMorsiere’s Syndrome.
"It’s a rare condition that affects the optic nerves, which don’t grow from the usual place," explained Judy Brown. "He can see things close up, but not at any distance."
It might seem surprising that a youngster with this disability can play golf at all.
"But you don’t have to visualize the hole," Brown said. "It’s all in the technique of holding the club and hitting the ball.
"And he can really hit," added his mother, who drives Christian to his weekly lessons. "His technique keeps on improving."
The youngster practices with enthusiasm.
"Hitting the ball is what I like best about golf," Christian said. "I try to whack away, and I even like the sound of the driver hitting the ball."
He’s such a diligent golfer that he even practices at home in his bedroom, using a paper cup as the hole.
Beyond his love of golf, Christian keeps busy with karate. He’s in the black-belt program at Action Karate on Academy Road, where he takes regular classes.
"These activities increase his confidence and also help with coordination," said Judy Brown, explaining that her son’s syndrome also causes motor-skills difficulties. "They’re better than physical therapy because they’re fun."
Her son has been in the Junior Blind Golf Program for three years, and Judy Brown has found that it benefits parents too.
"It gives us a chance to network," she said. "It’s very helpful to meet other parents of visually impaired children."
She and her husband will meet many other parents on Saturday. The golf course will be full of action as the young golfers, together with their coaches, play nine holes and compete in a putting contest and a hole-in-one competition.
"I especially like it when everyone claps when you hit the ball," says Christian, who eagerly looks forward to the event. "It’s always lots of fun."
Besides the fun, there’s another reason that the golf clinic is special.
"Playing golf makes me feel like I’m a good athlete even though I have a disability," he says. "This is something I know I can do well." ••
Any young person from age 5 to 21 who is blind or visually impaired is welcome at the free golf clinic this Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Overbrook School for the Blind, 63rd Street and Malvern Avenue, rain or shine. For information, call Gil Kayson, 215-884-6589, or send e-mail to sasgil@verizon.net