Golfing by Memory: How a blind Veteran can see the ball

Charles Motter from Oil City, Pennsylvania practices hitting the ball at Pleasant Valley Golf Course, Iowa City during the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic on Sept. 9, 2004. This is Motter’s third time attending the golf clinic.

By Chris Farley, Public Affairs Specialist

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and DAV (Disabled American Veterans) hosted and kicked off the 31st Annual National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic this week in the Iowa City area.

For Charles Motter from Oil City, Pennsylvania, this is his third time attending.  

Every year, Motter looks forward to attending the golf clinic and says the people are what brings him back.

"The courses are nice. The people are nice and just friendly. It's awesome. You have a great time," said Motter.

Motter was drafted in 1969 during the Vietnam War, and after basic training at Fort Jackson and advanced individual training at Fort Polk, he served his active-duty time in Germany. He was discharged as a sergeant in 1971.

Motter is legally blind and has Alzheimer's disease. Tracy Kunik, Motter's daughter and golf buddy, says he has been responding well to medications that slow the progression of the disease.

Motter has center vision loss, so he doesn't have detailed vision in the center of his field of vision, resulting in only his side vision remaining. He can no longer play catch because he can't see the ball approaching him.

When Motter became blind, he went through the VA Northeast Ohio Health Care System’s Louis Stokes Cleveland Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC). The BRC helps Veterans and active-duty Service members with visual impairments develop the skills needed for personal independence and successful reintegration into the community and family environment.

"It's awesome," Motter said of BRC. "You go there, and they train you on all kinds of devices."

These devices help Veterans in their daily lives, and they get to augment them in their daily life.

"I'm still able to play golf by memory," said Motter. However, once the ball is hit, he cannot see it.

"I have no idea where it's going and it's just a feeling when you hit it,” said Motter. “You think you know where it's going and rely on your golf buddy to tell you.”

Motter's wife has been his golf buddy for the last two years, but this year, Kunick is filling in.

"It's been great. It's so well organized," said Kunick. "It's amazing how many volunteers there are helping, and it's very nice to see my dad get to chat with other veterans who had the same experience or similar experiences."