It takes someone with special determination to decide to take up golf when they’ve been registered blind.
And it takes someone equally extraordinary to agree to nurture and grow that ambition.
But the close partnership that’s blossomed between blind golfer Billy McAllister and senior professional Sam Smith, of North Star Drive, Leighton Buzzard, has resulted in Billy being ranked Britain’s top blind golfer.
The Carrickfergus-born maths graduate was chosen to represent his country at the world championships in Canada last year but couldn’t afford to go. He has been selected again for the biennial event in Sydney next year.
And this time he and former England player Sam are single-minded about raising the sponsorship that will enable them to get there.
This is their remarkable story.
Billy, 44, who now lives in Brickhill, Bedford, went blind overnight four years ago with diabetes retinopathy.
“I’d been warned it would happen but the reality was shocking,” he said. “I lost my job, my independence and my confidence in one go.”
In spite of retraining on Excel and spreadsheets, Billy has struggled to find a job. “Companies are reluctant to trust someone who can’t see to input data,” he explained.
In desperation, he cast his mind around for something that would stop him “sitting indoors in darkness for days on end”.
It was a toss up between crown bowls and golf. Golf won.But it was only when he and his wife moved to Bedford to be nearer her family that Billy’s game really took off.
Bedford Golf Club director Geoff Swain generously agreed to give him reduced membership fees and Billy met senior professional Sam Smith, 30, who’d won a five-year scholarship to Western Kentucky University after completing his education at Vandyke Upper in Leighton Buzzard.
“He’s been my rehabilitation and salvation,” Billy said. “An absolute God-send.”
Tall handsome Sam shrugs off his contribution – even though he devotes six hours a week to guiding and coaching Billy, free of charge.
“I like giving something back to the game that’s given so much to me,” he said. “And Billy’s an inspiration.
“I could see he had bags of potential and he’s improved massively.”
Sam explained how they operate: “I place Billy next to the ball and try to paint a picture in his head of what he’s trying to do. We use a clock face system to judge his length of swing.”
Billy’s mathematical genius kicks in as he works out the strength and direction of his stroke with uncanny accuracy. He belongs to the England and Wales Blind Golf Association which has 96 members with varying degrees of disability.
“Luckily for me, Sam is my eyes,” Billy smiled.
> Help Billy and Sam go to the international championships in Sydney next year. To sponsor the pair, call Sam on 07828 742627.