Like 'looking through a straw': How blind golfer Kevin Frost stays the course

When Kevin Frost goes to sink a shot, he's not watching for that moment when the golf ball disappears over the lip of the hole and drops into the cup with a satisfying plunk.

Instead, he's listening for the "yesss!" of the person standing next to him who, through their words and actions, has helped guide the ball to its destination.

If that person is longtime guide and friend Nigel Bruce, Frost might even get a happy dance.

"Nigel's dancing and I'm going, 'I guess it went in?' That's kind of how blind golf works," jokes Frost, a world champion speed skater who decided seven years ago to take up golf, and who is now set to compete for Canada at the International Blind Golf Association World Championships in South Africa.

Blind golf's 'secret family' 

Frost has Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic disease that causes both vision and hearing loss. Frost's hearing faded to about 10 per cent when he was 11, and around the age of 30 he lost all but four per cent of vision.

To golf, Frost is paired with a sighted guide who assists with everything from driving the cart, to choosing the right club for the conditions, to making sure he tees off in the right direction.

He calls the guides blind golf's "secret family."

"The only thing I can see is … the ball on the tee. So I would set up and I would ask my guy what are [the] obstacles, and I go ahead and hit the ball," Frost explained.

After he swings, he asks for a report.

"The first thing I do is I look behind me [and ask], 'Nigel, how did I do?'"

With the help of his hearing aids and lip-reading, Frost is able to communicate on the course as long as things are relatively quiet.

His vision — Frost compares it to looking through a drinking straw — presents a greater challenge, and can also affect his balance. Dealing with the stark contrast between sun and shade can also be tricky.

Guides and dogs

Frost currently golfs with the assistance of three guides: John McCarney, his fiancée Loretta Lachance and Bruce, whom Frost met three years ago at Pine View Golf Course when the two were paired for a round.

Bruce says it took three holes before he realized Frost was blind. Now, Bruce helps him navigate the course and set up his swing.

"I just help him a little bit, just make sure he's aligned. Just make sure he's actually going down the middle of the fairway," Bruce said.

"He's got a great grip, he's got a great stance and a great swing. So he does that on his own."

Besides his human guide, Frost is usually accompanied by a guide dog. Until recently, it was a golden retriever named Lewis. (Lewis died in January, so Frost is now on the wait-list for a new canine companion.)

Just the latest sport

Frost, a three-time blind speed-skating world champion, says his background in other sports helped him pick up golf quickly.

During his 25 years in that skating, he earned nine records and 80 medals, sometimes competing against sighted skaters. He's also excelled at blind rowing, blind track running and tandem cycling.

Seven years after turning his attention to golf, Frost earned himself a spot representing Canada at the World Championships in Cape Town later this month.

He'll be the only Canadian B2 player in attendance, meaning he has a visual field of less than five degrees.

When he's not training, Frost is involved in advocacy and humanitarian work, fundraising for hearing aids for children in Mexico. He's also been named a United Way community builder.

Frost recently published his first book, titled Deaf Blind Champion. He's also involved at Ontario Blind Golf, where he encourages others to get out of the house and try a new sport.

"At the end of the day, I gotta find a way to adapt. In life, it's all about adapting to whatever you want to do."