Playing Links with visual impairment

For all topics about the playing of Links, such as Swing Types etc.
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ChuckH
Posts: 161
Joined: July 23rd, 2020, 4:48 pm

Playing Links with visual impairment

Post by ChuckH »

I have played real golf for over fifty years. Most of the time I had about an eight handicap. A few years ago I had a stroke in each eye. It was congenital and there was nothing I could do to prevent it or anything that could be done to help it. It damages the optic nerve. The end result for playing golf, at least, was that I could not see the ball after I had hit it. I had to rely upon playing partners to tell me where it went. Even at that, I had a difficult time locating it even if it was in the fairway. A couple of years ago I finally gave up as a lot of the pleasure of golf is seeing where your ball goes as well as your partners. I also have a chronic arthritic neck which is aggravated by golf. I have loved playing computer golf over the years as well, especially L,inks, but that took a back burner as well because of my eyes. I have found that I could enjoy Links again with some compromises. Here's a few tips for those with eye problems.
1. Lower the resolution to 800x600x32. This makes the menu buttons larger and easier to read. Courses still look pretty good.
2. Make the ball larger. There's a setting in there somewhere.
3. Put a tracer on the ball. You can have a full tracer or a comet tracer which is what I have. TV golf is much better for me now that most channels are putting a tracer of the ball. Never could see the ball on tv very good.
4. Use a larger swing meter, closer meter, and high visible meter. Assuming you don't use RTS of course.
5. I don't use the grid because I can't see the grid broken lines but I find I can play fine using the aiming stick.
6. Play as an amateur instead of Pro. It's a pretty big compromise, I know. I always played Pro but I have to do what I can to have some enjoyment. Otherwise, it's too much of a challenge for my eyes.
7. You can try the color grid but since my eye problems led to partial color blindness, that's not a help to me.

These tips have helped me enjoy computer golf again. I also play TW08 and others. TW08 doesn't have the options that I mentioned but it does have the ability to have what they call ball-cam. With the ball-cam, the camera is the ball in the air so it's easy to follow.
Hope this helps someone to keep Linksing.
Chuck
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