# Japanese Blind Golf Association

The Japanese Blind Golf Association (日本ブラインドゴルフ振興協会, Nihon Buraindo Goruhu Shinkō Kyoukai) (JBGA) is a specified nonprofit corporation promoting international sports, specifically golf, and social welfare programs for the visually impaired and blind golfers.

## History

* In 1988, Haruhisa Handa made the acquaintance of an Australian, who was visually impaired. After returning to Japan, Handa introduced blind golf there and recruited three Japanese visually impaired people to establish the Blind Golf Club in the same year. They started practicing blind golf at a golf training center in Tokyo in May 1988. In July of that year, they first practiced on the golf course at Kosaido Country Club in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The Blind Golf Club delegated four blind and visually impaired golfers to play at the Blind Golf Australia World Open held in Perth, Australia.
* In September 1990, the Blind Golf Club delegated a member to the first Blind Golf World Championship as a guest player, who finished in the top 10.
* In October 1990, one of the players delegated to the 3rd Blind Golf Australia World Open won in the B1 Category.
* In April 1991, the Japan Blind Golf Association was established. Five visually impaired new golfers joined from the Kansai area, and a new Blind Golf Association base was established in the Kansai area of Japan.
* In January 1992, a member golfer delegated from JBGA took part in Leader Dog Classic and won in the B1 Category.
* In January 1993, a golfer from JBGA won in the B1 Category at the Leader Dog Classic once again, and the second time in 2 consecutive years.
* In October 1993, a golfer from JBGA won in the B1 Category and another golfer won in the Pro-Ama tournament at the Blind Golf Australia Championship.
* In August 1994, JBGA hosted the Blind Golf Japan Open Championship, the first official blind golf tournament held in Japan, at Sakuragaoka Country Club in Tama-City, Tokyo, and entered a member golfer of JBGA in the B1 Category.
* In June 1995, JBGA organized the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake disaster Support Blind Golf Charity Competition at Hanayashiki Golf Club in Hyogo, Japan, with part of the proceeds being donated via the Asahi Broadcasting Corp. as a contribution to the disaster victims.
* In September 1995, JBGA held the Japan Open Commemorative Charity Competition at the same time as the Blind Golf Japan Open Championship; the proceeds were donated to the Gifu Visually Impaired Social Welfare Association.
* In July 1996, the Japanese name of JBGA was changed.
* In April 1997, the International Blind Golfers Conference, a former entity of International Blind Golf Association was held in Perth, Australia, where the JBGA took part as the representative of the blind golf organizations in Japan.
* In May 1999, an observation team of the visually impaired from France visited Japan.
* In November 1999, the Board of International Blind Golf Association presented a letter of appreciation to the JBGA and to Handa, its honorary chairman.
* In June 2000, the JBGA was registered as a specified nonprofit corporation by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
* In 2004, the Japanese name of JBGA was changed and its headquarters was moved to Suginami-ku, Tokyo.

### Organized tournaments

* In July 1990, the JBGA hosted, under the name of the Blind Golf Club at that time, Japan's first blind golf competition in cooperation with the Laforet Shuzenji Country Club in Izu, Shizuoka, Japan, with 120 participants.
* In August 1994, the JBGA hosted the Blind Golf Japan Open Championship as the very first major International Blind Golf Tournament in Japan, where 21 blind golfers from 6 countries participated. Since then, tournaments have been organized consecutively, and the 10th event was held in 2013 under the name of the Foreign Minister's Cup & Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare's Cup.
* In 2001, the JBGA started organizing the “Blind Golf Japan Tour” as a tour game held several times a year throughout Japan. Its title was then changed from "Tour" to "Championship", and was further changed to the JBGA Championship and remained so since 2008.
* In 2006, the JBGA hosted The 2nd World Senior Golf Ladies Open in cooperation with the International Blind Golf Association and Legends Tour (US Women's Senior Golf Association).

## Participating tournaments

| Tour | Title | Country |
| International Blind Golf Association | ISPS HANDA World Blind Golf Championship | |
| JPGA, International Sports Promotion Society | PGA Handa Cup Philanthropy Senior Tournament | Japan |
| International Blind Golf Association | ISPS Handa US Blind Open Championships | United States |
| International Blind Golf Association | ISPS Handa Australian Blind Open | Australia |
| International Blind Golf Association | ISPS Handa British Blind Golf Open | England |
| International Blind Golf Association | ISPS Handa Canadian Blind Golf Open | Canada |
| International Blind Golf Association | ISPS Handa Irish Bind golf Open | Ireland |
| International Blind Golf Association | ISPS Handa Italian Blind golf Open | Italy |
| Legends Tour | Handa Cup | United States |
| East Japan Disabled Person's Golf Association/West Japan Disabled Person's Golf Association | 2012 Disability classification in golf in Gifu Prefecture* | Japan |
| Tokyo, Kita-ku | 2013 Sports Festival in Tokyo Demonstration Sports by Disability classification in golf** | Japan |
Legends:
* * – Co-sanctioned by Japan Blind Golf Association
* ** – Tour by Japan Blind Golf Association

## Notable people

* Ryōjun Ikezawa - Chairman
* Shuji Handa - Honorary Vice President
* Hauhisa Handa – Founder
* Nayoko Yoshikawa – Affiliation pro

## TV
### Tokyo Metropolitan

* A battle of blind golf and a visually impaired person (May 25, 2002)
* Blind Golf Japan Open Championship (July 3, 2004)
* A handicap is zero. 〜A Blind golfer meets a woman senior〜 (May 21, 2005)
* Green of contact〜Blind golf connects the world.〜 (May 21, 2006)
* WALK WITH〜Philanthropy of golf〜 (January 13, 2008)