BlindGolfer.Ni

How Blind Golfer Tam is Turning a Powerful Lesson into Inspiration

At Mackey Opticians, we love supporting local talent—but few stories carry as vital a message as that of local blind golfer, Tam (@blindgolfer.ni).

This past Sunday, some of our team headed down to Spa Golf Club to cheer Tam on at the inaugural NI Creator Classic. As the first event of its kind in Northern Ireland, it brought together 100 local content creators alongside big local names like champion boxer Michael Conlan, comedian Andrew Ryan, and former Man United footballer Darron Gibson, raising vital funds for PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland and Friends of the Cancer Centre.

Out of 100 competitors, Tam placed an impressive 49th. He was the only golfer on the course with a visual impairment.

While Tam’s resilience and growing TikTok and Instagram following are seriously impressive, he is equally focused on using his platform to share a blunt, cautionary message about eye health and the importance of clinical screenings.

"That Will Never Happen to Me"

Tam’s sudden vision loss was entirely preventable. As a diabetic, he admits he hadn’t been managing his blood sugar levels properly, and he had let his annual diabetic retinopathy screenings and regular eye exams slip.

Behind the scenes, the pressure in his eyes was quietly building. One day, a simple action, bending down, caused a massive bleed in one of his eyes, resulting in severe vision loss. Only a few months later, the exact same thing happened to his other eye.

Looking back, Tam is incredibly honest about his mindset at the time:

"I always thought, 'That will never happen to me' when my specialists would discuss the risks I faced due to my diabetes."

Today, Tam is urging everyone, especially those living with diabetes, to take those clinical warnings seriously.

The Reality of Diabetic Eye Health: Seeing the Unseen

Tam’s story highlights a critical reality: diabetic retinopathy and high eye pressure often develop with absolutely zero warning signs or pain. You might think your vision is perfect, but microscopic damage could already be occurring at the back of the eye.

Chatting with Tam on the course on Sunday, he reiterated a message we advocate for every single day at Mackey Opticians: don't wait for your vision to change before you book an appointment.

To provide the highest standard of prevention, Mackey Opticians investing in Advanced Eye Care technology across our practices. A standard eye test is vital, but we highly recommend upgrading to our advanced examination, which features a 3D-OCT Scan (Optical Coherence Tomography).

Crushing Limits

Losing his sight was a massive life shift, but Tam chose to adapt rather than slow down. By sharing the realities of navigating life and golf with a visual impairment, he’s showing exactly what is possible with the right mindset.

We’re incredibly proud to sponsor Tam and want to thank him for inviting us along to such a brilliant event. Let's use his journey as a reminder to look after our own health.

When was your last eye test?

If you are living with diabetes, have a family history of glaucoma, or simply haven't had your eyes checked in over a year, don't leave it to chance. Book an Advanced Eye Exam with an OCT scan at your local Mackey Opticians branch today.