Detmar proves vision loss doesn’t limit ambition

From volunteer to competitor, Jacob Detmar embraces challenges on and off the golf course.

Alex Hunt

Advocate Correspondent

Jacob Detmar, 22, from Brantford, discovered blind golf almost by accident while volunteering for high school hours. What started as a simple task quickly became a place where he felt at home.

Detmar was born with a visual impairment that limits his peripheral vision. His challenge didn’t stop him from joining as a volunteer which kickstarted him into becoming a golf player at Simcoe’s Greens at Renton’s Blind Golf Tournament back in 2022.

In the earlier days, Detmar got a hole-in-one on the practice green which impressed course officials.

“He went there for the high school volunteer hours, but my hidden agenda was to get him connected to that community and it worked naturally,” said Jacob’s mother, Mandy Detmar. “He clicked right away, and he felt like he was at home because he was exchanging stories with other blind golfers.”

From volunteer to annual blind golf participant led to Detmar working part-time at the course’s pro shop while he studies a two-year business accounting program at Fanshawe College. After his college studies, Detmar plans to pursue a degree while also working at a position in his field.

Detmar says that he felt at home when he embraced the blind golf community and received the realization that he wasn’t alone with his vision and hearing loss. The newfound acceptance prompted him to connect with other individuals who faced similar challenges. 

“Growing up I didn’t know anyone that had issues with their eyesight and hearing, so being in an environment where everyone had vision loss helped accept that I’m not the only one,” said Detmar. “There are other people out there that live and function with these challenges and it was refreshing to know that I wasn’t alone.”

Detmar goes by his motto to always trust the process, saying everyone is faced with challenges and it’s always important to learn and adapt in a way that works for them, to stick with it and never give up.

Detmar says a day-to-day struggle for him is traveling since he’s unable to drive. He considers himself lucky to have a strong support system, relying on drivers to get him where he needs to be but he admits it can still be challenging. He explains that he learns best through experience, putting himself out there, figuring out what works, and adapting along the way.

“My depth perception isn't great and I should have a walking stick but for whatever reason I’m stubborn and don’t want it,” said Detmar. “People will tell me where the dropoffs on the sidewalk are or where to step up, sometimes I see it sometimes I don’t. 

“With living at home, I know my way around because I’ve been here for 20 years but mostly cooking can be challenging because it can be hard for me to tell if a piece of chicken is cooked probably by looking at the colour.”

With his quick learning and adapting to new challenges, that won’t stop Detmar from moving out of his parents’ home and seeking a more independent life regardless of his vision impairment.

Through his ambition and perseverance, Detmar plans to continue to trust the process.