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Guiding Eyes Golf Classic goes virtual for 2021 edition

By Wesley Coburn

KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 19: Patrick Reed of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the 17th hole during a practice round prior to the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Resort's Ocean Course on May 19, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 19: Patrick Reed of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the 17th hole during a practice round prior to the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Resort's Ocean Course on May 19, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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The Guiding Eyes Golf Classic charity golf tournament is going virtual for the 2021 edition, since the COVID-19 pandemic still isn’t quite over, though it seems the end may be near.

This annual fundraising event for guide dog training organization Guiding Eyes for the Blind, based in Yorktown Heights, New York, will be mixing things up for its 44th annual Guiding Eyes Golf Classic, as participants can play a round on courses throughout the country.

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who is part of the Guiding Eyes Board of Directors, will be hosting the event again this year, which he has been doing for at least the past 15 years.

This event will be held from Saturday, June 12 to Sunday, June 20, with a closing ceremony on Monday, June 21, where awards be announced. (We bet the Los Angeles Golfing Coyote won’t be playing, but think he ought to get an award anyway.)

The Guiding Eyes Golf Classic will be going virtual for 2021.

After signing up on the Guiding Eyes website, players can book and play a round at the course of their choice during the playing window.

Scoring is done on the honor system, though hopefully since it’s for a charity event cheating will be kept to a minimum.

The rules are as follows: The ball must be picked up after a triple bogey, a par 3 hole has a maximum score of 6 strokes, a par 4 a maximum of 7 strokes, and a par 5 a maximum of 8 strokes. Scoring is kept after each hole, and then the completed final score is submitted on the website by the player, with their course handicap figured in.

(Our FanSided Network sister site Pro Golf Now has a good explanation of how golf course handicaps work.)

“Guiding Eyes has played such an important role in my life, and in the lives of my dearest friends,” Manning said in a promo video on YouTube, “and as a board member and a longtime supporter, it is great excitement that I invite you to our first ever virtual golf event, as part of a longstanding tradition 44 years in the making.”

Guiding Eyes has trained more than 10,000 dog/handler pairs since its beginnings in 1954, and also can train dogs specifically for running. Mostly Labrador Retrievers and some German Shepherds are used, all services are provided free of charge for students, funded by contributions from donors.

Next. Guide dog handlers share their stories for Guide Dog Day 2021. dark

For more on the golf scene, you could also check out Holey Moley season 3 on ABC, which premieres June 17, or purchase the latest video game in the Mario Sports series, Mario Golf Super Rush, for the Nintendo Switch, which releases on June 25.

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