Playing off 25, Tony Brouder doesn’t seem to fit the bill as one of the game’s greats. The 47 year old Newcastle West man has been playing the game for just two and a half years – again nothing sensational there.Tony did however win the Golfer of the Year at the Newcastle West Club in 2013 which means that there is propably something special about this players consistency levels – but this fact alone is not likely to attract the national press in a hurry.

There is however one difference between Tony and the majority of the ordinary golfers that strive for greatness in the province. Tony is confined to a wheelchair, and when on a golf course it’s no ordinary wheelchair – it’s called a Paragolfer – a tailor-made device that helpsTony stand up to play his shots.

To be clear, that’s all it does. The Paragolfer gets Tony to the ball and helps him to an upright position so he can take the shot. The scores he has been posting since he started the game are simply down to his previously untapped talent.

Born in Leicester, England, Tony’s family moved to Ireland in 1981 and settled in Newcastle West County Limerick. Tony worked as a foreman in the construction industry for many years without giving any thought towards the game of golf.

Tony was dealt a life changing hand in 2008. After going in for a routine operation Tony ended up being paralysed from the waist down.

“I was devastated” said Tony. “Up to that day I was active, worked in a physically demanding industry and that all changed overnight. I found myself in hospital for months before I came home. Then I just sat around watching television. It was a really tough time for me.”

Friends and family did everything they could to keep Tony’s spirits up but it was his cousin, coach and best friend Eddie Brouder that eventually turned the tide for Tony.

“Eddie had just started to play golf and was obsessed with the game. He used to call around to me and he would make me watch golf on the television. One day I just said I’d love to be able to do that. I never had an interest in the game before that moment but from somewhere a light went on for me. I got straight onto google to see if there was anything out there that could help me – and there it was. The Paragolfer. It was very expensive but I said I’d give it a go. I went over to a golf show in England a few months later to see it. I tried it out all day, no one else at the show got a go on it. I had to see if it would make me light headed. That can be a problem when you go from the seated to the standing position but for me it wasn’t a problem.”

Brouder went on to buy the Paragolfer and that’s when his golfing life began. “They were great to me here in Newcastle West. They accepted me in straight away and I just got going. It was tough at first, just learning to play the game but that is no different for any golfer starting out. I don’t have great natural distance as I don’t have the strength from my legs so I contacted Derek Murray in ForeGolf. They were brilliant for me, they helped design clubs for me and even sponsored my clubs when I went to the British Disabled Open in 2012. I can’t thank them enough for all their help.”

And what a set of clubs they were as they helped Tony to secure second place in the prestigious competition.

While Tony has plenty of good things to say for all those at Paragolf and Foregolf, he saves his greatest praise for his fellow members at Newcastle West. The secretary manager John Devine has done everything in his power to make me feel at home here, I also would like to thank Paddy Lane for his help when I joined – but my cousin and Coach Eddie is the main man for me. If it wasn’t for him I would have never found this game. The Paragolfer has helped me to get back on my feet but Eddie and golf have pretty much saved my life.”

Club manager John Devine is full of praise for Tony and believes his presence at the club and all of his achievements are welcomed by all the members. “We feel honoured to have someone like Tony at our club, we treat him like any other member as that’s what he is, an ordinary member. Tony started out on the ladies tees but quickly had to be moved to the men’s as his advancement was quite rapid. Tony got cut 13 shots last year and now plays off 25. We were delighted thatTony won the Golfer of the Year in 2013. He received a spontaneous standing ovation at the Captains dinner which showed just how proud we are of him. Having Tony here shows what an inclusive club we have in Newcastle West. I feel honoured to have played a tiny part in the story of this amazing golfer and man.”

Next up for Tony is a trip to Barcelona in April where he will compete in the European Championship for Wheelchair Golfers. “I am really excited about going to Spain in April” stated Tony, “The club have made sure that I won’t have to pay for the trip and for that I am really grateful. I will do my best and hopefully I will be able to do the business.”

There is little doubt that Tony will do well when he goes to Spain. Having met the man it is easy to see why. He is an inspirational character, a real lion heart of a man. But most importantly (like the rest of us) Tony just loves the game of golf.