My father was in the SacBee again, but this time is has nothing to do with radio...
Making the rounds: Eyes at risk? Radio boss has seen it up close
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By Steve Pajak
Published: Wednesday, Jun. 30, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 7C
It was a basic swing that thousands of golfers take thousands of times a day at driving ranges and courses across the country without incident.
Rick Eytcheson was on the ground in excruciating pain a second later.
"I couldn't see anything but fluid," he said.
The club head of his 7-iron had deflected something into his right eye. He yelled to the other person on the Ancil Hoffman range at 6:30 that morning but couldn't get a response. He covered his oozing eye with a dirty towel and, with blood running down his arm, did what he had to do – go to the pro shop to cancel his tee time.
Golfers.
Eytcheson then managed to drive the 15 minutes home before being fully gripped in shock. He was at the ophthalmologist by 7:30 and in emergency surgery not long after. The flying object had lacerated his eyeball and detached his retina.
The incident happened a year ago May. The trauma caused his eye to change shape and made him extremely near-sighted. His right-eye vision deteriorated to 20-800, he had sporadic pain, saw black spots, started wearing glasses and quit driving at night.
His golf game? "It made for a convenient excuse," he said. "I wasn't any good to begin with, but the injury did not help it."
Eytcheson, 60, president and general manager of Capital Public Radio, had a second surgery last week to remove a trauma-induced cataract and insert a corrective lens. He played Saturday and said his depth perception is much improved.
He will not be taking any chances, however. He now wears prescription sunglasses when he plays.
"Anything more than a putt, I will not hit without glasses," he said. "Even if my vision were perfect, I would still wear some sort of glasses. Anyone who doesn't is just crazy. I wish someone had told me."
Eytcheson speculates he was hit by a tiny rock left after Ancil sanded the teeing area just minutes before.
"It's speculation, but it's a strange coincidence (if the events aren't related)," he said.
Acquaintances suggested he should pursue legal action since the course didn't prohibit players from hitting from the sanded area. The 18.3 handicap with the self-deprecating sense of humor said he is more interested in protecting himself and alerting others to the potential for eye damage.
"I see it happen a lot," he said of players hitting stuff into their eyes. "Of course, I play with a lot of lousy golfers. Guys blasting out of bunkers. One guy I know hit a stick that left a welt on his forehead."
People play golf for 40 years and think they're going to make their first hole in one, Eytcheson said, yet they don't think something bad can happen for the first time. What would he say to those who pooh-pooh wearing protective glasses while they golf?
"I would say I think you're crazy," he said.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/30/2858970/making-the-rounds-eyes-at-risk.html#ixzz0sTvUbVZe
Making the rounds: Eyes at risk? Radio boss has seen it up close
Share
By Steve Pajak
Published: Wednesday, Jun. 30, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 7C
It was a basic swing that thousands of golfers take thousands of times a day at driving ranges and courses across the country without incident.
Rick Eytcheson was on the ground in excruciating pain a second later.
"I couldn't see anything but fluid," he said.
The club head of his 7-iron had deflected something into his right eye. He yelled to the other person on the Ancil Hoffman range at 6:30 that morning but couldn't get a response. He covered his oozing eye with a dirty towel and, with blood running down his arm, did what he had to do – go to the pro shop to cancel his tee time.
Golfers.
Eytcheson then managed to drive the 15 minutes home before being fully gripped in shock. He was at the ophthalmologist by 7:30 and in emergency surgery not long after. The flying object had lacerated his eyeball and detached his retina.
The incident happened a year ago May. The trauma caused his eye to change shape and made him extremely near-sighted. His right-eye vision deteriorated to 20-800, he had sporadic pain, saw black spots, started wearing glasses and quit driving at night.
His golf game? "It made for a convenient excuse," he said. "I wasn't any good to begin with, but the injury did not help it."
Eytcheson, 60, president and general manager of Capital Public Radio, had a second surgery last week to remove a trauma-induced cataract and insert a corrective lens. He played Saturday and said his depth perception is much improved.
He will not be taking any chances, however. He now wears prescription sunglasses when he plays.
"Anything more than a putt, I will not hit without glasses," he said. "Even if my vision were perfect, I would still wear some sort of glasses. Anyone who doesn't is just crazy. I wish someone had told me."
Eytcheson speculates he was hit by a tiny rock left after Ancil sanded the teeing area just minutes before.
"It's speculation, but it's a strange coincidence (if the events aren't related)," he said.
Acquaintances suggested he should pursue legal action since the course didn't prohibit players from hitting from the sanded area. The 18.3 handicap with the self-deprecating sense of humor said he is more interested in protecting himself and alerting others to the potential for eye damage.
"I see it happen a lot," he said of players hitting stuff into their eyes. "Of course, I play with a lot of lousy golfers. Guys blasting out of bunkers. One guy I know hit a stick that left a welt on his forehead."
People play golf for 40 years and think they're going to make their first hole in one, Eytcheson said, yet they don't think something bad can happen for the first time. What would he say to those who pooh-pooh wearing protective glasses while they golf?
"I would say I think you're crazy," he said.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/30/2858970/making-the-rounds-eyes-at-risk.html#ixzz0sTvUbVZe
