Military Vets and active duty members healing through golf
BETHESDA, Mary. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Two signature events benefiting Veterans and active duty personnel through PGA HOPE, which stands for "Helping Our Patriots Everywhere," was announced Monday as a way for the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) of America to continue promoting golf as a therapeutic form of rehabilitation.
At the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland Monday, there was a different kind of mission for the Vets.
Chris Nowak, a Marine Corps Vet, is no stranger to the traumas one can experience when serving America at home and abroad.
"These Veterans have seen their friends that they're serving with get killed in front of them. They have seen stuff that the human mind shouldn't have to see and deal with," Nowak explained.
Isn't just for exercise
He's part of PGA HOPE, where veterans from across the country go through a six-week class, guided by a PGA pro instructor.
It isn't just for exercise. It's also for the veterans' mental, social, and emotional well-being.
"Those images of combat do not go away. I've been deployed four times 15 years ago, but those images are still there," said Chris Cordova, an Army Vet who served 24 years. "So, coming here to a place of extreme peacefulness and serenity is a great contrast to those images of war."
PGA HOPE isn't just based in Bethesda. It's offered at over 350 locations across the country.
A real impact
Organizers say its impact is real, helping more than 7,500 Veterans last year, and the goal this year is to serve 11,000 Veterans.
"So let's say a Veteran plays 18 holes...shoots 118. That's 118 moments in time that that Veteran wasn't reliving the trauma or experiencing it, and trying to deal with everything else," Nowak described.
And you don't have to be a pro to hit the course.
"Of course, when you shank a ball, it doesn't feel so good. But, it also reminds you that it's just golf, and you should just enjoy the peace and the moment and the surroundings you're at," Cordova expressed.
