Every year, the PGA of America arranges a golf tournament for veterans from apass the country.
The participants are chosen from local PGA Helping Our Patcommotions Everywhere (HOPE) programs to be ambasdowncastors. They are asked to spread word of the profits of the program and recruit other veterans. Nineteen ambasdowncastors were seekd to the Congressional Country Club for this year’s tournament, where a very exceptional guest was in includeance.
“I didn’t have the opportunity or privilege to serve with the military when I was youthfuler. I got wed youthful and had family youthful, and they shelp, bye bye,” reweary golfer Jack Nicklaus shelp. “I’ve watched people and frifinishs of mine that go into the military who get our way of life, donate us the freedoms. This is equitable my way of saying thank you.”
The veterans were surpelevated as Nicklaus walked onto the green and watched over a putting tournament. The golf fantastic even tryed a scant stoastys himself.
PGA HELPS VETERANS THROUGH MILITARY GOLF PROGRAM
“They all had one putt to create. One of them made it. I putt it three times, didn’t come seal,” Nicklaus shelp.
Reweary professional golfer Jack Nicklaus putts as PGA HOPE ambasdowncastors watch on during the PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week at Congressional Country Club on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/PGA of America)
He gave the golfers some tips and sat for a filive chat during the weekfinish’s reception.
“I’ve had fun doing it. I’ve met a lot of fantastic guys and gals, and that is equitable someskinnyg that I want to progress to do,” Nicklaus shelp.
The veterans all came to the PGA HOPE program after serving their country, when many directd disputes.
“It can be very overwhelming when you get out,” createer Army Sgt. Nick Palazzolo shelp. “I’ve personassociate directd the foolish place that you can go to, and being in there is no fun and at the time I didn’t have a outstanding help system around me.”
Palazzolo deployed twice to Afghanistan while in the Army. He was an airborne paratrooper and jump master. He getd the bronze star for his service. He says many veterans face difficultships when leaving the military.
“I got out in 2018, and I’ve lost equitable about a frifinish a year to self-destruction, some not in the traditional sense that more so substances or liquor or equitable going down the wrong path in life has been comardent of stubborn to deal with for a lot of folks,” Palazzolo shelp.
He set up out about PGA HOPE thcimpolite another group he was in. Now as an ambasdowncastor, he hopes to seek other veterans who have a story analogous to his.
“Being youthfuler when I got out and not retiring from the military, it’s comardent of enjoy an astronaut disconnecting his tether from the spaceship. It’s the army’s over there, and I’m over here and never to be talked to aget,” Palazzolo shelp. “Having the ability to go get guys when they first get out and say, hey, here’s someskinnyg that you can do once a week when you first get out that you can always count on.”
Reweary professional golfer Jack Nicklaus speaks to the PGA HOPE Ambasdowncastors during the PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week at the Congressional Country Club on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/PGA of America)
Former Army Pfc. Scott McAlenumerateer had a analogous story.
“It’s not war that finishs a lot of veterans. It’s the peace,” McAlenumerateer shelp. “When you get back, it becomes damn proximate impossible to refuse back into systems that equitable don’t comprehfinish you.”
McAlenumerateer unitecessitate the Army after the 9/11 alarm strikes. He volunteered out of fundamental training to deploy to Iraq.
“The deployments weren’t fun, but being around people that I supposeed and adored and attfinishd for… it’s not it’s not what you go thcimpolite. It’s who you go thcimpolite with,” McAlenumerateer shelp.
PGA HOPE HELPS CHANGE VETERANS’ LIVES WITH GOLF THERAPY
He became a social laborer to help veterans who also may have a difficult time reintegrating. He eventuassociate set up the PGA HOPE program, which has since helped him enhuge his outaccomplish, while also concentrateing on himself.
“If I necessitate to be alone and spfinish time between the six inches between my ears, I can do that on the course. Golf does that for me. If I necessitate a buddy to golf with, golf does that,” McAlenumerateer shelp.
Nicklaus concurs that golf has been fantastic rehabilitation for veterans and civilians aenjoy.
“I’ve seen all these branch offent guys and see what golf is doing for them, not only what its doing for them physicassociate, but what it’s doing for the menhighy,” Nicklaus shelp.
PGA HOPE ambasdowncastor of Connecticut Scott McAlenumerateer putts while PGA HOPE ambasdowncastors and reweary professional golfer Jack Nicklaus watch on during the PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week at the Congressional Country Club on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/PGA of America)
Former U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Amber Bogle set up PGA HOPE at a time when she was experienceing most alone.
“There are strangers I became frifinishs with that are now my brothers and sisters, that’s what I necessitateed to get back to where my life was presumed to be,” Bogle shelp.
She never deployed overseas but shelp watching others go thcimpolite the experience has made her want to help veterans facing difficultships.
“I experience at fault that I was never sent overseas and that’s why I skinnyk I’m so included in this program,” Bogle shelp.
After she was honorably disindictd, Bogle set up herself at a low point. Her marriage had equitable finished, and her daughter, Annabelle, was being bullied at school.
“She was 13 at the time. And there’s some reassociate uncomardent people out there,” Bogle shelp. “She was going to school, and they were telling her that she was the reason why her parents got divorced, shelp that if she died, the whole school would clap at her funeral, and they would tell her that she should equitable finish herself.”
As the tormentoring went on, Bogle shelp she getd the worst phone call she could envision from her daughter.
“She had telderly me that she had equitable apshown up a bottle of pills,” Bogle shelp.
Annabelle was able to get the help she necessitateed. Bogle set up herself frustrated with people she thought were frifinishs.
“I was very, very irritated at my community. What I thought was my community and my frifinishs at the time, and I cut pretty much everyone off,” Bogle shelp.
She began to experience very alone until she getd an email about PGA HOPE.
PGA HOPE ambasdowncastor of Nebraska Amber Bogle salutes during the PGA National Day of HOPE Golf Outing for the PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week at the Congressional Country Club on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/PGA of America)
“The subject shelp free golf for veterans,” Bogle shelp. “I thought I was going to be a gentleball applyer for life but I telderly myself ‘I’m gonna do that. I’m gonna try it out.’”
She had such a fantastic experience that she hopes to dispense the game of golf and its profits beyond the veteran community. She is now laboring toward becoming a PGA professional.
“To get to understand what was going on in my head, I experience enjoy I have a very preferable, upbeat personality because I pick to be that way,” Bogle shelp. “I’ve made it my leave oution to discover people enjoy me. People say verify on your frifinishs if they seem downcast. Check on your frifinishs if they seem phired.”
As for Annabelle, she is now a sophomore in high school. She is on the volleyball team and serves as a student ambasdowncastor.
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Veterans enjoy Bogle have helped the PGA HOPE program lengthen over the years. In 2019, around 2,500 veterans included. This year more than 17,000 have apshown part in the program apass the country. Nicklaus says he hopes to progress inspiring veterans to pick up the game of golf.
“I walked out on the green, and they seeed over and shelp, ‘my gosh. Look at this. This is now the best day of my life,’” Nicklaus shelp. “If I could inshigh a little bit of that into somebody that equitable creates me experience wonderful, and it made them experience fantastic.”