The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), together with PGA REACH—the philanthropic arm of PGA of America—offers a specialized golf program for disabled veterans.
The program, called PGA HOPE—Helping Our Patriots Everywhere—is a way to help assimilate veterans back into their communities through the social interaction that golf provides, explains a media release from the VA.
PGA professionals certified in golf instruction for veterans with disabilities will lead the program, teaching game rules to veterans new to golf and refinements of skills to veterans familiar with the sport.
The two-step program begins with an introductory “Down Range Clinic.” Fifty programs across 20 PGA sections are currently taking place and are helping to enhance the lives of more than 2,000 veterans nationwide, per the release.
“We are grateful to PGA REACH for their commitment to our nation’s disabled veterans,” says VA Secretary Robert McDonald, in the release. “When you think of rehabilitation, golf is not always the first thing you think of, but it can play an integral role in the healing process through social interaction, mental stimulation and exercise.”
“As many veterans struggle with the transition back into civilian life, the game of golf delivers camaraderie and a new level of enjoyment that provides them with hope,” states PGA President Derek Sprague, in the release.
For more information about the VA’s adaptive sports program, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs.
[Source: Department of Veterans Affairs]
