Noteboom The Law Firm

Wounded Warriors Take On Golf

November 10, 2010 - Returning from combat with an injury is just the beginning. Learning to live with the injury or the disability is where the hard work comes in. For those veterans who were active in sports before their injury, learning to adapt their abilities to the sport they enjoyed is possible and can greatly benefit the veteran in more ways than one.

The Salute Military Golf Association (SMGA) is run by a former PGA tour professional and teaches disabled and wounded warriors how to play golf. Even for those veterans who have never played golf before, they are taking to the lessons. Golf not only teaches patience, it allows many veterans to feed their competitive side.

The SMGA's only membership requirement is being wounded in action; their current membership is around 150 veterans. Some of the veterans have very obvious physical problems, but many of them suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The SMGA has drawn support from the community as well. Both the Tiger Woods foundation and the Professional Golf Association have worked with the SMGA. The Tiger Woods foundation has even granted the SMGA a financial gift. The PGA has offered spots on some of their pro-ams to wounded warriors as well as letting them hit ceremonial first tee shots at tournaments.

Expanding the SMGA to the rest of the nation has proven to be difficult. The biggest issues have been keeping in touch with veterans and finding reliable transportation. However, the SMGA is trying to expand and will likely convert more veterans to active golfers as they do!