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 As military veterans return from conflict, they often find that their various injuries make it difficult to engage in the sports they previously enjoyed. Recently, the PGA has teamed up with a number of philanthropic organizations to utilize golf as a tool for rehabilitation, recreation, fundraising, and fun for returning veterans.

The Give Program
One such partnership is the GIVE (Golf for Injured Veterans Everywhere) program. A collaborative effort between the Iowa PGA, the Veterans Administration Hospital in Iowa City, and the Riverside Casino & Golf resort, the program is designed to improve the mental, social, physical, and emotional well being of veterans through golf.

The program was conceived by former veteran Louis King. Attendees receive training in all facets of the game, from dress code to driving, in addition to free rounds of golf, their own set of clubs, and shot analysis from PGA professionals. A pro-am fundraiser held in August of 2007 raised approximately 65,000 dollars for the foundation, and GIVE graduated its first class of golfers in January of 2008.

Response from participants has been positive; with many veterans stating that getting onto the links has helped them combat the mental, physical, and emotional effects of war. "This program has brought me closer to my wife," says Joe Corso, a 63-year-old former Sergeant with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. "The professionals I've met are not just going through motions. They look you in the eye; they care about you. I've started building a little more trust; I feel born again," he added.

PGA professionals volunteering as instructors also feel strongly about effects of the foundation. "We're not here because we're getting paid," said former Iowa PGA President Ken Schall of Des Moines. "We're here because of the veterans, and what they've done for us."

The PGA of America/DSUSA Military Golf Program
A partnership between Disabled Sports USA, the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, America Supports You, and the PGA, this program provides golf instruction for severely wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

A total of seven weeks of instruction, the program is held at various locations across the country and consists of two hours of instruction per week. Instruction covers everything from fundamentals to rules, and also touches on the use of adaptive equipment and using golf as rehabilitation. At the end of each seven-week session, a three-hole golf scramble tournament is held for participants.

Patriot Golf Day
Held between August 29th and September 1st, the Patriot Golf Day debuted last year at over 3,200 golfing facilities worldwide. The fundraiser, conceived by PGA professional and F-16 pilot Dan Rooney, raised more than $1.1 million for the families of veterans who have been injured or perished in the line of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The money was raised by golfers at public facilities who added an extra dollar to their greens fee, and private facilities asking for donations.

For more information on the GIVE program, visit http://www.playgolfamerica.com/