HARTFORD, Conn. — The program is called “PGA Hope” which stands for “Helping Our Patriots Everywhere” and it’s landed at Goodwin Park Golf Course in Hartford.
PGA Hope aims to teach veterans the game of golf in a relaxed, stress free environment. The program was cancelled due to COVID-19 last year, but it has returned to the greens of Goodwin Park with a new crew of veterans taking their best shots.
Dennis Dungee, the director of the PGA’s Connecticut Section and an organizer of the veteran’s golf program said, “one of the biggest things about this program is giving back to those that served our country.”
Evin Hill, a Marine Corps veteran from Waterford, just took up golfing with PGA Hope last month. “It relaxes me,” said Hill. “I’m PTSD diagnosed so I come out here and I get to think about playing golf… It’s great to be out here with fellow vets.” Another veteran of the Marine Corps, Greg Van Houten, from Windsor, said of the golf program, “It’s fantastic to get out and be with other veterans because we all have shared experiences and shared anxieties.”
After being cancelled by Covid, “PGA Hope” is back on course
After launching a drive down the fairway, Marine vet Ralph Mayo from Milford said, “this is calming, it’s soothing, it’s peaceful and that’s what I need right now.”
To find out more about the PGA Hope project in Connecticut click https://ctpga.com/pga-hope/
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