American Lake Golf Course for disabled veterans in Lakewood; first of its kind in the nation
April 27, 7:53 AM Seattle Special Needs Issues Examiner - Shelley Dillon
So many of our brave Iragi and Afgan war vets are coming home disabled and re-entry is tough. How do we give them a new lease on life after they have sacrificed and suffered so much?
Re-entering society is one of the hardest parts about coming home after active duty. Add coming home disabled on top of that and you can see why our brave men and women in uniform need something to pull them back into living a normal life.
160 compassionate volunteers have found one way. They cleaned up a old golf course at the VA Hospital in Lakewood and have created the first golf course designed for disabled vets in the nation, American Lake Veterans Golf Course.
Can golf help? Apparently yes and thank goodness for it! |
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According to a wonderful article by Scott Hansen on the Seattle Times, "A lot of these young kids come back wounded, and are down — losing their mobility — and they get into golf and their morale picks up, and they start getting healthy," said Pepper Roberts, 78, founder and president of Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course, the nonprofit that runs the facility. "It's a joy for them, and it's very satisfying and gratifying to see that."
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The modest, nine-hole course was built in the years after World War II but has undergone an incredible transformation in the last decade, culminating Tuesday with the official unveiling of a $1.3 million, 8,400-square-foot Rehabilitation and Learning facility with a clubhouse and indoor practice area. The greens and bunkers are accessible to the disabled, and special carts make play possible for veterans who walk with difficulty or not at all.
Hitting balls a few stalls down was Mike Ballard, an Army Specialist with the 5th Stryker Brigade who is still recovering from injuries received in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2009. His right femur was broken and his left knee was shattered. Still, he was determined to get around the course on his crutches.
"This is such great therapy," said Ballard, 39. "Having a course like this means so much."
A second nine is needed because the course has become so popular that it gets overcrowded. Dedicated volunteer, Lynn, is single-minded in getting the new nine built. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has already designed the new 9 for free and the Friends of the American Lake Veterans Golf Course are asking for donations to make it possible.
"I've had several guys tell me, 'If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't be here,' " Roberts, a dedicated volunteer said. "They would have killed themselves. They had just shut down and were in continuous pain. Being able to come out here — finding out they can still play golf — and talk to other veterans who have shared similar experiences, it just means so much to them."
The American Lake Veterans Golf Course serves veterans and active duty service men and women. Many of those we serve at the course have permanent disabilities from their service in places like Korea and Vietnam, and now Afghanistan and Iraq. Our service men and women who have been injured during service to our country deserve this resource - an enjoyable course for their rehabilitation, treatment and recreational use.
The course is used by veterans and military personnel living locally, and by patients of the American Lake Veterans Hospital, Seattle Veterans Hospital, Madigan Army Hospital and the Washington Soldier's Home and Colony in Orting. Since 2004 participation has increased from about 4000 per year to close to 5000 per year.
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