I went through PGA HOPE as a participant before I ever taught a lesson. If you're a veteran in Las Vegas wondering whether golf is for you, here's the straight version: what the program is, what it's like from the inside, and what to do when the six weeks are over.
What PGA HOPE is
Helping Our Patriots Everywhere. It's the PGA of America's program for veterans: six to eight weeks of group instruction run by PGA professionals and trained coaches, at no cost to you. Clubs are provided if you need them. Every ability and every body is accounted for; there are adaptive setups for people who need them, and nobody is going to make you walk if you can't.
It's not therapy, officially. Unofficially, ask anyone who's done it. Four hours a week outside with people who get it, working on something that has nothing to do with anything else, does something that's hard to buy.
What it's actually like
The first week everyone's quiet. By week three the group has nicknames. The instruction is real; you'll learn grip, setup, chipping, and putting properly, not a watered-down version. The pace is whatever the group needs. And the last session is usually on a course, playing a few holes, which for a lot of guys is the first time they've been on one.
I came out of it wanting to teach it, and now I do. There aren't many coaches who've sat on both sides of that range.
After the program
This is where people fall off. The six weeks end, the clubs go in the garage, and that's that. Don't let it. Options, in order of cost:
- Keep playing with the group. Most HOPE cohorts keep a text thread. Use it.
- Look for the HOPE alumni days your Section runs; they happen, and they're free.
- Private coaching at the veteran rate. I teach veterans at $120 an hour, and I teach around whatever your body will and won't do, because mine has opinions too.
Text me if you want to know when the next Las Vegas session is. I'll tell you what to expect, because I sat where you'll sit.
Questions people ask
Do I need to have played before?
No. Most people in a HOPE class have never held a club.
I have a disability. Can I still play?
Yes. Adaptive equipment and modified setups are part of the program, and prosthetics, chairs, and limited mobility are all accounted for. I play on a prosthetic hip and knees.
Does it cost anything?
No. Instruction, range balls, and loaner clubs are covered.
