PGA program giving hope to veterans

MEQUON, Wis. - The game of golf can be a stressful time especially for beginners like Robert Kruger.

"If I can leave a golf course and I have the same amount of balls as I went in with, I'm pretty happy," said Kruger. "Usually I've lost them, but I find others. I don't keep score. I can't count that high."

But getting some lessons with a PGA certified pro can change that mentality.

And it is doing just that for this group.

"It was pretty interesting learning a lot of new things and ready to take it to the next level," said Anthony Laske.

"It's really relaxing, really relaxing," said Edward Beattie. "Like when I first walked in here, it seemed like the whole bunch of people staring at us and everything, and really it wasn't that experienced at all."

Finding some relaxation can do wonders for these guys.

That's because all of them are veterans learning more about golf through PGA Hope.

Gunnar Stapp leads the program at Pure Fitness in Mequon.

"These guys are motivated to get better at golf," said Stapp. "I'm motivated to get them better at golf. And that's the secondary side, because when you look at some of the studies and the research and the numbers where 22 vets are committing suicide every day. If I can help them with their golf game and maybe someday help them with their lives, too. That's much bigger than anything."

PGA Hope is designed to help vets and support their social, emotional, and physical well-being.

Laske served in the army.

He says it's always nice to have some help getting his mind off of things.

"Dealing with the military is a lot of mental stuff," Laske said. "So playing golf has really helped me take my mind off of a lot of the aspects of my time. All you think about is getting the ball near the pin."

Terry Benda was a navy corpsman during Vietnam.

He hasn't picked up a club in more than 25 years.

He says back and shoulder issues have kept him away from the golf course until now.

"I've been getting a lot of treatment for that," said Benda. "And they told me that I really should get some flexibility and range of motion. And golf was recommended very highly for this. So I saw that the VA was offering this, and I signed up for it."

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Benda says the support vets like him receive now is much different than when he returned home.

And he is very appreciative of that.

"Vietnam was not a good time when you came back home again," Benda said. "And this is an outpouring and showing people that they really do care. So it's nice."

Beattie was in the Marines for 13 years.

He says it took a toll mentally and physically.

But golf gives him an escape.

"I carry it with me every day," Beattie said. "That's good stuff and bad stuff, but it's nice to find, you know, a hobby, a sport where for that one second where you're lined up and trying to hit the ball, you're just really. That's it. That's all there is to it. That's pretty cool."

Kruger may or may not still be searching for his golf balls after these lessons, but he does not seem to be worried about it.

"It's therapeutic, you know, because you're not alone," Kruger said. "And, you know, maybe we can all learn from each other, you know, and help each other and support each other."

Stapp says PGA Hope is always in need of pros to get certified to lead these lessons.

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