After being injured while I was deployed in Afghanistan, I returned to the United States to undergo seven surgeries. I spent a year in a wheelchair and was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a major depressive disorder. When I discovered golf, I played my first three rounds with my foot in a cast or orthopedic boot. I found the golf course to be a great escape from the war going on in my mind (not the battlefield). When I’m golfing, my mind is at peace because it is too busy thinking about the game to fall into depression. After talking with a few buddies I realized I was not the only one who found the therapeutic benefits of golf.
I started volunteering at Roosevelt Warm Springs Rehabilitation Institute (RWSRI) which includes a golf course, an accessible camp, and a rehabilitation specialist on campus. It is also situated close to Callaway Gardens’ championship golf course. I realized that I had found the perfect place to teach wounded warriors and their families about golf in a fun camp environment. I presented my idea for Warrior Golf Camps of America to some highly regarded community leaders (now my board of directors) to help guide me and my project. Warrior Golf Camps of America was born!