PGA helps veterans through military golf program

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This week, veterans from across the country attended the National Golf and Wellness Week at Congressional Country Club as part of the Professional Golfers' Association's military charity, PGA HOPE. The program introduces golf to veterans with disabilities to enhance their well-being. Lessons are taught by PGA professionals and free to all who have served. 

Many participants turned to golf for its physical and mental health benefits and its challenges.

Navy veteran Michael Moore says the program also brought him closer to other veterans who had shared experiences. 

"It was a safe place." Moore said. "I was around brothers and sisters from the armed forces and it just -- like I could breath. It just felt easy." 

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Moore served four years onboard the USS John F. Kennedy in Norfolk, Virginia. He deployed during Operation Desert Storm and said he remembered feeling tense during his time overseas. 

"We didn’t always see what was happening, but we knew the bombs were being loaded on the aircraft carrier and the aircraft were coming back without them," said Moore. 

Former Army Captain Chris Cordova, center right, and other veterans stand at attention as the National Anthem is sung during the PGA Hope event at Congressional Country Club October 17, 2022 in Bethesda, MD. PGA Hope has specialized golf programs for veterans dealing with PTSD, brain injuries or other issues. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Moore now helps introduce other veterans to the program so they experience