FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
When wounded U.S. Service members redeploy from combat zones, they are met with a multitide of physical therapy, counseling, and rehabilitation measures aimed at getting them back on their feet and in the fight. Of all the methods to help get wounded warriors feeling like themselves again, few would imagine the game of golf to be in their rehab routine.
Ask pro-golfer Andy Weissinger, and learn why he says the so-called "gentleman's game" is the foundation of his program that breathes new life into wounded Service members.
Weissinger, an instructor with the Professional Golfers' Association of America, leads the Warrior Transition Unit Golf Program at Eustis' Pines Golf Course, which introduces injured Soldiers to the game of golf via an eight-week clinic. The goal is to get the troops involved in therapy, both mentally and physically, and able to enjoy themselves through sport within their limitations.
Baby steps
The program began seven years ago, as the WTU began receiving more Soldiers in need of post-injury rehabilitation in the wake of two ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Weissinger had developed the "PT Golf" program at the Pines, a fast-paced golf regimen in which Soldiers would run from hole to hole, promoting cardiovascular training. Several wounded warriors wanted to participate in the program, but were physically unable to due to the nature of their injuries.
Weissinger noticed other PGA pros offering programs suited for disabled golfers, and began developing the idea for a golf clinic to benefit wounded warriors. He lobbied for the benefits of golf at WTU town hall meetings, appealing to company commanders and medical professionals, and soon received their blessings.
"The first few times, we did it in conjunction with the PT Golf program. But as opposed to running the golf course, we brought them out and did a putting clinic," he explained. "We showed guys with back injuries and leg problems that we could find a way for them to putt the ball and get it in the hole. It gave a lot of hope to those who once played and didn't think they'd play again, and we got new guys to play who'd never given it a second thought."
As more Soldiers came to learn and play, Weissinger began to invite WTU leadership and nurse case managers out to the Pines to see first-hand how his instruction helps players. He worked with case managers to fit golf into rehabilitation plans, even leading providers through an abridged clinic to demonstrate how he used tools and methods in the clinic.
"Once we had the case managers and therapists come see what we were doing, they were hooked," he said. "They really got behind the program."
Finding the fairway
Weissinger, alongside fellow PGA pro Chip Olenick, designed the clinic to instruct participants how to play golf in a way that works safely within their physical abilities, placing emphasis on safety and rehabilitative methods.
"So many people view golf as something you need to be ultra-flexible for. We were able to think outside the box and find a way within their limitations to play the game," said Weissinger. "Sometimes we deal with Soldiers who have severe physical limitations, such as lower body immobility or amputees. We ensure they are given a tailored approach, teaching them how to use specialized equipment and methods so they can play."
The eight-week program begins with an introduction to the game of golf and an explanation of expectations. Players are shown the tools of the trade, including training and physical aids available to them. Most importantly, Weissinger and his staff promote the spirit of fun and comfort, promoting an atmosphere of patience, acceptance and confidence in participants.
"It's not a competition - we're out here to have fun. If you can't play to have a good time, you shouldn't play," Weissinger said. "We relate golf to life that way. We want the Soldiers to be relaxed when they come out. That's as important to us as actually playing the game."
The first training involves putting. Golfers start as close to the hole as possible, and move further away. This trend continues throughout the course, as participants move toward course play.
"After putting, we do chipping the next week, then pitching, then to the driving range for full swings. From there we introduce the foundation of the golf swing, waist high swings," Weissinger explained. "It all leads to the final session for qualified participants where we fit them with clubs and get them onto the golf course."
"Andy and I will tailor a swing to fit the needs of a Soldier," Olenick added. "It is really neat watching their swings develop."
Weissinger worked with the Salute Military Golf Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Maryland, to give golfers who complete six of the eight weeks a free, custom-fitted set of golf clubs. In addition to the custom rigs, course graduates can also play golf at the Pines Golf Course at no charge.
'The new normal'
Army Sgt. James Robinson, Jr., a 17-year Army veteran and medical laboratory specialist, injured his back while serving in Korea, and required surgery. After he arrived at the Eustis WTU for rehabilitation, Robinson decided to see what Weissinger's program was all about.
"I'd been golfing for seven years before my back surgery, and was offered the opportunity to come get free lessons. I heard there may be free clubs and free rounds of golf involved, so I jumped on it,"
Robinson said.
While the custom clubs and professional lessons proved to be excellent benefits, Robinson said his biggest reward was earning a life lesson in patience.
"The game of golf requires patience. Sometimes you can make aggressive moves, and sometimes you need to lay back and accept what's in front of you -- just like in the WTU," he said. "If you get knocked down you need get back up and do it again."
"The biggest challenge we face in instruction is time. Sometimes the guys get frustrated. You just put your arm around them and tell them 'it's okay," said Weissinger. "It's not beating you, you're learning to work with your new normal. It's my job to find a way to make it work."
Weissinger shared the story of a Soldier who suffered a stroke, leaving him without full use of his legs. He would ride on a golf cart with his friends while they played at the course, but was unable to tee off himself - until he found about the WTU golf program.
"Upon coming through our program, we were able to teach him how to use the handicap golf cart, and now he can play golf with his friends, not just sit and watch," Weissinger said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Ruben L. Daniels, Sr., a unit supply specialist, recently graduated from the WTU Golf Program. He said the instructors completely reinvented how he viewed the game of golf - and how wounded warriors viewed themselves in the process.
"Andy really adapts the game to the individual, using things like the special tilting carts. You didn't know a real disabled warrior could play," Daniels said. "Confidence. It gives us more confidence. We get out here and are a bit timid, but once you take in his instruction and you see the improvement in your game, you really get confident and want to learn more.
"That confidence transcends into your military career."
'More than swinging a club'
As the program evolved, Weissinger said mental health providers have expressed increased interest in the psychological benefits of the game.
"It's getting guys outside engaged in physical activity, getting their mind on something else. If you've ever played golf, it takes a lot of focus mentally to figure out what to do and how to do it," he said. "It takes your mind off negativity."
"The beautiful thing about golf is it's a distraction from the pain, personal and mental problems," Robinson added. "When you're out here, your focused on the golf ball and the course. After playing, you feel great."
Weissinger said WTU commanders "love it because it gets guys out of barracks."
"The less downtime they have sitting around getting depressed, the better . It's been a home run all around, and we see more benefits the more we do it," he added.
Esprit de 'course'
The WTU Golf Program "brings Soldiers a little closer together as a unit," Weissinger said, attributing the camaraderie to their experience in a more relaxed atmosphere. Company commanders allow Soldiers to visit the course as long as mission requirements or medical appointments are satisfied.
"Appointments are the number one mission while in the WTU. So if Soldiers have something to do and they can't be out here for a class, we'll accommodate that and make sure we get them spun up," Weissinger explained.
As more and more wounded warriors make their way out to the Pines to partake in the course - Weissinger estimates nearly 160 Soldiers have graduated - Soldiers who have been through the clinics come back after they complete it, whether to help new golfers or just enjoy the game with their "battle buddies."
"We invite guys that have been through the program to come back out, and they often do. They're stepping up," said Weissinger. "They're helping the instruction process, bringing others along.
"Guys come back and play through the Pines. I've seen as many as 10 individuals come out multiple times," he added. "They get bit by the golf bug and come out all the time."
Growing the game
Weissinger has opened the program up to other wounded warriors in the community, including Marines from nearby Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, and even Soldiers making the hour-plus trip from Fort Lee in central Virginia.
"We're trying to spread the word through the WTU here to community-based WTUs. The popularity has been encouraging to see," he said. "The free clubs don't hurt, but the guys that have been through are selling this. Word of mouth is the best advertisement you can get."
Robinson agreed, calling golf a "great sport for wounded warriors."
"I want to see more troops going through the program. One thing about the Army is that we love being the best at what we do. For those that are wounded, there are things we can no longer do," Robinson said.
"This is something we can still do. Andy has proven that to us."
"It's an honor to teach the game of golf to the men and women of the WTU. I really enjoy teaching the game of a life time to our veterans,"
Olenick said.
As the program continues to grow and evolve, Weissinger looked back on the progress made in teaching the hundreds of Soldiers that have participated, and said he is "infinitely thankful" to have been able to be part of their lives.
"The biggest reward is seeing the light in their eyes when they understand, 'no matter what my injury is, no matter what I'm transitioning to, whether its back to active duty or retired life, golf can be part of my life now,'" he said. "Golf has brought me so much joy, just to be able to share that with people is the greatest feeling in the world."
Golf legend Arnold Palmer once said of golf, "the most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done." Thanks to Andy Weissinger and his innovative program, Palmer's golf gospel is proven in the strides - and swings -- of Fort Eustis' wounded warriors, who continue to overcome odds and remain "Army strong."