For Ben Parker, Senior Director of Play Yellow at Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals, golf has been a constant. His passion for golf stems from playing competitively in high school and college, going on to become a PGA Professional. He found ways to stay connected to the game throughout his career, hosting a golf television show and producing celebrity golf tournaments. Eventually, he landed at CMN Hospitals to spearhead the Play Yellow effort, in partnership with Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, with the goal to raise $100 million in five years for children’s hospitals.

Ben has long believed in the power of golf to do good in the world. “Supporting kids reaches the soul of the golfer,” says Ben, who has seen firsthand the sport’s impact in the outpouring of support at all levels of golf for CMN Hospitals. “When we can combine something they love—golf—with helping kids, it creates a meaningful connection. We give it an identity with Play Yellow.”   

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“When we can combine something they love—golf—with helping kids, it creates a meaningful connection. We give it an identity with Play Yellow.”

— Ben Parker, Senior Director of Play Yellow at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

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CMN Hospitals & Golf Fundraising

When Ben came on board at CMN Hospitals, there were thousands of golf events across the country raising money for local children’s hospitals. Organized by hospital foundations, corporate entities, community organizations, and dedicated supporters, these tournaments essentially happened, as Ben describes it, in the background, without CMN Hospitals knowing who was organizing, sponsoring, or playing in them. 

“The more I worked with my teammates, I realized there was a massive opportunity to cultivate, grow, and simplify golf fundraising with our network,” Ben says. His experience working with charity golf tournaments of all types and sizes gives him a unique perspective on how tournament organizers operate and what motivates them. He explains that the majority of volunteers who organize a golf event aren’t typically golfers themselves; they’re passionate supporters and volunteers who are willing to jump in and make things happen. They see how golf is a very powerful mechanism for bringing people together and raising money. 

Ben Parker (center), Senior Director of Play Yellow at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, poses with legendary golfers Jack Nicklaus (left) and Arnold Palmer (right).

Ben and his CMN Hospital colleagues on the Innovation team dug in to look for a solution to expand and strengthen golf fundraising and make the process easier for organizers across the board. “We want organizers to be able to spend less time on the minutiae of planning a golf tournament and more time on the fun stuff,” Ben says. 

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“We want organizers to be able to spend less time on the minutiae of planning a golf tournament and more time on the fun stuff.”

— Ben Parker, Senior Director of Play Yellow at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

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The amount of work that goes into a successful golf tournament isn’t lost on Ben and his team, which is why they make every effort to simplify the process and help organizers see the impact of their time and dedication. He points out that when tournaments are organized as Play Yellow events, they’re part of a larger CMN Hospitals ecosystem that has deep ties to corporate sponsors, individual hospital communities, and media partners, which gives their event instant credibility, tools, and support. “For someone whose day job is something else, to suddenly be charged with making a massive impact in a golf fundraiser, it can be overwhelming,” Ben says. “But we’re there to help organizers see how the golf community loves to support kids in need and connect them to this larger network so they can be successful.”

The $100 Million Jack Nicklaus Challenge

Play Yellow’s humble beginnings include a plate of cookies and a kind gesture for a child dealing with cancer. Jack Nicklaus, the legendary golfer who won 18 majors over the course of his illustrious career, befriended a young fan in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, named Craig Smith. Craig was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, that would tragically take his life at the age of 13. During one of their many conversations, this one following one of Jack’s tournament wins, Craig said he knew Jack would come out on top because he was wearing a lucky yellow shirt. 

Jack would continue to wear yellow on Sundays over the years in honor of Craig. When he won his sixth Masters in 1986, he wore yellow for the final round. Ben explains that this story didn’t surface until some 20 years later, when Jack was asked if there was something different about that particular day of golf—when he had a career round and won the tournament—and he pointed out that he was wearing yellow that Sunday.

Jack and Barbara Nicklaus were already dedicated supporters of children’s hospitals in Ohio and Florida and wanted to further amplify those efforts with CMN Hospitals and their influence in the golf world. To that end, Jack called PGA TOUR Commissioner, Jay Monahan, to meet with them at their home in Florida over a plate of Barbara’s chocolate chip cookies. Jack set the audacious goal of raising $100 million for CMN Hospitals in just five years through golf, and Play Yellow was born.

Getting to the Goal With Technology

Prior to the pandemic, Play Yellow had raised about $24 million for CMN Hospitals through golf. “When COVID hit, all these golf events that we had built momentum behind went into shutdown mode,” Ben says. “There was some panic because we knew that hospitals needed this unrestricted funding to care for kids, and we knew there would be a huge fundraising gap to close in 2020 because these events weren’t going to happen.”

Creating efficiencies and better supporting tournament organizers with user-friendly tools, while at the same time strategizing how to get tournaments back up and running, led CMN Hospitals to a partnership with golf technology company GolfStatus. The platform puts powerful fundraising technology built for golf in the hands of individual event organizers, while also providing key insights at an enterprise level, broader sponsorship opportunities, and a central event directory for larger organizations like CMN Hospitals that have hundreds or even thousands of events that benefit them.

GolfStatus’s tech solved many challenges right off the bat, with built-in features to live-score tournaments, send in-event messages to golfers and sponsors, and an in-house customer success team to build a website for each tournament and provide support every step of the way. The platform greatly simplifies registration and payment collection and processing, which saves organizers a huge amount of work, making the prospect of putting on a tournament less daunting. In the face of COVID-19, GolfStatus’s features also allowed tournaments to mitigate touchpoints by moving registration, scoring, coordination, and other logistical tasks online and providing options for virtual and hybrid events.

What’s more, the value of using a common technology for Play Yellow events goes well beyond saving organizers time and effort. Indeed, one of the strongest arguments for such a platform is the ability to securely and responsibly collect donor and sponsor data in an efficient manner, helping CMN Hospitals as a whole and its member hospitals and foundations gain a better understanding of who is supporting them through golf. “Hospitals may not have the oversight they need for these events or even know who is organizing golf tournaments on their behalf,” Ben points out. “The power of this information, and how best to support these third party events, is crucial to making fundraising decisions.” 

Ben is excited about the future of CMN Hospitals’ golf fundraising using GolfStatus. “GolfStatus fits the unique needs of golf event organizers,” says Ben. “As a partner, GolfStatus sees the long term vision of what we want to accomplish with Play Yellow and for CMN Hospitals.”

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“GolfStatus fits the unique needs of golf event organizers. As a partner, GolfStatus sees the long term vision of what we want to accomplish with Play Yellow and for CMN Hospitals.”

— Ben Parker, Senior Director of Play Yellow at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

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To support CMN Hospitals through golf, you can play in a tournament near you or even organize your own golf fundraiser.

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From small, local fundraisers to massive charity tournaments, golf is a great way to bring people together in support of a cause. This summer, GolfStatus.org is teaming up with our giving partners at Dormie Network and Dormie Network Foundation to celebrate those who are doing exactly that.

This is a unique opportunity to “play” it forward: You nominate a golf fundraiser to receive a $10,000 donation and get a chance to win a one-year honorary membership to Dormie Network, plus a $10,000 stipend to spend on golf and lodging at its exclusive private destination golf resorts.

The golf fundraiser can be anything from a memorial tournament commemorating a loved one to an alumni golf event and from a celebrity pro-am to a corporate golf outing raising money for a favorite charity. As long as the golf tournament raises money for a charitable cause, it’s eligible! Nominate a tournament by telling us about the mission and cause it supports, and why that cause is important to you.

Designed by famed golf course architect Tom Fazio, Dormie Network’s Victoria National Golf Club boasts gorgeous views amid challenging holes.

The winner will be announced on social media, so make sure you follow GolfStatus.org (Facebook and Instagram) and Dormie Network (Facebook and Instagram) for the latest.

You don’t want to miss out on this chance to make a difference and use golf for good. The entry deadline is Labor day (September 6) so nominate a golf fundraiser today!

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals) has joined forces with GolfStatus.org as its official partner for golf event fundraisers, including those belonging to Barbara and Jack Nicklaus’s Play Yellow for Children’s Hospitals. With 170 member hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, CMN Hospitals serves 10 million kids each year, providing life-saving research and care in support of its mission to save and improve the lives of children. GolfStatus.org recently caught up with Kyton Sweat of CMN Hospitals’ Ideation team to reflect on the impact of COVID-19 and learn more about how the organization is approaching golf fundraising, technology and innovation amid its challenges.

Kyton Sweat, Senior Manager of Ideation, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

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GolfStatus.org: Tell us about the Ideation Team at CMN Hospitals. How does the team approach and implement new ideas and programs?

Kyton: Ideation has helped the organization evolve, finding new initiatives, tools, and processes that match up with what CMN Hospitals is doing strategically to fulfill our mission to change kids’ health and change the future. The Ideation team looks at where there might be gaps or issues with a program, works to understand the problem, and finds innovative solutions. 

GolfStatus is a perfect example of how this works. Due to all the issues surrounding COVID-19 during 2020, many of our golf fundraisers were on the brink of cancellation. It’s our job to find the tools and opportunities that produce better outcomes, and this technology was the solution to bringing these tournaments back online.

GolfStatus.org: Why is innovation so important to CMN Hospitals?

Kyton: Leadership has always placed an emphasis on innovation. The ideation team leads this process for the overall organization, but over the last couple years it became apparent that we needed to instill a culture where everyone is an innovator. Hospitals and the kids they serve will always require funding, so it’s imperative that we find new and innovative ways to fill that need and provide the best possible outcomes.

We’re constantly looking forward at what could become a need and staying ahead of the curve so to speak, which has defined our business model. We strive to have an intimate understanding of our partners and of donors’ needs and to be proactive in addressing them. Our work with GolfStatus is forward-thinking in looking to maximize golf fundraising in the future, but also reactionary to unanticipated effects of COVID-19 on fundraising as a whole. It’s been exciting to think about how this technology will result in more dollars raised for our hospitals.

GolfStatus.org: Speaking of COVID-19, what has been the impact on fundraising and what are your thoughts and predictions on the year ahead?

Kyton: Fundraising for CMN Hospitals at all levels has been affected by the pandemic. Many of our partners, hospitals, and foundations rely heavily on fundraising events, which had to be canceled or modified. On the flip side, we also saw some great innovations come about as people found creative ways to modify events and the ways they fundraise out in the field. So in general, fundraising was down, but it pushed our thinking and allowed us to find new avenues and emphasis points that will lead to new and better practices moving forward. While many nonprofits were seeing partners and fundraising evaporate last year, our network retained 100% of our partnerships, showing our strength and value of relationships both old and new.

We’re seeing things start to pick up now, with many events and campaigns planned for the fall. We’re looking for connecting with our donors in flexible and meaningful ways, including virtual and hybrid opportunities. We have to balance the hunger to engage with organizations with the lingering hesitancy of returning to “normal” events. I think this will be an opportunity to expand donor pools, which leaves me hopeful for the future of fundraising.

GolfStatus.org: Why is Play Yellow so important to CMN Hospitals’ fundraising now and in the future?

Kyton: Play Yellow is a strategic priority for us. CMN Hospitals has a long tradition of raising funds for our hospitals through golf. From corporate partner events to local outings and one-off tournaments by celebrities and other passionate supporters, golf events have raised tens of millions of dollars for CMN Hospitals. In an industry that contributes $4 billion per year to charity, the singular platform of Play Yellow has been important to tie all of our golf fundraising together and maximize its potential.

Play Yellow gives us the ability to tell the story of the impact our hospitals are having in communities across the country and further our reach into the golf community. And when you have two supporters in Jack and Barbara Nicklaus helping lead the way, it’s the perfect recipe for success. It lets us engage with the golf community like we never have before.

GolfStatus.org: What’s unique about how CMN Hospitals leverages golf events to fundraise?

Kyton: It’s unique in that we rely on third parties to hold these events on our behalf. What we’re working toward with Play Yellow is to share solutions like GolfStatus that help these tournaments raise more money in a more efficient way and provide an even better experience for organizers, partners, and golfers. I’m really excited to get more hands-on and explore our whole ecosystem of golf tournaments, and how we can better coach them and find where there might be gaps.

What also makes us unique is the overarching view of the different tournaments—including small, mid-level, and national events—and how we can employ GolfStatus, which works at all levels. We want to take the experiences of successful tournaments and share the tools and revenue enhancers for others to replicate. Ultimately, we want to help organizers raise more money for children’s hospitals with less time, effort, and administrative costs.

GolfStatus.org: How is technology helping meet your goals?

Kyton: Whenever we look at new tools and solutions to bring to our organizations and partners, we need to make sure they have the capabilities to do what we need them to do. We work closely with our technology partners to develop the solutions our fundraisers tell us are needed. As technology is used, it’s a collaborative effort to share lessons learned, fill gaps, and find better ways to serve their needs and further connections.

GolfStatus.org: What does the partnership between GolfStatus.org and CMNH bring to the table?

Kyton: It meets our customers where they need help, taking so much work off their already-full plates. It makes our partners happier and tournament organizers don’t have to spend hours dealing with spreadsheets! Plus, we’re able to collect data from tournaments to build out best practices driven by insights. 

I’m really excited to see how this partnership evolves and how much money we can raise for children’s hospitals through golf. We want organizers to know that they can trust GolfStatus’s tech and trust that these tools help them fill their needs to put on a great tournament.

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GolfStatus is proud to be the official golf event management platform for charity golf outings and fundraisers benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

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Those holding golf fundraisers that benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other nonprofits can qualify for no-cost access to GolfStatus’s golf event management technology through the Golf for Good program. Get qualified or email us at [email protected].

Thoughts on the Current Fundraising Climate, the Challenges ahead & Golf as a Fundraising Mechanism

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)—the world’s largest community of fundraisers—recently announced a new partnership with GolfStatus.org. We sat down with AFP President and CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA to discuss fundraising, golf, partnerships, challenges, and the future.

AFP President and CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA

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GolfStatus.org: Thanks for sitting down with us to talk about this new partnership and fundraising in general.

Mike: Thank you for inviting me—more than happy to talk with you. We’re really excited about collaborating with GolfStatus.org and what you can bring to our members. Plus, personally, I don’t ever mind spending a little time on a golf course, especially given the times we’re in. It can be very relaxing.

GolfStatus.org: Speaking of, how are fundraising professionals overcoming the challenges of the current fundraising climate? 

Mike: This is one of the most unique and challenging environments the fundraising profession and charitable sector have ever been in. We don’t know how long COVID-19 will last, and there are economic, social, and personal impacts that may be with us for a long time. Dealing with COVID-19 was already a rollercoaster of emotions, and then we experienced the anger, frustration, sadness, and pain of the last several weeks, watching the U.S. and the world respond to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and countless other people of color.

There’s been a lot of change, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the need for fundraising. Yes, we need to approach people with empathy and sensitivity. But we still have to approach them. We cannot turn down our fundraising when the needs of our communities have only increased, not decreased.

We have to remember that our donors want to support causes. They want to let their principles and values be known. They want to have a voice and create impact. And with many in isolation, they will want to talk with us about everything—how they’re feeling, how they have been impacted, what they think we should do. Fundraisers can be an important outlet when we communicate with them.

I like to say, fundraising is the IMPACT profession, and now we have an opportunity to show just how important our organization is and the impact we create. But more than ever we need to understand our donor base. Who’s most in jeopardy for not giving anymore this year? Who could use a little personal contact in order to ensure their gifts? And how do we best communicate with them all? 

I would suggest three things. One, take a deep dive into your database and separate donors by group and who needs to be contacted. Two, this is the time to ASK your donors what they want and need during these times. How awesome will they feel to be sent a communication that doesn’t ask them for money, but instead what they’re thinking about what’s happening in their life and how you can be their partner. 

Third and finally, develop action plans for every three months or whatever works for your organization. It’s very easy to get bogged down, with just the pressures of working from home, trying to keep in touch with everyone remotely, and the constantly changing environment. One way to help keep staff, donors, and others focused and energize is to have shorter plans (three months, for six months out, and for the rest of the year). What can you accomplish in three months that you can then celebrate and use the momentum from for the next three months?

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“There’s a natural connection between fundraising and golf—both in terms of reaching out to donors and providing supporters with sponsorship opportunities.”

— AFP President & CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA

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GolfStatus.org: When it comes to fundraising, what value does the golf event bring? 

Mike: I think there’s a natural connection to fundraising and golf—both in terms of reaching out to donors and providing supporters with sponsorship opportunities. What’s interesting is that during the pandemic, golf courses are reporting significant increases in usage. Playing golf is a way to get outside and be social but in a smaller, more confined group. I think golf and golf events are important opportunities that charities and fundraisers should consider as they think about their development plans moving forward.

GolfStatus.org: What impact can technology have on the operational, budgetary, and time-management challenges nonprofits face?

Mike: Technology is absolutely critical when it comes to fundraising, and there are two main aspects. One is using technology to comb through your database and find the donors and potential donors who could really make an impact on your organization. Charities miss out on significant opportunities if they don’t have the appropriate technology to really make use of their database and all of the information it contains.

Second, we as a profession have to use technology better when it comes to automating processes and making our lives easier. Whether it’s for shepherding online donations or managing all of the aspects of a special event like a golf tournament, we can be so much more effective and efficient with better technology. I think anytime you work with a partner like GolfStatus.org that can provide event management software and mobile apps which help event organizers streamline outings to save time and raise more dollars can be really powerful.

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“Technology is absolutely critical when it comes to fundraising.”

— AFP President & CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA

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GolfStatus.org: How does the partnership between GolfStatus.org and AFP align with AFP’s efforts to help fundraising professionals and the sector as a whole? 

Mike: AFP’s goal is to provide our members with the programs and resources they need to raise funds and create impact in their communities, and one of the most critical ways we do that is by working with outstanding partners who share our values. GolfStatus.org has a unique niche in the philanthropic world, and they understand both what fundraisers need, as well as the ethical principles and values that support their work. That’s really important to me and to all of AFP. Golf events can be valuable fundraising and donor stewardship events, so the resources, technology, and tools that GolfStatus.org can provide will help our members in reaching their goals and creating impact in their communities. 

GolfStatus.org: We’re looking forward to our partnership and are so excited about working with AFP members. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Mike.

This article first appeared on AFPGlobal.org in a July 2020 blog post.

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GolfStatus.org is a proud partner of the Association of Fundraising Professionals

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Interest in learning more about GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program? Submit an inquiry here to get qualified or email us directly at

[email protected].

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The Legend & Lore of Project Greek Island

Image courtesy of @vgagolf

This week, 95 golfers representing U.S. military veterans and their families grace the pristinely groomed golf greens of the Greenbrier Resort. Ranked among the top public golf courses in the country, the Greenbrier’s Old White TPC is a championship-caliber track tucked into the scenic backdrop of West Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Crisp and classic in its luxury, the Greenbrier itself is the perfect intersection of public extravagance and private practicality—service and sport, legend and lore. Thirty years it spent as a completely classified precautionary emergency hideaway for the U.S. federal government first commissioned as Project Greek Island. In all, the structure tells two distinct yet intertwined stories: one the pinnacle of golf and hospitality; the other a large-scale preparation for the unfathomable.

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A Storied Past

The legendary Greenbrier was a marvel long before its prime. With nearly two and a half centuries of history, the 11,000-acre site’s natural mineral sulphur springs made it attractive to early 18th century colonists. In the time since, it has been dubbed America’s Resort with a premier spa experience, a corridor of retail boutiques, gourmet dining, and a destination golf experience quite unlike any other.

The course is steeped in history, having hosted its fair share of legends—from golf’s Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, and Tiger Woods to dukes, duchesses, prime ministers, kings, and presidents, including Woodrow Wilson (one of the first golfers to ever play its greens). Opened in 1914, the 7,286-yard, par-70 track was constructed by Charles Blair Macdonald on the grounds of a historic hotel built in 1858. The strikingly white hotel’s pillared entry and grandiose archways stood beside the property’s original Grand Central Hotel until the latter was demolished in 1922. A point of distinction, its stark white complexion earned it the nickname The Old White, a name later adopted by the course itself (now officially called The Old White TPC). Its undulating greens are a complex blend of Old World design with New World influence, landing it among Golf Digest’s top 100 public facilities for the last decade. Its accolades include the honor of hosting the 1979 Ryder Cup as well as an annual PGA Tour event.

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The Classified Version

Image courtesy of @vgagolf

Beyond its perfectly manicured grounds and striking exterior—or rather below—is a piece of history you almost have to see to believe. Seven hundred and twenty feet under the west wing (fittingly), behind a 25-ton reinforced steel door is a facility that once served as plan B: the emergency headquarters for the U.S. federal government in the event of a nuclear strike on our nation’s capital. Commissioned by President Eisenhower in 1955, the series of chambers includes a decontamination corridor, a makeshift Senate floor large enough to host joint sessions, and 18 dormitories, each consisting of 60 metal bunk beds. The site also held a full-service kitchen and a 400-person-capacity cafeteria that, at one point, included a series of fake windows decorated to mimic scenic outdoor views.

In its heyday, the site included a two-month supply of foodstuffs, a self-sustaining power plant, an air intake system capable of filtering out radiation, and a water purification system consisting of three, 25,000-gallon tanks. In all, the facility now affectionately referred to as the Bunker could accommodate every member of the U.S. Congress and then some (with sleeping quarters for a total of approximately 1,100 people).

Image courtesy of @vgagolf

Perhaps even more striking than its scale, or even the contrast of its circumstances juxtaposed against the Greenbrier’s sustaining luxury, is the fact that the compound remained completely top secret for so long. White Sulphur Springs, which folds into the Blue Ridge foothills about two hours southeast of Charleston, is only about two square miles in total with a couple thousand residents. It has a handful of stoplights and one elementary school. Every spring, the town celebrates the beginning of another season with an annual dandelion festival. Of course, there was a documented and well-known history between the U.S. government and the Greenbrier that spanned decades ahead of the construction of the Bunker. The resort served as an internment facility for Japanese, Italian, and German diplomats during World War II; it was then transitioned into a temporary military hospital, where Eisenhower himself was once a patient. But after the war, it returned to its original function as a luxury resort, until construction began on the west wing in 1957. While the two-level, 112,000-plus-square-foot bunker was not designed to survive a direct nuclear strike, it can withstand the force of a blast as close as 15 miles. While contractors, construction workers, and locals asked plenty of questions about the mysterious construction project and the circumstances surrounding it—why it required a seemingly endless amount of concrete; why its restrooms included so many partitions; and why a town of roughly 2,500 people required a 7,000-foot landing strip—its true function was (thankfully) never needed, and the Greenbrier’s secret remained safe for decades. Once constructed, the bunker was maintained by a small team of government employees who worked as undercover audio-visual staffers servicing the hotel’s TVs. The bunker remained top secret until the Washington Post revealed its true function in a 1992 story. The facility was swiftly decommissioned.

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Image courtesy of @vgagolf

Today, it welcomes a fitting group of golfers: 95 members of the Veteran Golfers Association—a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to impact the lives of U.S. military veterans and their families through the game of golf. The organization provides opportunities for veterans to remain physically active and connect with other servicemembers during their crucial transition back to civilian life and beyond. After regional league play concludes at the end of season, players move on to regional qualifers, where they earn the chance to play in the national championship. Today marks round one of this very special event. For these players, it’s more than just a game—and the Greenbrier is more than just a venue.

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GolfStatus is honored to partner with the Veteran Golfers Association. Follow live leaderboards for the 2019 VGA Championship online:

2019 VGA Championship Leaderboards.

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It’s certainly not uncommon for children to follow in the footsteps of their parents—especially in military families. In fact, military children are twice as likely as their civilian counterparts to join as adults. Recently separated U.S. Army veteran Colter Kautzmann is no exception. The Montana native was born in Bozeman, where his dad spent three years teaching and coaching high schoolers and his mom worked as the assistant director of the Montana State University Alumni Association. He was introduced to the military at a young age when his dad returned to MSU as an AFROTC cadet after watching a Thunderbird airshow. Colter would eventually make the same decision to enter the military, but not before developing a passion for competitive golf that would shape much of his future.

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MILITARY UPBRINGING

Left: Colter and his dad at 1st Envoy First Officer Flight in Texas in 2018. Right: Colter (age three) with dad at 1st T-18 AF flight in Texas in 1987.

A self-proclaimed military brat, Colter spent much of his childhood in quite unlikely places. The family’s first assignment was Germany. “We probably moved 14 or 15 times over the 20 years that my dad was in the military,” he explains. “But I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. We lived in Hawaii for a couple years, all over the U.S., even in Egypt.” It was during that time that Colter was introduced to golf at the age of 14. “Dad was finishing up his remaining few months in Egypt, and my mom took me out with a friend to play a shorter course—a par 67 executive course,” recalls Colter, who took to the sport quickly. “My parents saw the potential and they saw that I enjoyed playing, but they had a different way of approaching things with me. Lots of junior golfers had been playing since they were toddlers—so I was a little behind, and they made me work for it. I started out with an old set of irons and a putter, and they’d say: If you can shoot in the mid-80s, we’ll get you a new driver. Then, if you can shoot in the mid-70s, we’ll get you a new set of clubs.”

But it wasn’t just about instilling discipline and determination; it was about teaching respect for the game and the importance of maintaining grace and composure, even through challenges. “ Dad was a huge fan of David Duval. Duval was so even-keeled—it didn’t matter if he was shooting 80 or 59,” says Colter. “He expected me to play and behave the same whether I was having a good day on the course or a bad one. That stuck with me, and I learned respect, poise, and composure.”

As a teenager, Colter also earned his pilot’s license and began taking an interest in aviation—but golf held his attention. He competed through high school, winning the Arizona 4A State Championship as a senior. His success on the course landed him a golf scholarship at the University of Idaho. After graduation, Colter competed in local, state, and national tournaments as well as on the mini professional tours. At this point, golf had become a 24-7 occupation. Having met his future wife, Sara, and looking to provide more stability and a future for his soon-to-be family, Colter took a step back. In pursuit of his second passion—aviation—he applied for the Army Warrant Officer Aviation program. It's especially competitive, with few slots, but Colter had an advantage with a pilot's license and a college degree in hand, plus the focus and determination he'd cultivated as a competitive golfer. The Army recognized his talent and, at age 27, Colter started his military career as an Army aviator. With his first assignment set for Germany and his now-expectant wife, Sara, in tow, Colter was officially following in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one.

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SERVICE & VALOR

Meanwhile, Colter’s mother had fallen ill. “When I joined, my mom had been diagnosed with a very rare type of cancer called Leiomyosarcoma,” he explains. “She had been fighting it on and off for a few years and I spent all the time I could with her,” he adds, recalling the three months he lived with her in a cancer center in New Orleans before leaving for basic training at Fort Leonard Wood.

After training, Colter received his wings and was assigned to Germany as a UH-60 Medevac pilot. His unit was charged with weekly Medevac rotations, overseeing high-risk training missions at Germany’s Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas, where his company worked alongside NATO forces. The work was demanding and challenging; crews worked a one-week-on, one-week-off schedule and had to be prepared to respond to anything. “The military does phenomenal safety training,” notes Colter, “but that training involves risk and can be very dangerous. We had everything from jumpers getting stuck in trees to Humvee rollovers and injured soldiers and civilians. We flew real-world, life-saving missions in one of the world's largest training areas.”

After four years in Germany, including missions in the Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, and a fourmonth deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Colter was tasked with a move to a different unit when the news that his mother’s condition had become terminal brought him back to the states. “My mom was a key piece of my life.” He pauses and takes a breath. “My daughter was born in Germany, and the nature of my assignments and deployments meant that she hadn’t spent more than a couple weeks with my mom.” He submitted a formal request to the Army to spend the rest of his time with the military with the Arizona Army Guard, which was quickly granted. The move meant a substantial change of scenery, both for Colter and his family, but it also meant a chance to be close to family and fulfill the desire for his daughter to get to know her grandmother.

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BACK IN THE STATES & ON THE COURSE

The return to the U.S. brought something of a change of pace. While most states experience the turbulence of natural disasters, Arizona is quite mild, demanding little in the way of emergency orders. At the same time, a small force meant that Guard members saw a wider variety of missions. “On active duty, my job was solely Medevac missions, but with the Guard, units are somewhat understaffed—so, if you’re available and qualified, you can get sent on just about any mission.”

With a controversial climate at the U.S.-Mexico border, Colter found himself in the cockpit once again, this time facilitating border missions. “We spent a lot of time flying senators and press members down to the border to get a first-hand look at a situation that a lot of people don’t fully understand,” explains Colter. “We were able to show them major cities where people cross the border in cars and other vehicles, and the areas where infrastructure is in place as well as areas where it’s not. We take them down there to show them the reality of the situation, and then let them make their own decisions on what needs to be done.”

Meanwhile, Colter also continued to golf and was looking to return to competitive play. “I have a friend—an Air Force guy up in Montana that I met in Germany—and we were looking to play some events and just get out more,” says Colter, who quickly found the Veteran Golfers Association after an ad for an upcoming event happened to be at his home course in Great Falls, Montana (his dad's second Air Force assignment location). The VGA event was actually scheduled to be held at the first golf course his dad ever took him to at age 11—not to play, but to ride along.

A nationally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the VGA’s mission is to impact the lives of U.S. military veterans and their families through the game of golf. With chapters all over the country, the VGA provides opportunities for veterans to play great courses at a subsidized price point. They compete all seaosn long in a local series of events culminating in regional qualifiers and, ultimately, a national tournament. Run by veterans, for veterans, the organization provides opportunities for veterans to remain physically active and connect with other servicemembers during their crucial transition back to civilian life and beyond.

“The VGA is really a special organization,” says Colter. Though a relatively new member, he's already made a name for himself as a competitor, winning the central regional championship held in August at Nebraska City’s ArborLinks (part of the prestigious Dormie Network) to qualify for a spot in the VGA Championship at West Virginia’s renowned Greenbriar Golf Club. But it’s not just about the golf; it’s about returning to the relationships and camaraderie unique to military service.

“I’ve heard some phenomenal stories and met some amazing people,” says Colter, noting that the values behind the organization extend from the players and regional directors all the way to the organization’s president. “He would drop anything to do anything for any member of the VGA, or just if you need to talk. It’s crazy having someone that high up in the organization willing to drop everything and give you a call at any second.”

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Today, Colter is Envoy Regional Jet First Officer on the EMB 175. He recently moved to Dallas to be closer to family, and is settling into civilian life with Sara, the kids, and plenty of golf. While his path has certainly been his own, in many ways, it mirrors his family’s values and traditions, many of which were instilled at a very young age. For Colter, it all came full circle when he was able to take his dad—a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who flew the F-16 and is now a test pilot for Gulfstream Aerospace—on his last Black Hawk flight before separating from the Army. Of course, Colter still flies his dad as an airline passenger, one who gets a few extra cookies from the cabin attendant (airline perks!).

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Learn more about the VGA at

www.vga.org.

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A Return To Vietnam

On February 24th, 2019, a group of graying Vietnam War veterans boarded a plane to return to Vietnam—a place many of them swore they’d never go back to. Their smooth faces and freshly pressed fatigues have been replaced by weathered expressions, creased t-shirts, and ball caps. This tour, nearly 50 years later, isn’t about duty, weapons, and war; it’s about offering 53 Northeast Wisconsin veterans a chance at reconciliation, healing, and peace. Conducted by Old Glory Honor Flight—an all-volunteer northeast Wisconsin organization dedicated to serving war veterans—this once-in-a-lifetime trip takes veterans to locations they occupied during the Vietnam War. From the sweltering swamplands of the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam to the remains of North Vietnam’s Hoa Lo Prison, dubbed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American prisoners of war, the trip offered the veterans a chance to heal old wounds and build new relationships with the land and people of Vietnam.

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Courage & Survival

One of the veterans on board was George Dexter, who served in the Army’s 9th Infantry Division during the war. George enlisted at the start of his lifelong career as a mail carrier, just after his best friend was killed in combat in Vietnam. During the War, George’s primary duty was delivering mail to the troops. “I was still a mailman, just a heavily armed one,” George chuckles before drawing in a deep breath. “I did whatever it took to get our guys their mail.”

Two or three times a week, George brought mail—whether by jeep, truck, or helicopter—to troops wherever they were, even on the war’s most dangerous battlefronts. “One time, I went to bring mail to our mechanized unit, and they weren’t where they usually were,” recalls George, who himself was injured in combat and awarded a number of honors for his bravery, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. “I came back to base and did some digging around, and I finally located them in Cambodia, so I requisitioned a C130 transport plane to fly me to the Cambodian border. From there, I unloaded the mail into a truck, and went with a six-vehicle convoy to where our guys were. They started their mission with 18 vehicles, and when I found them, they were down to one.” He pauses. “When I finally caught up with them, they were a mess. But I found what was left of them and got them their mail.”

George’s service in Vietnam—and that of many of his fellow soldiers—centered on a single philosophy. “Survival,” says George. “Any given day could be our last.” Such grave circumstances demand bonds between soldiers that can never be broken. “In a lot of cases, we didn’t have to say any words to know what the others were thinking,” he says.

The Trip Of A Lifetime

The Old Glory Honor Flight to Vietnam gave veterans the opportunity to revisit some of those bonds, as well as forge new ones. Exploring significant military sites together—places where many of them spent time in battle—brought intense, cathartic emotions quickly met by brotherly understanding and support. “They told us when we started the trip that things were bound to get emotional for each and every one of us,” says George. “We were there for each other through all of those moments. We had each other’s backs.”

George was especially inspired by how well-received he and his fellow veterans were by the local people. “We were treated with such kindness and respect,” he says. “We even met a former enemy who was a fighter pilot for North Vietnam. We all shook hands and gave hugs. He was someone’s father, son, and brother just like we were. It felt really, really good to do that after 50 years.”

A Well-Deserved Return

The week-long trip was packed with laughter and tears to be sure, but perhaps the most powerful experience was the return home, especially when compared to the return from Vietnam nearly 50 years ago. 

Amid a particularly treacherous political climate, many American soldiers returning stateside after surviving unspeakable horrors were greeted with scorn. Spitting, vulgar gestures, and even violence toward returning soldiers was commonplace, adding yet another layer of trauma to the soldiers’ already life-altering experiences. And because of the war’s longevity and resulting deployment logistics (a soldier completed a year-long tour of duty and was then replaced by another), soldiers often returned home alone rather than with their unit.

50 years later, the veterans on the Old Glory Honor flight finally received the welcome home they deserve. After a long flight and bus ride back to Menasha, Wisconsin, the group was greeted by a law enforcement escort. “When I saw the flashing lights and heard the sirens, that’s when the tears started for me,” says George. At their destination—Menasha High School—the veterans were met by their spouses and families, tenacious embraces, and tears of joy and healing.

The heartfelt homecoming only intensified as the veterans entered the school’s gymnasium, which erupted into raucous cheering from over 3,000 supporters. It was a moment that could bring even the hardest soldier to tears. “I cried like a baby,” says George.

Finding Peace

George’s return to Vietnam brought him peace, healing, and camaraderie—things that are crucial to veterans as they adjust to civilian life. In life after war, George has found another source of solace: golf.

When he started golfing at 60, it was love at first swing. “I fell in love with the game the first time I held a club in my hands,” says George, who is today an active member of the Veteran Golfers Association, a nonprofit committed to enriching the lives of U.S. military veterans and their family members through the sportsmanship and camaraderie of golf. “You’re out in God’s creation, and you’ve got nature and wildlife at its best, and it’s you and a little white ball,” says George through a smile. “It’s hard to beat that.” 

The Veterans Golfers Association has taken George’s love for the sport to the next level. When George heard his home course Thornberry Creek at Oneida (the official course of the Green Bay Packers and the home of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic) was holding one of eight qualifying tournament events for the VGA Championship, he joined the association immediately. Along with participating in the VGA qualifying event held at Thornberry, he also earned a spot as one of 83 golfers to qualify for the VGA Championship held in Pinehurst, North Carolina. George was tickled to have the opportunity to play Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 with fellow veterans—an experience he ranks as one of his most memorable.

George’s successful golf career with the VGA has continued; he’s qualified for regional and championship events several times. But his on-course successes are secondary to the relationships he’s built in the VGA because for George, the real, heart-healing reconciliation happens when he builds unbreakable bonds with other vets who have given so much to our country—whether on the course or through experiences that meet life-altering turmoil with peace. “I love meeting people from all over the country who have put on a uniform and served this great nation,” says George. “Being out on the course with fellow vets—it doesn’t get better than that.”

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This article first appeared in the spring 2019 edition of GolfStatus magazine. Learn more about the Veteran Golfers Association at

www.VGAGolf.org

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Adam Poppenhouse picked up his first golf club when he was six years old. “My grandmother took me to the course for the first time,” he says. “It was her mission that I learn to play golf, and there was no way she was going to fail.” Adam spent much of his childhood summers on the course, playing golf with his family and his hand-me-down clubs. “They were total, total garbage,” he laughs. “They actually had screws on the face, but off we went.”

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Service & Sacrifice

Then off Adam went to the Army in 2004, right out of high school. Mechanically inclined, he trained on M1 Abrams battle tanks in Fort Knox, Kentucky, then in Fort Lewis, Washington, in the Third Stryker Brigade, which deployed to Iraq at the end of July 2006. On December 3rd, Adam’s company was tasked with securing a crash site from an F-15 in a particularly hostile area outside of Baghdad. In an instant, the 20-ton vehicle carrying Adam and other members of his company was 300 feet from the road it had been on—a 30-foot crater in its place. An IED (improvised explosive device) was the source, and it detonated right where Adam’s boots had stood. He remembers lying flat on his back, waiting for the emergency helicopter to arrive.

“I lost my right leg in the explosion,” he says, and his left leg was severely injured. “It took me about a year to feel confident and strong on my prosthetic, and the stronger my right leg became, the weaker and weaker my left leg became. It was severely mangled and very painful. The bones started to fall apart, so we made the decision to amputate my left leg.”

The Road To Recovery

Adam was honorably discharged from the Army, and he immediately set out on the road to recovery. He re-entered the game of golf, this time as a double amputee. “I dove into golf as part of my physical and mental recovery,” he says. “I couldn’t stand going to the same physical therapy ward and looking at the same equipment every day. Golf was something physically challenging I could do on a daily basis where I wasn’t just going through the motions. It kept me on my feet, at least for a little bit, and if I needed to rely on the cart, it was there.”

Adam also relied on the course as a place of solace—a safe, quiet retreat that allowed him to process his experiences. “I golfed alone pretty often early in my recovery,” he says. “The course was a place for me to be introspective and deal with the thoughts I was left with after experiencing war. It’s calm, yet it kept my mind on something challenging and positive. There’s definitely a lot of unhealthy things you can get into when you return from war, but golf isn’t one of them.”

Adam’s journey to competitive golf has been a grind. Any player will tell you the game is more than challenging, and for most, the thought of playing it without legs is nearly unimaginable; Adam, however, attacks the challenge head-on. “Sure, it adds a slew of variables to an already very difficult activity,” he says. “But I look at it as two sides of a fence; there’s practice, and then there’s prosthetic maintenance." There for support is his prosthetics company, Precision Orthotics and Prosthetics in Las Vegas. "I spend about three days a week at the course, and I spend two days a week at the prosthetics lab getting tightened, working on better fits, trying out different equipment, and seeing what helps the golf swing.”

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Finding A Niche

When Adam heard about the Veteran Golfers Association and its goal—to enrich the lives of veterans and their family members through golf—he knew it was an organization he wanted to be part of. “Golf is important to me, and veterans are important to me, so the VGA is the best of both worlds,” he says. Part of the VGA’s work is to ensure out-of-pocket costs aren’t a deterrent for veterans who’d like to participate. An annual VGA membership fee of $40 gives each member access to approximately 250 local VGA tour events across the country, as well as a USGA equivalent handicap index. Over the last four years, the VGA has grown to serve more and more veterans, and it now operates as a transitional resource for veterans entering civilian life.

“I flew to DuPont, Washington, for my first VGA tournament,” says Adam. “Lucas O’Neill, the regional director for the West, met me at the course. We had dinner, and he made sure I was squared away. Before I even played golf, I felt like I had made a friend and that it was the right community for me. I fell in love with it.”

Now Adam competes in tournaments all over the country and continues to improve his game. “I just want to get better every day,” Adam says. “This will be my last year competing in the net flight, so I’m moving up to test the deeper waters. For me, the competition is always second to the experience, but no one hates getting a medal or a trophy,” he laughs. “When you know you’ve put in the work, you’ve grinded and practiced hard, and you show up and perform—that validates the day-to-day struggle. I’d like to feel a little more of that,” he smiles.

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Camaraderie on & off the Course

For Adam, the rewards—and they come in many different forms—are more than worth the work. “I’ve gone to places I never thought I would, and I have friends across the country,” says Adam. “Golf is the perfect game for breaking down social barriers. You might be feeling a little intimidated or shy, but then you get on the course and somebody hits a worm-burner. I don’t care who you are, that’s always funny!” he laughs. “Really though, golf is an outlet that promotes the building of relationships between strangers.”

When those strangers are veterans, the relationships formed are often unbreakable bonds. This year’s regional championship was in Las Vegas, where Adam currently lives with his wife Megan and three-year-old son Adam Jr. “A bromance has started with a new friend I met at this year’s championship,” laughs Adam. “He wasn’t competing, but he was a vet who saw there was a VGA tournament in town, so he decided to come and have a beer with us when we were done. We got to talking, and he and his wife and kids are new to town, so we went to the pool the next week. Now our wives are good friends, too.”

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Small Victories

Exciting things are on the horizon for the Poppenhouses, as they anxiously await the arrival of their second son in October—name yet to be determined. “Adam Jr. has named him Bob, so regardless of the name we decide on, he’ll probably go by Bob,” he laughs. Throughout the challenges and milestones, Megan, who also served in the Army, has been Adam’s rock. “She’s an incredible, strong woman,” Adam says, “and she understands how important the relationship aspect of the VGA is to me. She’s unbelievably supportive.”

In the future, Adam wants to continue building the community of nearby veterans through the VGA. “It’d be great to have a home course for VGA members here in the Las Vegas area,” he says, and you can practically hear the gears turning. With perseverance like his, one can’t help but believe he’ll make it happen. But Army Sergeant Adam Poppenhouse stays humble; he knows the best results happen one step at a time. “When it comes to helping vets, the little victories are the most important. For me, it’s an interesting place to be—to go to the course and hear from veterans and other amputees, Hey, man, you inspired me to get back into the game. Can I buy you a beer? That moment, right there. That’s where it’s at for me.”

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Learn more about the Veteran Golfers Association at

www.VGAGolf.org.

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This article first appeared in the fall 2018 edition of GolfStatus magazine.