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A course of therapy and hope

American Lake Golf Course grows to support vets

Tom Barry’s right arm wears the efforts of his work on the planting of grass on the nine-hole addition. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

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The green right arm of Tom Barry caught my eye. I wondered if he had some sort of medical condition, so I whimsically asked him.

"No," he said with a smile. "This is what I've collected today working out here, and it's darn good work, too."

Since March of 2014, the leadership of the American Lake Veterans Golf Course has toiled to expand the links from nine holes to 18.

They've succeeded. Contractors and volunteers have added another 3,000 yards and nine holes of links to a golf course with a storied history.

At the end of World War II, the course was added to the campus of the American Lake Veterans Hospital. Then as now - playing golf can be therapeutic.

In 1995, however, government funding for operations and maintenance of all Veterans Affairs golf courses ended. Unlike the government, the spirit of volunteering never quit.

Then in May 2004, The Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course formed and launched funding efforts to underwrite plans to make the course accessible to all veterans, not just the able-bodied.

"This course was built by and is maintained by veterans," Barry continued. Jim Jackson, the project manager for the course's needs, agreed.

"We do this on our own," he said, as we jumped into a golf cart and headed out to the new addition. "We feel privileged to provide a golf course for all veterans."

Jackson pointed out that the new course addition constituted a work of art and was designed by an artist. That artist is golf legend Jack Nicklaus, the winner of 18 major championships, the most in golf history.

"Our firm and I contributed the design services necessary for the additional nine holes of golf to make this resource available to even more veterans," Nicklaus wrote in a press release.

The new addition to the golf course will be open to all veterans next spring.  A grand opening is in the planning.

"It is a beautiful piece of work, and it's designed to be fun and challenging," said Jackson, as we returned to the clubhouse. "We continue to serve our veterans well."
For more information about the golf course, visit www.veterangolf.org.  Donations are tax deductible and can be sent to Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course, PO Box 99608, Lakewood, WA 98496.

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