JIM ESTES, 43
Giving disabled Iraq War veterans something to swing about
Golfsalute.org
"I played the Nationwide Tour, and I teach here [as director of instruction] at Olney Golf Park, in Olney, Maryland. But the thrill I get teaching war veterans is like nothing else. We do weekly clinics. I've worked with more than 300 soldiers in three years. The greatest gift you can give is to sacrifice yourself for your country, so when I saw these kids come home with their heads split open, eyes blown out, I felt a call. These guys have gone through real trauma, and golf is like therapy, an outlet. Dave Klatt, an army sergeant, had shrapnel in both arms and wrists. He couldn't cock his wrists. He starts hitting 20-yard shots. Then he had a breakthrough and hit a barrage of 200-yard drives, and ran up and down the range, screaming, 'Boo-yah! Watch this!' [Laughs] Another soldier named Dave Cook has a prosthetic right leg. He was a 12-handicap before Iraq. Now he's an 8. His swing is more balanced. He says to me, 'If I'd known I'd improve this much, I would have gotten my other leg blown off.'"
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Update: The latest from Jim Estes
Credit: Carrie Boretz
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