ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
When someone thinks about a professional golf tournament, a few images come to mind. They may include powerful drives, crisp iron shots and birdie putts that we weekend hacks can only hope to replicate in our next game of Golden Tee.
However, what sometimes gets overlooked is exactly how much golf does for local communities year in and year out. What I'd like to highlight are the positive ways the Andrews community has been affected by this week's Melwood Prince George's County Open.
The impact of the third annual Melwood Prince George's County Open was first felt by the Andrews community on Tuesday morning when Nationwide Tour professional golfers Kris Cox, Jason Schultz and Josh Broadaway toured the 1st Helicopter Squadron, the 779th Medical Wings Aeromedical Staging Facility and the Fisher House to get an insight into some of the diverse missions Andrews is home to.
"This has been phenomenal getting a chance to see all the great things that go on behind the scenes at Andrews," said Mr. Broadaway.
Mr. Cox added to Mr. Broadaway's observation by saying that meeting with the Aeronautical Staging Facility staff and touring their amazing new facility helped put a real face to the things he sees on the news each and every day.
The Fisher House was the final stop of the tour, and it certainly has a special role in this week's festivities.
"The Nationwide Tour Wives Association is partnering with the Fisher House to do a fundraising event as part of this weekend's tournament," said Teo Sodeman, Melwood Prince George's County Open tournament director.
After the tour, the pros made their way over to the driving range at The Courses at Andrews for the Military Tribute Golf Clinic. There, they spent a few hours taking questions on a number of topics from the large crowd gathered there. In addition to answering questions, they took the time to provide some one-on-one tips to members of the crowd, which meant a lot to those in attendance.
"These golfers are here out of the goodness of their heart," said Mike Thomas, general manager of The Courses at Andrews. "They are here on their free time because they live and breathe the military. It's been a great partnership and has been very meaningful to both Andrews and the surrounding community."
While the winner of this weekend's tournament will walk away with more than $120,000, he will certainly not be the only one affected by this week's festivities.
Melwood Prince George's County Open will be televised live on the Golf Channel and is free for all military members and their children under 12.