[StBernard] PING

[Westley Annis]

I think this is something that all golfers should be aware of.  I think all
Americans should be aware of this also.

 

THANK YOU, PING
                         
This isn't a joke or cartoon; just something interesting to know...you may
want to forward this on to others.

On Monday, I played the Disney, Lake Buena Vista course.  As usual, the
starters matched me with three other players.  After a few holes, we began
to get to know each other a bit.  One fellow was rather young and had his
wife riding along in the golf cart with him.  I noticed that his golf bag
had his name on it and after closer inspection, it also said "wounded war
veterans".  When I had my first chance to chat with him I asked him about
the bag.  His response was simply that it was a gift.  I then asked if he
was wounded and he said yes.  When I asked more about his injury, his
response was "I'd rather not talk about it, sir".

Over a few holes I learned that he had spent the last 15 months in an army
rehabilitation hospital in San Antonio, Texas .  His wife moved there to be
with him and he was released from the hospital in September.  He was a
rather quiet fellow; however, he did say that he wanted to get good at golf.
We had a nice round and as we became a bit more familiar I asked him about
the brand new set of Ping woods and irons he was playing.  Some looked like
they had never been hit.  His response was simple.  He said that this round
was the first full round he had played with these clubs.

Later in the round he told me the following.  As part of the discharge
process from the rehabilitation hospital, Ping comes in and provides three
days of golf instruction, followed by club fitting.  Upon discharge from the
hospital, Ping gives each of the discharged veterans, generally about 40
soldiers, a brand new set of custom fitted clubs along with the impressive
golf bags.

The fellow I met was named Ben Woods and he looked me in the eye and said
that being fitted for those clubs was one of the best things that ever
happened to him and he was determined to learn to play golf well enough to
deserve the gift Ping had given him.  Ben is now out of the service,
medically discharged just a month ago.  He is as fine a young man as you
would ever want to meet.

Ping has the good judgment not to advertise this program.  God Bless America
and the game of golf.