PGA HOPE Ambassadors and TimberTouch: Putters for Veterans Who Give Back

Some of the putters that leave my shop mean more than others. The ones built for PGA HOPE Ambassadors are at the top of that list. If you haven't heard of PGA HOPE, it's a program worth knowing about — and if you have, you'll understand why a small putter shop in Wisconsin wanted to be part of it.

What PGA HOPE Is

PGA HOPE stands for Helping Our Patriots Everywhere. It's the flagship military program of PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America, and it introduces golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military to support their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being (Source: PGA of America). The heart of it is a free 6–8 week curriculum taught by PGA Professionals who are specifically trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency — at no cost to the Veteran (Source: Southern California PGA).

The reach is remarkable: programs run at more than 340 locations across 47 states, and thousands of Veterans have come through them, many using golf as genuine therapy for the things they carried home (Source: VA News). Golf gives structure, fresh air, camaraderie, and a reason to be somewhere with people who get it. That's not marketing language. That's what the program was built to do.

Who the Ambassadors Are

When Veterans graduate from PGA HOPE, some step up to become PGA HOPE Ambassadors — graduates who represent the program in their PGA Sections, welcome new Veterans in, and keep the community going long after the lessons end (Source: PGA of America). They're volunteers giving their time to fellow service members, which is about as good a use of golf as I can think of.

Why We Build Putters for Them

Here's our small part in it. TimberTouch Putterworks offers PGA HOPE Ambassadors our custom engraved putters at a significantly reduced price, as a thank-you for their service and for the work they keep doing for other Veterans. Each one is handcrafted the same way as every putter I build — layered exotic hardwoods, hidden internal weighting for a stable, forgiving roll — and engraved with the Ambassador's chosen message, so the putter is theirs in every sense.

We've had the honor of putting these putters in Ambassadors' hands — builds like a Woodford in Canarywood and Padauk and a FATTY mallet in Padauk and Walnut, each carrying its owner's engraving. Knowing those putters are out on greens with Veterans who spend their free time helping other Veterans find the game is one of the best parts of running this shop. 

Why a Custom Putter Fits This Program

A putter is the most personal club in the bag. It's the one you hold the longest, the one that finishes every hole, and the one that rewards calm more than strength. For golfers who came to the game through PGA HOPE, a putter engraved with their unit, their motto, or a name that matters carries a little extra weight — the good kind. Every time it comes out of the bag, it says something about where they've been and what they're doing now.

How to Get Involved

If you're a Veteran or Active Duty and PGA HOPE sounds like something you'd want, programs are free and open across the country — find one near you through PGA REACH at pgareach.org. If you're a PGA HOPE Ambassador and you'd like one of these putters, reach out through the site and we'll get your build and engraving sorted out.

And if you're neither, but you know a Veteran who might love the game — tell them about PGA HOPE. That costs nothing and might change a life.