Alex Badgley joined the United States Marine Corps in 2005 and served six years on active duty. He spent the majority of his career with the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion at Twentynine Palms, California, later serving with the Military Police at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. During his service, Alex deployed twice to Iraq and contributed stateside as a range instructor across multiple bases, helping train and prepare fellow Marines while developing strong leadership and instructional skills. Throughout his service, he earned a Certificate of Commendation, the Good Conduct Medal, and demonstrated exceptional marksmanship with the Expert Rifle Badge (5th award) and Expert Pistol Badge (4th award).

Reflecting on his time in service, Alex shares:

“The Marine Corps gave me something that is hard to put into words: the closest brotherhood imaginable. I knew where I belonged, who stood beside me, and what my purpose was. I trusted the Marines beside me with my life. That kind of bond does not simply disappear when you take off the uniform.

Then I left the Marine Corps.

Everything that had once felt close suddenly felt distant. I was flooded with emotions I could not define, much less explain. I felt lost. One of the hardest things to accept was that home no longer felt like home.

How do you explain being somewhere familiar but feeling as though you no longer fit?

There were dark moments when I kept everything inside because I did not know what would happen if I let it out.

There were days when the fear became so heavy that I wrote emails to my children for birthdays, graduations, and milestones I hoped to witness. I tried to put into words how much I loved them and how proud I was, in case I was not there one day to tell them myself.

I did not know what asking for help would look like. I only knew I could not keep carrying it alone.”

Seeking a path forward, Alex found a turning point in 2025 when he graduated from the PGA HOPE Schoolcraft program, discovering golf as a powerful outlet for growth, connection, and recovery.

“PGA HOPE gave me a reason to leave the house, be around other veterans, and begin showing up again.

It became more than a program where I learned and played golf. It became a place where I realized I did not have to explain every detail for someone to understand the weight I was carrying. Sometimes that connection came through conversation. Other times, it came during a quiet walk down the fairway, when no one had to say much for me to feel understood. Sometimes it was simply someone saying, “See you next week.”

I recently returned from the 2026 PGA HOPE Health and Wellness Week. One day, I was talking with fellow ambassador Bob Olds about trying to sort through my thoughts and make sense of everything I was feeling. He listened, then told me, “You will spend forever trying to figure it out. You have to understand this is a journey—and you are not walking it alone.”

His words helped me accept that healing was not something I could solve, complete, or get right. Later that week, I heard another question that challenged me in a different way: “Who are you to think that your story is only for yourself?”

That question changed how I saw the parts of my life I wanted to keep hidden. I do not have to have every answer, and I do not have to make my story perfect. But if being honest about the hard days helps another veteran feel understood, ask for help, or hold on for one more day, then telling it is worth it.

The hard days have not disappeared, and I am still learning how to face them without shutting people out. But golf gives me room to breathe, focus on the next shot, and clear my head. The people I have met through PGA HOPE remind me, in conversations, walks down the fairway, and the simple expectation that I will come back next week, that I do not have to carry everything alone.

I am still a Marine, but I am also a father, a friend, and a person learning how to build a life after service. The discipline, loyalty, and resilience I learned in the Corps are still part of me, even as I discover who I am beyond the uniform.”

Today, Alex serves as a dedicated advocate for veterans across the state and gives back as an assistant coach with PGA Jr. League, mentoring and inspiring young golfers. Outside of his work with PGA HOPE and PGA Jr. League, Alex enjoys spending time with his family swimming, skiing, and traveling the world.

Now stepped into his role representing the Michigan PGA Section as a National PGA HOPE Ambassador, Alex looks forward to paying forward the impact the program had on his own life:

“I am grateful to Madison and Dusty for trusting me to serve as Michigan’s new PGA HOPE Ambassador. I do not take that trust lightly. My goal is to use golf to serve the veteran community—to help create the same kind of connection, encouragement, and sense of belonging that PGA HOPE has given me.

For me, the journey is choosing to show up—at home, for my children, for other veterans, and on the course—one day at a time. And because of PGA HOPE, I do not have to walk it alone.”