The Michigan PGA Section has been selected as one of five wildcard applications to bring a team to compete in this year’s PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup. In conjunction with the week of the PGA Championship this coming May, the Secretary’s Cup celebrates the PGA HOPE Program by providing a unique and memorable experience for our military Veterans and the PGA of America Professionals who work to positively impact their lives.
Each team is made up of four Veterans from a PGA HOPE program and one PGA or LPGA Professional to play in a 5-person 9-hole scramble. Meet the lineup of the first Michigan Team below!
John Drenth, PGA HOPE Battle Creek Graduate
John Drenth is a United States Army Veteran who served from 1989 to 1996. He was a member of the PGA HOPE Battle Creek program and worked most closely with his program instructor, Dean Kolstad, PGA. John was a little familiar with the game of golf as he began his PGA HOPE journey, but the game still proved to be quite challenging when he was diagnosed as legally blind. Throughout his PGA HOPE journey, he mentioned that he appreciated the ability to improve his swing, but was specifically impacted by remembering how much fun and enjoyable the game can be. John demonstrated the true meaning of PGA HOPE in regards to finding a community and instructor. With the obstacles John had to overcome, PGA HOPE was his form of therapy and camaraderie that has given golf a much bigger meaning to him than just a game.
Rob Adkins, PGA HOPE Battle Creek Graduate
Rob Adkins is a United States Army Veteran, who at the time of his PGA HOPE session, was a patient at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center. His transition back to civilian life was nothing short of easy. “PGA HOPE helped me do something other than the negative things I was doing. It helped my physical and mental state of mind, and I loved getting to interact with the other Vets”, Rob said. Rob’s success story continues to live on after his PGA HOPE graduation in 2021 as his newfound love for the game established an opportunity for a career; he is now the top employee on the grounds crew at Custer Greens Golf Course in Battle Creek, MI.
Michael Gower, PGA HOPE Grand Rapids Graduate
Michael served in the United States Army from 2003 to 2009 where he was severely impacted by an improvised explosive device (IED) in the form of a roadside bomb. Our PGA HOPE instructors were able to explore different methods of adaptive golf that allowed him to truly enjoy the game in a comfortable manner, including swinging while being seated, which he never knew was a possibility. PGA HOPE opened many new doors for Michael and introduced him to a community that he never would have reached without the program.
Umberto Avila, PGA HOPE Metro Detroit Graduate
Umberto was a United States Army medic for nearly 13 years and held the rank of Sergeant First Class. His PGA HOPE instructor, PGA Professional Buddy Whitten, saw firsthand the difficulties Umberto was facing, but Umberto was inspired by golf and continued to come back to his sessions. Umberto shared with us that he really struggled to find his meaning when he transitioned back into civilian life. He didn’t have much confidence in speaking with others prior to PGA HOPE, but the program, and the therapeutic value it provided, allowed him to gain his confidence back and pursue a dream of his: starting a vehicle graphics company called Elevated Restyling.
Dean Kolstad, PGA, PGA HOPE Battle Creek Instructor
PGA Professional, Dean Kolstad, of Gull Lake View Resort recently finished serving his two years as President of the Michigan PGA Section. He was notably one of the biggest advocates for PGA HOPE Michigan and has been involved with the program since its inception in 2012 where he served primarily in the Battle Creek program at Custer Greens Golf Course. In an effort to further his engagement in the Armed Forces outreach, Dean has been involved with hosting multiple VA golf clinics, a VA golf tournament that is played every year between our PGA Professionals with the VA Medical patients as their caddies, lessons to Veterans at the Senior PGA Championship, the first PGA HOPE Pro Am, and countless more. In his daily work, he uses that inspiration to mentor young golf professionals and motivate them to be creative and donate their time and energy to a greater good. In addition, he also leads those young professionals to hire Veterans as part of their staff, with hopes that it gives the Veterans something established to look forward to, just like the therapeutic value gained in PGA HOPE. Needless to say, as a testament to his dedication of serving Veterans, Dean has honorably earned the Michigan PGA Patriot Award two times, and we can’t think of anyone more deserving of the opportunity to represent the Michigan Section and our Professionals than him.