Jill McGill with the troops in Iraq during the Fairways to Greens Tour.
(Photo: Jill McGill)
To most of us, sitting within earshot of a car bomb would be unnerving, at best. To Jill McGill, it was yet another opportunity to appreciate the strength and valor of the American soldiers surrounding her.
For 11 days in August, McGill toured military bases throughout Iraq with fellow professional golfers Becky Lucidi, Carl Paulson, and Mike Sposa. During that time, the group visited 15 bases and put on golf clinics for hundreds of soldiers. They also experienced a way of life that few of us ever see, memorialized fallen heroes, and offered gratitude and goodwill on behalf of all of us back home.
This is the third year that Pro Sports MVP has organized a tour of professional golfers to visit troops in Iraq in what is billed as the “Fairways to Greens Tour.” McGill volunteered to go last year and found the experience so rewarding that she immediately knew she would return this year. Said McGill: “If you can have any sort of minute contribution to help the troops, it becomes a very easy decision to go.”
Golf anywhere in Iraq – let alone in areas fertile for hostilities – may seem impractical or even cavalier, but it is quite the contrary. To soldiers who describe their daily existence like “living in Bedrock” (of Flintstones fame), any chance to get a sense of normalcy and a taste of home is a very welcome thing. Sure, a game of cards or a satellite broadcast of the Super Bowl is a little easier to pull off than golf, but that’s part of what makes the Fairways to Greens Tour so special. If necessity is the mother of invention, then ingenuity may be the father of recreation for soldiers deployed to Iraq.
Most of the two hour clinics that McGill and the group conducted were held on makeshift driving ranges that consisted of nothing much more than a thin strip of artificial turf – often tucked in between armored vehicles, satellite dishes, helicopters, and port-a-potties. Some driving ranges were even on helipads or rooftops. Balls hit out into hot, dusty patches of barren desert are carefully retrieved by hand for use again later. There are no ball pickers for mechanized retrieval and certainly no discount golf supply stores nearby to replenish the supply. As prized as the time is for recreation, the tools to do so are even more precious.
For some bases that are challenged by space or security considerations, the clinics are held indoors with practice nets. Perhaps the most unique facility to host an event was a former Baghdad palace that is now outfitted with a driving range in the courtyard. While the teeing ground is a makeshift platform, it is equipped with a sign noting yardage to various courtyard features (see slideshow) and a list of rules asking that the courtyard be clear of personnel and vehicles before hitting – unless it is an armored vehicle in which case it is noted to be fair game. And why wouldn’t it be? If you can’t resist taking a shot at the range picker on your local driving range, how could you pass up an armored personnel carrier here?
As part of the clinics, soldiers are given golf gear and other items donated by an array of suppliers, including Callaway, Wal-Mart, Daphne Headcovers, and McGill and Lucidi’s alma mater, the University of Southern California. Like most everything else in Iraq, golf equipment faces some difficult conditions but it still delivers well-earned recreation despite some rough wear. With the expert instruction from the Fairways to Greens crew, many of these soldiers are getting their first taste of golf. Having refined the ability to shape a shot around a satellite dish while wearing combat gear, though, one of them may well be on their way to winning the next Big Break.
It would be nice if the lack of a good driving range was the biggest worry facing the troops currently in Iraq, but it obviously is not. Every day, American soldiers are in harm’s way as they work to rebuild Iraq and provide security to its residents. Nowhere on McGill’s visit was there a starker reminder of that than on their visit with Stryker Brigade at Forward Operating Base Warhorse. On that day, the Eggleston Passenger Terminal was dedicated in memory of PFC Cody Eggleston, a Eugene native. Eggleston, known as “CJ” to family and friends and “Egg Salad” to his fellow soldiers, was wounded on October 16, 2008 and died October 24 after being evacuated to Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland. Eggleston was well loved and well known for his compassion and desire to help those less fortunate in life. It was not unusual for him to give up days off to take on assignments such as constructing and refurbishing schools. He was married in June, 2008 and deployed to Iraq three months later in September, one day after his 21st birthday. The passenger terminal that now bears his name welcomes visitors arriving at FOB Warhorse and is an ongoing reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of PFC Eggleston and the many other soldiers lost here and elsewhere in service to us all.
Ultimately, the Fairways to Greens tour is not measured by the number of people that take up golf, the amount of gear distributed, or even the number of range balls sailing through the dry desert air. It is measured one person at a time in the bonds created between professional golfers and professional soldiers, and those bonds are quick to form and often long lasting. Most importantly, they offer an opportunity for these ambassadors from the golf world to offer up our collective thanks. While the task seems daunting, McGill is struck by the gratitude and appreciation expressed in return by soldiers everywhere: “Any and all support is greatly appreciated and it is never taken for granted.”
This Friday, September 11, is Patriot Day, a day of remembrance for those lost in the attacks of September 11, 2001. The events of that day set in motion changes to our world that put the men and women of our armed forces front and center in a long, arduous mission. Regardless of your opinion of elements of that mission, the overall job of ensuring our safety and protecting our freedom is essential, dangerous, and often underappreciated. Soldiers frequently note to McGill what a morale boost they get “just knowing that someone is thinking of them.” This Patriot Day, take your opportunity to let someone know you are thinking of them by sending the troops a message through the Department of Defense website.
There are also many extremely worthy charities that support the troops and their families in a variety of ways after their tours of duty. McGill encourages readers to offer any support they can to efforts like the Wounded Warrior Project and Building Homes for Heroes. Other suggestions include the Folds of Honor Foundation who partners with the PGA of America and the USGA to hold the annual Patriot Golf Day and, closer to home, the Oregon Veterans Center. Whether you send a note to the troops or can offer financial assistance to one of these organizations, your support is important and always appreciated.
Each year, McGill leaves the Fairways to Greens Tour humbled, inspired, and in awe of the commitment and courage of our troops. Even the car bomb couldn’t dull her enthusiasm for the trip; it only reinforced for her the difficulty of the conditions and the resolve of the troops. All in all, she leaves Iraq this time as she did last time, certain of one very clear message: America should be very proud of those who serve.
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