Putting For A Good Cause

Saturday, September 1st 2007, 5:25 pm

By: News On 6

Thousands across America were teeing off Saturday for charity and an Oklahoma Air National Guard pilot got the ball rolling. News On 6 reporter Joshua Brakhage reports that with this being the Labor Day weekend, a number of golfers headed to the greens. But at thousands of golf courses nationwide, golfers were putting with a purpose.

Battle Creek in Broken Arrow is just one of 35 courses in Oklahoma and 3,000 nationwide participating in Patriot Golf Day. Clubhouses are asking for an extra dollar from every golfer. That money would go to help families of wounded service members, and fund scholarships for spouses and children of troops injured or killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The idea behind Patriot Golf Day was the brainstorm of fighter pilot Dan Rooney. Captain Rooney is an Oklahoma native and a member of the 138th Fighter Wing of the Oklahoma Air National Guard. He is also an avid golfer and a member of the PGA of America.

Folks on the course say there is no better combination than supporting the troops and a weekend playing golf.

"Especially when you're supporting our servicemen, it definitely has emotion attached to it. It makes you want to work harder to collect more money. Our whole staff's been pumped up for this day and to make sure that we ask everybody and let 'em know about it," said Battle Creek golf director Dee Roadman.

Roadman says the golfers visiting Battle Creek were especially generous Saturday. Even though they were only asking for a dollar, he says when many heard the mission; they opened their wallets and donated a lot more.

For more information at Patriot Golf Day, click here.

Watch the video: Teeing Up For Charity

Related story:

8/8/2007 - Guardsman Takes To The Greens For Education