I got asked to come speak to the veterans committee at Greenbriar — a retirement community in Monmouth County — about Swings for Service. I left with more than I came in with.
The plan, going in, was pretty basic. Show up, introduce myself, explain what Swings for Service does, talk about how the clubs we collect end up going to PGA Hope of the New Jersey Golf Foundation. Maybe take a few questions if anyone had them.
I was a little nervous, honestly. It was the first time I was talking about this in front of a group of veterans — the people the whole thing is actually for.
It turned into a conversation.
What I expected to be a presentation kind of just... became a conversation. The committee at Greenbriar had decades of experience between them. Some of them had played golf for years. Some had picked it up later. A couple had never played and were curious. Everyone had something to say.
I'd come in to talk. I ended up doing a lot more listening.
I came in to give a presentation. We ended up having a conversation.
What they told me about why it matters.
One thing that really stuck with me was hearing — from veterans themselves — what programs like PGA Hope actually mean to people. It's not just about learning how to swing a club. It's about getting outside again. It's about a couple of hours a week with people who get it. It's about something on the calendar that gets you out the door.
I think that's the part people miss when they hear about Swings for Service for the first time. The clubs aren't just equipment. They're the thing that makes someone willing to walk into a clinic in the first place. If you think you need to spend $400 on a starter set before you can even try, you probably won't try. The clubs we deliver remove that barrier without anyone having to think about it.
What I took home.
Driving home from Greenbriar, I felt more locked in on this work than I had in a while. The numbers — 300+ clubs, 30+ bags — are a starting point, but they're not the actual story. The actual story is the rounds that get played because the equipment showed up.
Big thanks to everyone on the committee for giving me an afternoon. I learned more than I taught.
— Grant