Mount Vernon Country Club (MVCC) Successfully Hosts Spring PGA HOPE Class 
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MVCC Golf Professionals Led Six Week-Golf Instruction Curriculum for PGA HOPE Veterans

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Alexandria, Va. – Mount Vernon Country Club and the PGA HOPE Mid-Atlantic Chapter announced today the completion of a spring 2026 curriculum with 10 veterans participating. PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) introduces and teaches golf to Veterans and Active-Duty Military to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. Led by PGA of America Golf Professionals, the program is inclusive of a developmental six-week curriculum. All programs are provided at no cost to all participating Veterans. PGA HOPE has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which enables direct referrals to the PGA HOPE program as a form of therapy.

“We could not have been more in awe of the service and commitment of these Veterans and that in spite of the traumas they have experienced, they wanted to be a part of the PGA HOPE program,” said Taylor Backcock, MVCC Head Golf Professional. “I am also grateful that our Club membership was fully supportive of using our Club’s golf professionals and resources to give back to these Veterans and give them a glimpse of life after service and the traumas and injuries they sustained during active duty.”

“Many thanks and congratulations to the PGA Professional staff and the members of Mount Vernon Country Club for leading the charge by adopting this program. PGA HOPE at Mount Vernon Country Club has become a lifeline for our local Veterans—offering not just golf instruction, but a community that restores confidence, connection, and purpose,” said J.P. Lunn, President, Mid-Atlantic PGA Reach Foundation and PGA HOPE National Trainer. “The Middle Atlantic PGA Section’s commitment to this program proves how powerful the game can be when it’s used to heal and bring people together.”

MVCC sought to participate in PGA HOPE as part of the Club’s support of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission (America 250), the congressional entity established to help plan the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

MVCC is grateful to be the first country club in the United States to become an America250 Supporting Partner and the only club that sits on one of President George Washington’s original five farms - Union Farm.”

To qualify as a PGA HOPE venue, a club’s golf professionals must undertake training on how to teach golf when participants have certain physical and other limitations. Babcock shared that some of the participants use golf as a form of physical therapy, while others use it to regain camaraderie with others. To date, more than 65,000 Veterans have participated in PGA HOPE golf programs since the program launched in 2015.

MVCC Director of Player Development, Henry Appel, served as the lead instructor for the spring program. He was supported by Babcock and Max Kirske, 1st Assistant Golf Professional. All three undertook the PGA HOPE training to be certified to teach its programs and plan to work with the PGA HOPE Mid-Atlantic chapter to host another class at Mount Vernon Country Club in 2027. Nearly 3,000 Veterans have signed up to participate in the Mid-Atlantic classes; fundraising levels currently allow 1,100 to be served annually.

“PGA HOPE was more than just golf; it was about bringing veterans together to create a welcoming community. It was a way to give back and to say thank you to our veterans that have sacrificed for our country,” said Appel. “In just the short time that I had with the group, I got to know each and every one of them. It made me feel a sense of pride to help them and for them to want to be helped by a PGA professional on their healing journey.”

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PGA HOPE graduates of the Mount Vernon Country Club Spring 2026 program were feted at a graduation luncheon at the Club. The ten graduates, all of whom are Veterans that experienced trauma and injuries, are featured here with Club members in attendance to celebrate them.

About PGA HOPE, a program of PGA of America REACH Foundation (pgareach.org/pgaHOPE)

PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is the flagship military program of the PGA of America REACH Foundation. It is a free, adaptive golf program designed to introduce the game to Veterans to improve their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being and aid their transition into the community. Since its inception, PGA HOPE has grown to hundreds of chapters across all 50 U.S. states.     
 
About Mount Vernon Country Club (mountvernoncc.org)
Mount Vernon Country Club sits on 128 acres of beautiful tall trees and gently rolling fairways and greens. Once part of George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and nestled between George Washington Parkway and historic Route 1. In addition to a dynamic, highly respected and extensive golf program, MVCC offers a wide range of amenities, from various dining venues, a competition-sized swimming pool, and extensive social activities, including a wine club.