NAPLES, Fla. — Southwest Florida is known as one of the golf capitals of the world. With so many courses and beautiful weather year-round, the sport is played 365 days a year. So, playing a round of golf isn’t normally special around here. However, an outing in Naples on Monday carried a little extra meaning.
The Vineyards Country Club held its 15th annual Memorial Day Golf Tournament on Monday. The event serves as a fundraiser for our American veterans and their families.
“[We’re] just trying to do our part,” Director of Golf at Vineyards Country Club and tournament organizer Tom Metzger said. “They did their part, it’s time for us to do our part.”
What’s a more Southwest Florida way to do our part than play some golf.
“The main thing is we’re going to have some fun,” Metzger said. “We’re going to maybe have a couple beers.”
While those beers flowed, so did the good times in Naples on Monday. Nearly 100 people played in the tournament. That total is down compared to previous years due to the course being renovated. However, the players that showed this year made sure to remember why they were playing.
“This is all about what the country is founded on,” Vineyards Country Club member and tournament participant John Austin said. “Those who have served, those who are currently serving, they deserve everything that we can possibly give back to them.”
The tournament is part of the Patriot Golf Days initiative, which is a nation-wide campaign that has raised more than $60 million in just 16 years. All of the money donated today goes to the Folds of Honor organization, which provides scholarships and aid to our country’s veterans and their families.
“We’re just trying to take care of their families,” Metzger said. “No child left behind, no family left behind. We always remember that freedom is never free.”
In the field of golfers today were over a dozen veterans. One of them was Ronald Rezek, a retired Army colonel who fought in Vietnam and the Dominican Republic. The two-time West Point grad says events like Monday’s tournament and the efforts of the Folds of Honor organization are crucial for our veterans.
“This opportunity provides those resources that the federal and local governments cannot and do not provide,” Rezek said. “Therefore the generosity of people who play a game enables education to be provided.”
With the backdrop of honoring those who have fallen for our freedom, the golfers went out and enjoyed their Memorial Day.
“Just have a good time and keep the ball in the fairway,” Austin joked.