PGA HOPE Spotlight: Rhonda Hayes
From the Air Force to the Fairway: Rhonda Hayes' Journey with PGA HOPE
For PGA HOPE Southern Texas Graduate, Rhonda Hayes, golf has fostered a community she has only previously experienced as an active-duty service member.
Rhonda was no stranger to the game before PGA HOPE. Originally from South Florida, Rhonda grew up surrounded by golf, and while she never took an interest in playing, she did have several summer jobs at golf courses. Her interest in playing later developed during her career with the Air Force.
Rhonda is a retired Air Force Master Sergeant with over 23 years of service. In the first half of Rhonda's career, she served as an active-duty Air Traffic Controller. She later transitioned to an Aerospace Weapons and Controlman for the Southeast Air Defense Sector/601st Air Operations Center at Tyndall AFB, FL., a NORAD affiliate. There, her mission was to provide air sovereignty to the Southeastern United States following the events of September 11, 2001.
“I took one of the first calls on that fateful day and for the next 8 days, coordinated with FAA, military aircraft, and government/law enforcement organizations in an attempt to bring some type of improvisation in a very unknown, unpredictable environment over the U.S.,” shares Rhonda.
During her service, Rhonda had the opportunity to play for the All Air Force Women's Softball team for several years. There she developed excellent hand-eye coordination that she later applied to her golf game. Her time and connections on the AirForce Softball team are what led to her eventually discovering PGA HOPE. Once retired, a former teammate contacted her about a golf program for Veterans in San Antonio.
“She explained that it was six sessions and personal lessons from local golf pros once a week for FREE!,” Rhonda recalls. “She and I both signed up for a co-ed session on Wednesdays and Women’s individual sessions on Saturdays and we both have improved our golf games remarkably!”
From being a self-proclaimed ‘lucky player, not good player’, Rhonda has now learned how to properly hold and align each club, completely transforming her game. Coming from a background in softball, Rhonda quickly realized that her experience helped her but that golf was nothing like softball.
“The most difficult thing for me to learn was allowing the clubs to do what they are designed to do and try not to ‘force’ anything with physical exertion to propel the ball,” expresses Rhonda.
While PGA HOPE has significantly improved Rhonda's golf skills, it has more importantly shown her to not be so hard on herself, emphasizing that in golf, the only competition is oneself. For Rhonda, her inspiration comes from people who, although having been dealt some horrible cards in life, pull themselves up by the bootstraps and work to make the world a better place for everyone to live. As a Veteran with a service-connected PTSD diagnosis, PGA HOPE has provided Rhonda with a way to build relationships and spend time with individuals who share similar experiences.
“For any Veteran, PGA HOPE is a rewarding, fun, and enlightening experience that will definitely change your life if you pay attention,” reflects Rhonda. “My PGA HOPE graduates keep in contact and arrange golfing trips together & share that same camaraderie we shared while in uniform.”
To learn more about PGA HOPE Southern Texas, Click Here.
