Frilford Heath Golf Club welcomed wounded and injured service personnel to Oxfordshire for the eighth annual Battle Back Golf event competition.
Founded at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court, in 2009, the ‘Battle Back’ golf programme is part of the military initiative, designed to utilise sport to support the wounded, injured and sick.
The Battle Back versus Battle Pack competition saw 12 past and present service personnel take on 12 representatives from the golf industry.
Making up the ‘pack’ was Frilford Heath chairman Alistair Booth, General Manager Russell Stebbings along with Kevin Hart from Club Car and the new PGA’s Executive Director and founder of Battle Back Golf, Lt Col (Retd) Tristan Crew MBE.
The initiative began when Tristan approached Battle Back with the proposal of starting a golfing programme.
Tristan says: “Maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle is an important part of service life and that includes personnel who have been seriously injured. Over the years the programme has proved successful in supplementing the physical, psychological and cognitive rehabilitation of over 200 serving and veteran personnel.”
The teams played the 5,900 yard green course and fought closely for the title with the final scores as 3.5 to 2.5 to the Battle Packers. Putting the Battle Packers at 5 – 3 in the series.
Alistair Booth said: “Battle Back Golf is an initiative that brings together a wealth of inspiring personnel together. We were delighted to host the eighth golf competition and thankfully the rain held off and we had a great day of golf out on the green.”
The Battle Back golf programme has come a long way in eight years. In early 2010 Kevin Hart, a Royal Navy Veteran, contacted Headley Court with a proposal of raising funds in support of the injured service community. He galvanised the support from colleagues in the golfing industry and completed the Three Peaks Challenge. They raised a staggering £30,000, which allowed the programme to thrive.
The programme, supported by much of the golfing community, now delivers an international programme of matches against the Australian Soldier On Foundation and the USA Wounded Warrior Programme. Coupled with over 25 local matches against Golf Clubs all over the UK this programme has been a resounding success. If you would like to support the programme please visit www.Battlebackgolf.com