PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is the flagship military program of PGAREACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America.
Duration
Each Session is 6 – weeks, once a week, for approximately 1.5 hours
Members
Our program is open to only Active-Duty Service Members & Veterans
Activities
Our Graduates are invited to participate in post-Graduation activities, such as Play Days etc.
About
This program is open to all Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and Veterans. This program is provided at no cost to the Veteran. Veterans can range from World War II era to post-9/11 era Veterans to those newly separated from the military. PGA HOPE also introduces golf to Veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.
The program introduces the game of golf through a developmental 6-week curriculum, taught by PGA Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency. All programs are funded by PGA EACH and supplemented by PGA Section Foundations, so the cost of programming is free to all Veterans and Active Duty.
SCPGA HOPE Coordinator
James followed his father’s footsteps into the Navy, as a SeaBee, an elite class of craftsmen who are deployed globally to build bases, airfields, and other infrastructure. James recently hit his 2-year retirement mark after a 26-year career. Immediately after the Navy, he discovered the Professional Golfer’s Career College (PGCC) in Temecula and relocated there to actively pursue a role in the golf industry, specifically in PGA HOPE. After attaining his Associate’s at PGCC, James enrolled in the PGA HOPE Program at Coronado, in which he was a standout leader and has been actively involved in outings and communication between HOPE groups. James is now a Level One PGA Associate working at Native Oaks Golf Course in Valley Center. “Becoming a PGA HOPE Ambassador has been a dream come true. Being the Southern California Ambassador is an honor and is important to me because it allows me to be in the service of my fellow Veterans and to do it here where I not only have been stationed but where I was born and raised is just absolutely amazing to me. I don’t know what I would be doing without the PGA HOPE Program.”
SCPGA HOPE Ambassador
DJ Naigan serves as the Southern California PGA HOPE Ambassador, bringing 22 years of Navy service and a strong commitment to helping Veterans find healing and community through golf. DJ served as a Seabee and later as an Operations Chief overseeing more than 450 sailors. He credits the Navy with instilling the principle he lives by today: “Your word is your bond.” DJ discovered PGA HOPE through fellow Veteran James Davenport. Since then, he has instructed numerous HOPE sessions across SoCal and describes the program as “friendship, healing, belonging, and focus,” especially moved by the instant camaraderie that forms among Veterans. Now a PGA Associate, DJ is dedicated to keeping PGA HOPE free, accessible, and mission-driven while helping Veterans reconnect, grow, and rediscover purpose beyond military service. His greatest joy comes from seeing HOPE graduates build friendships and return to the course together week after week.
Don't see a program available in your area?
Veterans and Active Duty Military are eligible to participate in PGA HOPE program.
Current PGA HOPE Locations
PGA Hope Southern California Partners
