The PGA of America Golf Professionals at Woodhaven Country Club are eager and honored to begin a new endeavor to give back to the Louisville community with the Louisville area’s second PGA HOPE chapter, PGA HOPE Fern Creek. Myles Mahan, PGA, Head Professional, will spearhead this chapter, alongside members of his team, with sessions occurring every Thursday beginning March 21st and ending April 25th.

PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) introduces the game of golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military through a developmental 6-8 week curriculum taught by PGA of America Golf Professionals. These Professionals are trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency to best teach and support the participants in enhancing their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being through golf. PGA HOPE Fern Creek is one of nine chapters in Kentucky and one of over 500 in the nation across all 50 states. In 2023, Kentucky’s seven PGA HOPE chapters impacted 540 Veterans and Active Duty Military at a variety of sessions throughout the year. 

 Attending a PGA HOPE training session at Golf House Kentucky offered Myles Mahan, Head PGA Professional at Woodhaven Country Club, profound insight into the numerous services he could offer to Veterans. In the training, Myles gained a new perspective on the various ways golf can be played and was amazed at how adaptive golf positively influences Veterans coping with blindness, hearing impairment, amputations, or wheelchair use. Reflecting on his experiences thus far with PGA HOPE, he appreciates that “this game is not just a game, but a tool to better your life.” Participating in PGA HOPE Louisville (now PGA HOPE Louisville Metro South) sessions at Quail Chase Golf Course was very impactful for him as he saw how much it meant to the Veterans to be able to have a program like PGA HOPE. With an overflow of Veterans at HOPE sessions at Quail Chase, Myles realized he could provide more opportunities to Veterans in the Fern Creek area at his facility. Myles approached Woodhaven’s Owner/General Manager, Chance Maguire, with the idea for a Woodhaven PGA HOPE Chapter. Chance was excited to begin PGA HOPE and positively impact Veterans and Active Duty Military in the area. Golf offers a valuable escape for all Veterans and Active Duty Military who have sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice, to safeguard our freedom and safety as civilians. For Myles and Woodhaven, it is a meaningful way to give back to those who have served.

Myles is originally from Covington, Kentucky, and graduated from Covington Catholic High School before continuing his golf journey at Eastern Kentucky University. Myles comes from a family of golfers as both of his parents played golf in college, with his father at The University of Kentucky and his mother at Indiana University. His father served as a PGA of America Golf Professional at Greenbrier Golf and Country Club for numerous years. Growing up in this environment, with his father as a PGA Professional, Myles witnessed firsthand the personal rewards of teaching the game of golf to individuals. Golf has been an integral part of his life since childhood that continued through college to shape his career, and now helps fuel his passions. Myles has been a PGA of America Member since 2015 and the Head Golf Professional at Woodhaven Country Club since 2018. 

Myles and fellow Woodhaven professional Jesse Massie, PGA, after winning Pro-Pro 2023 Championship

Woodhaven Country Club has three different courses that serve different purposes and provide a multitude of benefits. The 18-hole Championship course is a member-friendly 18-hole, par 72 golf course that is a challenge for all skill levels. Additionally, the nine-hole Par Three course provides a family-friendly atmosphere and serves as an ideal practice area for beginners, while still offering enough challenge for seasoned golfers to refine their short-game skills. The Wit’s End course is a 38,000-square-foot putting green that features an 18-hole putting course set up over its rolling terrain. 

                                           Par 3 Family Course                                                                Championship 18 Course 

                                                                                                           Wit’s End Course 

Woodhaven’s Director of Instruction Jesse Massie, PGA, and Assistant Golf Professional Brandon Routt complete PGA HOPE Fern’s Creek’s teaching team. Brandon and Jesse are very excited about having the opportunity to teach Veterans and give back to the surrounding community. The most important goal for them is to create a comfortable learning environment for the Veterans. Throughout their training sessions, both Brandon and Jesse received a clear understanding of all it entails to teach Veterans the game of golf.  The HOPE training session proved to be incredibly enlightening for Jesse, who expressed his anticipation for witnessing the participants enjoy the program. When asked what he is most excited about this HOPE chapter starting, he shared “to just to see them hit golf balls. In training, I got to see how they play and learned how to replicate their style, giving me an opportunity to improve my teaching.” Brandon wants to be involved in PGA HOPE as he said, “It's home for me. A lot of my family served in the military, and in my opinion, HOPE is all about giving back. To have an opportunity to give back to Veterans means everything to me.” The entire team at Woodhaven is extremely excited to have their first HOPE chapter and begin impacting the Veteran community.

                                                        Myles Mahan (left), Brandon Routt (middle), Jesse Massie (right)

Teaching at a PGA HOPE chapter is a fantastic way for PGA of America Golf Professionals to give back to those who have made sacrifices on behalf of our country, but they are not the only ones who can support Veterans and Active Duty Military. The Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs states there are over 295,000 Veterans in the Commonwealth. There are certain costs associated with running a PGA HOPE Kentucky program that add up to approximately $300 per participant for the 6-8 weeks. However, the participants are NOT charged, and these costs are covered by the PGA of America’s private donor program. Some of these costs include range access, course access, food and beverage, and a graduation ceremony. Any money donated to a PGA HOPE chapter will assist in covering these costs and ultimately allow more Veterans and Active Duty Military to participate in this life-changing opportunity. Please click HERE to access the platform to donate to Kentucky’s PGA HOPE chapters, and mention in the “Comments” section that it is for PGA HOPE programming. We are incredibly grateful for your support and any donations, and we cannot wait to impact the lives of Veterans and Active Duty Military through golf at PGA HOPE Fern Creek, and all of the Kentucky PGA HOPE chapters this year and beyond.

Media Contact:

Destiny McLeod | dmcleod@kygolf.org