Lincoln, NE – PGA REACH Nebraska is excited to announce that 2023 PGA HOPE Nebraska Graduate Amber Bogle has been selected as a national Ambassador for the program. She’s set to attend the 2024 PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week, marking the fourth Nebraska graduate to do so.
Just over a year ago, Bogle, who considered herself a softball player for life, had never really golfed before. Golf wasn’t a part of her life, yet. Until one day while sitting at home scrolling on her phone, an email notification popped up. It was from the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Free golf for Veterans”, Bogle read to herself.
During a time when she needed something the most, she decided a new hobby could be beneficial. It was that very decision, to sign up and give both golf and PGA HOPE a try, that changed her life forever.
Bogle counted down the days and while not knowing really what to expect, she went into the first week of the program with open eyes, an open heart and a very nervous stomach. During the six-week stretch, she not only caught the golf bug, but she discovered the full potential of PGA HOPE and what it could bring to her life. New motivations, a new purpose, a new community and even a new career path.
After graduating from the PGA HOPE program, Bogle stayed very engaged. She volunteered at PGA HOPE programs in both Lincoln and Omaha, was named to the PGA HOPE Nebraska’s first ‘Squadron’, and she even lined up a special day for the Foundation within Nebraska’s Capitol Building.
“I was very fortunate to work with Jim Pillen, Governor of Nebraska, to have a proclamation signed declaring December 4, 2023, as PGA HOPE Day in Nebraska. I did this to celebrate and recognize not only the PGA HOPE program itself, but also the veteran participants, Section staff and all the PGA Professionals that dedicate their time to make PGA HOPE programs in Nebraska happen”, she said.
Bogle was also selected as a member of the 2024 PGA HOPE Nebraska Secretary’s Cup team. She joined graduates Randy Norwood, Andy Tafoya, and Kevin Pritchard alongside NEPGA Professional Mike Antonio for the national event in Louisville, Kentucky. The team went up against 11 other PGA HOPE teams, each selected by their respective Section, in a 9-hole scramble ahead of the PGA Championship for the experience of a lifetime.
Bogle has used her voice on countless occasions, telling the story of PGA HOPE to others. She’s spoke at conferences promoting PGA HOPE in front of PGA Professionals, sponsors, veterans, women and truly, anyone that would listen. Why? Because she saw and felt the impact PGA HOPE is having on veterans across the country, and it motivated her to take her newfound passion to the next level.
Recently, Bogle decided to leave her longtime position in government relations to pursue a career in the golf industry, beginning with PGA REACH Nebraska as the Foundation’s first-ever PGA WORKS Fellow. She began her new role in May and has even enrolled as a PGA Associate as she aims to become a Class A PGA Professional.
In the span of a year, Bogle went from a softball player to a passionate golfer. She’s fallen in love with the game so much that she turned her heels in for golf shoes. In her new role, she has been on the road with the Foundation attending programs for PGA HOPE, Clubs FORE Youth, Omaha Outreach and in addition, she’s had the opportunity to assist with Nebraska Section PGA tournaments, junior golf programming, and will even be a starter at the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour event, the Pinnacle Bank Championship. Bogle is being exposed to many different areas of the game and she’s enjoying every second of it.
Next up, the Lincolnite will travel to Congressional Country Club in October for the 2024 PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week after being selected as a National PGA HOPE Ambassador. Bogle joins David Karl, Shawn Donald and Dallas Breeken as the only Nebraskans to do so. Bogle hopes to use the new experience as a way to make an even bigger impact back home.
“I believe the additional training, experience and information would help me elevate Nebraska’s already strong program. I look forward to collaborating with other fellow Ambassadors to identify the successes and challenges in each of our Section’s and how we can continue to grow overall”, says Bogle.
PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week (NG&WW) is a unique opportunity for Veterans who possess the motivation to excel in their personal rehabilitation journey and represent their local PGA HOPE community on a national level.
Over the course of six days in Washington D.C., 20 PGA HOPE graduates who were nominated by each of their Sections will receive a tool kit of new skills focused on advanced golf instruction and impactful wellness training. This curriculum is an extension to what Veterans have been learning throughout the years at their home PGA HOPE programs.
At the conclusion of the event, the 20 PGA HOPE graduates become PGA HOPE Ambassadors, and when they return to their home programs, they will have new responsibilities to help foster the game of golf through the PGA HOPE Program.
“I have made it my personal mission to find people like me and to tell them about the benefits and rewards of the PGA HOPE program. I have said numerous times I am forever indebted and grateful for having the opportunity to join the PGA HOPE community. It gave me my life back”, she says.
Bogle will head to Potomac, Maryland later in October in another chapter of her love story with the PGA HOPE program. She will learn from the best during PGA HOPE Golf & Wellness Week at the historic Congressional Country Club. Till then, she will be busy with PGA REACH Nebraska programming and making people’s lives and our communities better through the game of golf.
To learn more about PGA HOPE Golf & Wellness Week, click here.
More about Amber below:
ABOUT PGA REACH NEBRASKA
PGA REACH Nebraska is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and the charitable arm of the Nebraska Section PGA. PGA REACH Nebraska is program-based and supported by the Nebraska Section PGA Golf Professionals. PGA REACH Nebraska’s mission is to positively impact lives through the game of golf. The Foundation has 3 core pillars of focus: Military, Youth and Inclusion. Each pillar is supported by programs that are executed to carry out our mission.
ABOUT PGA HOPE
PGA HOPE is a 6-week program that provides military veterans with free golf experiences taught by PGA Professionals. Upon completing the program, Veterans are considered “graduates” and will remain engaged every year through other PGA HOPE activities and events provided by PGA REACH Nebraska. Learning and playing the game of golf is a proven activity that has positively impacted thousands of veterans nationwide. PGA HOPE is a program that is truly making a difference, as golf has become a therapeutic part of the rehabilitation process for many veterans with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.