I received an email from Scott Johnson in late July, inviting me to play the American Lake Veterans Golf Course in Lakewood, on the grounds of the VA Hospital. The course is minutes from my house, but I had never played it before, so I accepted happily.
Johnson, who is the director of community outreach for the course, hosted me for a round on Tuesday. Technically, the course isn’t fully open to the public. To play, golfers need to be active duty military or veterans, but civilians can play the course if they’re invited by someone in either of those camps.
Given the size and reach of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, most of us with roots and ties here have a connection…