Today’s blog post is brought to you by our fellow Mil Mom Jaymie.
May is Military Appreciation Month; between Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day and Military Spouse Appreciation Day; there are plenty of days to reflect, pause, honor, grieve and give thanks for the life we live as part of the Military Family. One organization in particular that honors the military with some incredible opportunities and events is Birdies for the Brave. They collaborate with dozens of non-profit groups, corporate sponsors, and military installations to support eleven different military charities. In addition to the support they offer, there are opportunities to play and spectate at tournaments around the country. You can see a full list of their programs here. The tickets to the tournaments are nearly free (they cost 1$ each for a processing fee), and the number of tickets and who they are open to (Active Duty, Reservists, Retiree, Dependent, Spouse, Veteran) vary by each tournament (some offer one plus guest, some offer two, while others offer more). If you are interested in playing in a tournament, search for one near you at the Birdies site here. If you get a chance to attend one of the PGA Tournaments, don’t miss stopping over at the Birdies for the Brave Military Outpost. It’s a special covered viewing area and they also have complimentary refreshments.
One of the PGA Events we were able to attend while living in Monterey is the 2018 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
We used our two Birdies for the Brave tickets to attend the Saturday day of play. I took my dad who is an avid golfer and lifelong golf fan. We spent the entire day there and saw some incredible athletes. We started the day off by watching the putting green for warm up and then sat at the 1st Hole watching them tee off for the day. The premise of the Pro-Am is that a professional golfer is paired with a celebrity amateur, so it makes for a fun (and often funny) pairing of the two. Actually, some of the celebrities are actually really great golfers, and this year Larry Fitzgerald was the Amateur Champion! Surprisingly, the celebrities, athletes and professional golfers were extremely friendly and open to taking photos with the fans.
Pebble Beach is home to some of the most beautiful courses in the world, sitting right on the water of the Central Coast of California. Even if you don’t follow or play golf, Pebble Beach and 17 Mile Drive are places you cannot miss while you are in California! The scenery is unmatched for anywhere in California, rivaling Big Sur as some of the most beautiful stretches of Coast. If you are visiting or living in Monterey, Pebble Beach is only a few miles from NPS, so absolutely worth stopping through! Next year be sure and catch the Birdies for Brave tickets for the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro Am!
