Doublegate gears up for ‘Patriot Day’ event

ALBANY — This Labor Day weekend, green is officially part of the red, white and blue.

Doublegate Country Club will be participating in Patriot Golf Day Sept. 3-6 in an effort to raise funds for spouses and children of men or women killed while serving in the military.

Major Dan Rooney, an F-16 pilot and PGA Professional, started the fundraiser in 2007 with a simple philosophy: Add $1 to green fees and use it for some good.

“He was the first to start it, and they’ve got a ton of different organizations now from around the country (who contribute),” said Ed Everett, the head pro at Doublegate. “So we’ll help support his method of giving back to the veterans.”

The event is run by Rooney’s Folds of Honor Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for military families from more than 3,200 golf facilities across the country.

It raised $1.1 million its first year and more than $5.3 million to date.

“We’ve been able to give hundreds of scholarships to spouses,” Rooney told NBC Sports in 2008. “Whether it’s getting secretarial skills or cosmetology school or some kind of vocation, so they can get those skills and assume that role of bread winner and provide for their family financially.

“And for the children, bringing education into their homes. In a lot of cases, perhaps it wasn’t even planned on before. If you look at the demographics, look at the folks who are being killed and disabled over there, not a lot of people have gone to college. At the end of the day, you can’t fix everything with money. But maybe you can effect a generational change.”

The event is supported by both The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association.

“It’s been going on (for a while),” Everett said. “We jumped on it (when we heard about it).”

While it’s the first year for Patriot Golf Day at Doublegate, the club also has a Veteran’s Day event in November to allow veterans to play for free.

“We’re definitely military-driven around here,” Everett said. “How the base goes is how the whole community goes, just about.”

Other area clubs hope to get involved in the event as well, as Flint River Municipal Golf Course head pro Roy Snead expressed interest Wednesday in possibly joining the cause.