Golf clubs go to war zone

Golfers take note: Candler Park may be rough, but Kabul offers true combat conditions.

Soldiers with the 48th Infantry Brigade of the Georgia Army National Guard will find out this summer, when they try their golf skills in a land not known for velvety greens.

The 48th will be swinging clubs donated by retired Lt. Col. Jack Horvath, who mounted a campaign to collect golf equipment for the guardsmen to help make their combat mission a little easier.

After serving in Iraq, the 48th will be redeployed to Afghanistan this spring, where they will help train Afghan police and military forces.

Horvath, of Tucker, figured the soldiers could use some recreation in between patrols. He got the idea when a friend at church, knowing that Horvath was a volunteer with the USO, offered him a container of 1,000 golf balls. “I told my friend, ‘Hang onto those things, we’ll do something with them.’ “

After chatting with the commanding officers of the 48th, Horvath learned that the equipment was wanted, and began soliciting donations online. He eventually accumulated about 1,000 clubs, 100 bags, assorted two-wheeled carts, 10,000 golf balls and some shoes and gloves. Last week he delivered 10 SUV-loads to the 148th support brigade in Forsyth, which spread them among the 48th’s six battalions.

With a working day of 12 to 16 hours, soldiers don’t have much time to wander around the links, said Command Sgt. Major Barry Smallwood, senior non-commissioned officer at the 148th. But, on the off days, pursuing a pleasurable sport is very valuable. “It’s something to break the monotony of the stress,” he said.

Smallwood was delighted to take delivery of the mashies and niblicks that Horvath collected, and was impressed at the quality of some of the clubs, which included Pings, Callaways and some wood-shafted Bobby Jones-era clubs from 1933. “We had some pretty expensive stuff come through here.”

Horvath’s daughter served in Iraq, and she and her colleagues set up putt-putt courses and driving ranges with nets to catch the balls.

“As I understand it,” said Horvath, “they are very creative over in the theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan. If they’ve got the hardware, they make use of it.”