ONCOURSE FOUNDATION
On Course Foundation
“ A friend asked me to play golf when I was in the army , but I couldn ’ t hit the ball and I unknowingly wore blue jeans ,” he says . “ A few years later , while at Walter Reed , my doctor said I couldn ’ t just lay in bed .”
Required to sign up for activities , Ogletree ticked the golf box with a what-theheck attitude and quickly fell in love with the game and its disciplinary ways . His days consisted of golf , doctors ’ appointments and more golf .
It was time to take golf to the next level upon a friend mentioning On Course Foundation in 2012 . The organization ’ s pinnacle event , the Simpson Cup , Ryder-Cup style matches between U . S . and U . K . teams of wounded veterans , gave Ogletree a goal .
“ I dearly wanted to make the team and practice was key ,” he said . “ I qualified in 2013 with a 14 handicap and played on the U . S . team at Royal Lytham . It showed me that , with a target , anything is possible . I was selected as Captain in 2016 and led my team to victory over Great Britain . Golf helped me lessen anxieties and nightmares of getting shot .”
A bit about On Course Foundation : It helps wounded , injured and sick service members develop playing abilities while teaching business skills for careers in the golf industry . The organization then places them in jobs with major companies like Callaway and Invited ( formerly ClubCorp ), other golf product and service providers , and golf courses , country clubs and resorts coast to coast . More than 2,000 wounded veterans have benefitted from On Course Foundation learning programs in the U . S . and Europe since 2010 .
“ OCF was my missing link and is the best thing that ever happened to me ,” says Ogletree . “ It brought a whole new joy and helped me relate with others . These are my brothers and sisters , and we give each other positivity to live great lives . They make me appreciate the road I took and , as soldiers , we have each other ’ s backs . I have about 100 OCF friends and we keep in touch all year despite many not living close to one another .”
“ Louisiana , look at me now . I ’ ve gone from a country town to playing on a British Open course . Who would ’ ve thought I ’ d do that and be an OCF ambassador ? From where I come from , it ’ s unheard of .”
— Steve Ogletree
Ogletree at
St . Andrews during the 2021 Simpson Cup .
Ogletree is looking forward to the 2023 Simpson Cup , but said with a smile , “ I ’ ve go to make the team first .”
Sporting a seven handicap , Ogletree recruits other wounded veterans to join On Course Foundation .
“ Golf is my life , and I play daily , thanks to OCF ,” he said . “ Its networking , learning , playing and camaraderie opportunities are what dreams are made of . The OCF experience is unbelievable .”
Ogletree still suffers from PTSD , regularly visiting doctors and taking medication . But he ’ s a far cry from his darkest days .
“ Louisiana , look at me now ,” he says . “ I ’ ve gone from a country town to playing on a British Open course . “ Who would ’ ve thought I ’ d do that and be an OCF ambassador ? From where I come from , it ’ s unheard of .”
With golf as a stimulus to achieve in other aspects of life , Ogletree overcame a difficult job search to land a security-cleared position with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency in DC . He ’ s been there for 13 fulfilling years with a B . A . in business administration to boot . Maybe one day , he ’ ll rely On Course Foundation to place him in a golf job . For now , though , his wife and 17-year-old stepdaughter are the ultimate fulfillment that complements golf .
For more golf and war stories from Ogletree , odds are you ’ ll find him at Potomac Shores Golf Club in Dumfries , where he ’ s a member .
Rich Katz is a 30-year veteran of the golf business and is Founder and CEO of Katz Strategy , LLC . He is reachable at rkatz @ katzstrategy . com .
vsga . org N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2022 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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