Golf school in Myrtle Beach offering free clinics in 2018 to active military and veterans | Myrtle Beach Sun News

Instructor Joe Carbonell and The Golf School of Myrtle Beach located at River Oaks Golf Club want to give back to those who have protected our freedoms, and they will do so for the entirety of 2018.

Carbonell and fellow golf academy co-owner Russ Brown have created the Thank You Golf Academy, which will be giving free one-hour lessons from 10-11 a.m. every Wednesday this year to all active and retired military members.

“I make my living through the game of golf thanks to the freedoms I have, and I can give it back through the game of golf,” Carbonell said. “If I see a guy in a veteran’s hat in Walmart, I thank them for their service. However, a thank you is great, but I’m in a position to do more. There have been a lot done for veterans in golf but nothing that takes them from point A to point B like I’m going to do. I’m expecting to see these guys shooting better scores by the end of the year.”

Carbonell has reached out to military and veterans associations from Wilmington to Georgetown to spread the word and has been encouraged by the response. He has heard from a lot of veterans’ family members who want to bring them to the clinics.

“I imagine as it gets warmer it will get bigger, but I wanted to offer something all year long so I wanted to get started right away,” Carbonell said.

Carbonell has been consulting with retired Army major Ed Pulido, the senior vice president of the Folds of Honor Foundation veteran’s charity, on how to best relate to veterans with post traumatic stress disorder and some physical ailments.

The driving range at River Oaks is equipped with a wheelchair ramp and features the Folds of Honor Military Memorial on the range, which was recently christened the American Veterans Memorial Driving Range. “We built the wheelchair ramp and we’re going to put it to use,” Carbonell said.

Club-fitting is included in the free clinics and instructors plan to have complimentary lunch set up each day following the clinics.

“We’ll do as much as we can for them and if they want to hang out here all day Wednesday we’re okay with that,” Carbonell said.

The instructors include Carbonnel, director of the Thank You Golf Academy, Brown, Kevin Hollen, a 25-year Air Force veteran, Scott Tanguay and club-fitter Franklin Bursick. Carbonell hopes to regularly have guest instructors offering specific lessons, and Crow Creek pro Jimmy Biggs is among them.

This summer, the academy will have events for the students and their families, including children.

“I’ve been inspired by the freedoms we’ve been granted, and by offering something like this I’m hoping to inspire others to do the same,” Carbonell said.

Active and retired military can register for the schools or learn more information by calling Carbonell at 843-467-7191 or through the Heroes tab at http://www.thegolfschoolofmyrtlebeach.com.