Allen resident Matt Foster, a U.S. Army veteran who deployed to Iraq in 2005, is a new PGA Hope national ambassador for North Texas.

Foster works on building connections and helping fellow veterans find relief through golf, as first reported by Star Local Media on Nov. 5. He was one of 20 veterans from across the country who completed five days of golf, wellness and advocacy training in October at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

Foster grew up in New Braunfels and enlisted after high school. He served in the Army from 2003 to 2007, reaching the rank of E-4 specialist.

How the program works

PGA Hope stands for Helping Our Patriots Everywhere. It is the military program of the PGA of America REACH Foundation. Veterans learn golf over six to eight weeks from PGA professionals trained in adaptive techniques and military cultural awareness. The program costs veterans nothing.

More than 70,000 veterans have gone through PGA Hope at more than 700 locations across the country, according to the PGA REACH Foundation. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can refer veterans directly to the program through a formal agreement between the two organizations. Each $330 raised covers one veteran's full course.

October training week

The annual PGA Hope National Golf & Wellness Week prepared the 20 veterans to serve as ambassadors in their home regions. Participants received golf instruction along with mental wellness, stress management and public speaking training in partnership with the Cohen Veterans Network.

Scott Kmiec, executive director of the PGA of America REACH Foundation, said in a statement that the program is "more than an introduction to golf" and "provides a life-changing support system for the men and women who have sacrificed for our country."

Each ambassador returns home equipped to mentor fellow veterans and expand access to the program.

Northern Texas section at the Secretary's Cup

The Northern Texas PGA Section also competed in the PGA Hope Secretary's Cup for the first time in May. A PGA Frisco-based team represented the section at Chester Valley Golf Club in Pennsylvania, where 12 teams of PGA Hope graduates and professionals competed ahead of the PGA Championship.

Team PGA Hope Michigan won the 2026 event at 4-under par, according to the PGA REACH Foundation.

Veterans Day is Nov. 11.