AN HOUR WITH DENNIS WALTERS / A DAY WITH WOUNDED WARRIORS

Last week had me out shooting the 2011 Rosner Pro-Wounded Warrior Golf Tournament at Cannon Ridge Golf Club. It was an exceptional day. First, meeting the Warriors was an honor. This group was full of energy and spunk and while I was out shooting the team foursomes, they were having a great time playing with pros, sponsors and juniors. The Warriors are part of SMGA (The Salute Military Golf Association).

Wounded Warriors

But before meeting the Warriors, the tournament hosted a golf clinic by Dennis Walters. Now, I don't know golf. Oh, I know enough about golf to know what a club and ball is. I know the difference between an eagle and bogey. And I even know what a mulligan is. But I didn't know who Dennis Walters was and I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet this inspirational man.

Dennis Walters is a golfer who in 1974 suffered an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. That meant he could no longer pursue his dream of successfully playing on the PGA tour. But Dennis didn't give up. He did pursue his passion for golf and determined to continue, learned to hit balls from his wheelchair, then a specially made golf cart. He now tours the country presenting The Dennis Walters Golf Show. And what a show it is. Dennis is inspirational in so many ways. He has a wonderful sense of humor and a drive (not in golf terms - though I'm sure that's just as good) that would inspire anyone to follow their dreams no matter what. And to top it all off, he's an animal lover and rescuer who travels with his companion dog Bucky.

Dennis and Bucky

Bucky was rescued by Dennis from Canine Castaways in Arcadia, FL. But Bucky is more than Dennis' companion; Bucky is part of the show. Dennis trained Bucky to do all the tricks of the trade and this little pooch is a hit with the audience.
 

 

And once Bucky's schtick is done, the show goes on. We're talking golf here. Dennis gives tips - and some interesting tips they are. While any golfer would get the gist of all of this, okay, I'll admit, not being a golfer (remember - eagle, bogey, mulligan) I didn't get all the golf stuff, but the show was fantastic with Dennis presenting his "special" clubs and actually hitting the ball with them. I'm not talking they just puttered across the grass, I'm talking they went out onto the range with a bang. And you're wondering, "special" clubs?
 

He had a club made out of a fishing pole. One made out of a radiator hose. One that was all bent and jointed. Not to mention his Judge Judy gavel club, his cell phone club and his 3 iron that hits three balls at once, and I'm assuming this is a "special" club, because I seriously don't know what a 3 iron is, but I do know you can only hit one ball at a time in tournament play.

All bent and jointed

Really, it's a radiator hose

The 3 iron

The 3 iron in action

So if you're ever out at a tournament or you see The Dennis Walters Golf Show advertised, don't miss it. You don't have to be golfer to enjoy the fun. It's an inspirational, enjoyable hour you won't forget.