“I lose myself in golf and forget about the outside. It’s a stress-free part for me; I love doing it. It makes me forget about the stresses that are going on in life. No matter what round I play or how I play, there’s always that one shot during the round that’ll always keep me coming back for more.”
MOSES LAKE – On Sunday, Nick Nesmith, Moses Lake, competed in the Veteran Golfers Association’s state championship and won to qualify for the West Region Championship in August. According to Nesmith, he won by eight strokes.
“When I looked at the score sheet on my 18th hole, I saw that I had won by eight strokes, and the next thing I got was a text message from my wife telling me ‘Congratulations,’” he said.
Nesmith said the round did not start well for him that day, but he started putting some pressure on himself and he eventually began playing how he needed to.
“Once I realized that I was playing the golf that I needed to play, it just kind of came really easy,” Nesmith said.
The next day, he received an invitation to the West Region Championship held at Wohali Country Club in Coalville, Utah. This was Nesmith’s first state championship since he joined the VGA in 2021, he said. However, one of Nesmith’s bigger takeaways from competing in VGA golf tournaments is the camaraderie found with other veterans who participated.
“The gentlemen that I was paired with, all nice guys,” Nesmith said. “I never met any of them before, but we have that one big thing in our lives that brings us together, and it just made it for a very eventful day.”
After graduating from Central Washington University in 2007 with a degree in geography, Nesmith said he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his grandpa, Robert Parks, and join the Army. According to him, Parks served in World War II. Nesmith served nine years and went on multiple tours before being medically retired in 2016.
“The experience of it has made the man that I am today, and I’m more than grateful for what it’s turned me into, as a as a person,” he said.
The Army taught him a lot about patience, discipline, gratitude and leadership during his time serving, he said. He uses those same skills in his role as an assistant coach for the Moses Lake Mavericks boys basketball team. He said his military experience has given him the ability to reach young athletes on an individual and collective level.
According to Nesmith, until he joined the VGA in 2021, he only played golf on a casual scale with friends or his father-in-law, Bud McIntyre. When he had to medically retire, he began looking for veteran-based communities for support as he transitioned to civilian life. According to him, a lot of veterans struggle with that transition.
“It’s a big thing with veterans because it’s really hard to go from the military to the civilian world. I honestly feel like I lost almost 10 years of learning the civilian side of things,” he said.
He said veterans may have supportive families when they come home, but to him, it makes a difference having people who understand the experiences he’s had. When he came across the VGA, he was eager to take the opportunity to meet people with shared experiences. Nesmith said golf is a perfect way to bring veterans together rather than having a banquet or reunion.
“That’s once a year, maybe three hours roughly. The VGA allows you to travel the state. It allows you to have family members there; it allows for family time. Then, when you get on that golf course, No. 1, it’s golf. It’s a sport to play. No. 2, you have friends that you never knew that you had because you all have that common ground,” he said.
Nesmith said he made a connection with one of his fellow golfers Sunday, a former Air Force medic. They talked about important aspects of their lives like family, jobs and plans for other tournaments.
He said the VGA’s goal to enrich the lives of veterans through the camaraderie of golf resonates with him. Watching how other veterans support each other settles him down and makes him happy, he said.
In addition to the community he finds playing in VGA tournaments, Nesmith also said the sport itself has had a profound impact on his mental health. He said it has become a stress reliever where he can pause whatever is going on in his personal life, just for a few hours.
“I lose myself in golf and forget about the outside. It’s a stress-free part for me; I love doing it. It makes me forget about the stresses that are going on in life. No matter what round I play or how I play, there’s always that one shot during the round that’ll always keep me coming back for more,” he said.
Nesmith said golf also offers him an outlet to scratch his competitive itch. He likes how the sport challenges him mentally, he said. He can play golf without judgment and said he often finds a lot of peace and quiet when playing.
As Nesmith looks ahead to the regional tournament, he said he does not plan to adjust too much in his preparation. As of now, he plays golf on Thursdays and once over the weekend with his father-in-law. According to Nesmith, McIntyre went to the regional tournament last year, which was held at Prospector, so he could share some insight with him.
Nesmith said McIntyre is the player he looks to the most for honing his skills. He said he’ll watch how he plays, his demeanor, how even-keeled he is when they’re not poking fun at each other. He also golfs with Bob Richardson, the Columbia Basin Herald’s publisher and regional general manager, who brings the fun to sport, he said.
“I golf with Bob as much as we can; he always brings back the fun in it. He always reminds me not to take it so seriously. Just go out there and have fun, play your game, enjoy the time you have with friends,” he said.
He said his six-year-old son, Nash, also helps him prepare for tournaments. In a way, he slows the game down for himself.
“He golfed every single hole but one because he was eating his lunch, he golfed every single hole, playing with him helped me with a (slower) pace of play,” Nesmith said.
It takes him back to practicing patience since tournaments last around five hours, where he and his father-in-law can get through an 18-hole course in two hours, he said. Nesmith hopes to qualify for the national tournament when he competes in August. If he qualifies, he will travel to Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Il., on Oct. 12.
For now, he said he will keep his focus one moment at a time, starting with the western regional tournament.
“It’s only step one of what my goal is, which is to get the Nationals. So, state championship – love it – but there’s still work to do,” he said.
Nick Nesmith, far right, with a group of veteran golfers he was paired with at the Veteran Golfers Association state tournament. Nesmith said VGA provides a supportive community for veterans and helps enrich their lives through golf.
Nick Nesmith, middle, takes a group photo with a fellow golfer, left, and his father-in-law Bud McIntyre, right. Nesmith said he golfs with McIntyre frequently and often studies how he plays to help him at tournaments.
Nick Nesmith with Veteran Golfers Association’s Washington Assistant Director Jeffery Wheatcroft after winning his state championship. Nesmith said this was his first state championship win, but he holds higher aspirations for a national championship.
Nick Nesmith teeing off for a round of golf. Nesmith said he plays on Thursdays and at least once over the weekends. Nesmith said he finds peace when playing golf and has been beneficial to his mental health.
The trophy that Nick Nesmith won at the Veteran Golfers Association state tournament. Nesmith will play in the VGA western regional tournament in August, in hopes of qualifying for the national championship tournament which is held in October.Read the full article here