Military personnel, families can de-stress for free at weekly MacDill golf clinic

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - Florida has more golf courses than any other state in the country. But a couple of them here in the Bay Area aren't well known. They are on the grounds of MacDill Air Force Base.

The two golf courses at the Bay Palm Golf Complex are both par 72 and anyone with access to the base can play on them.

"Anyone with a Department of Defense ID card or their guest," said Bay Palm Complex general manager Lou Harris. "So pretty much anybody that can pass the background check, the vetting that they do to get people on base, they can play golf here."

But each Wednesday, from noon until 1, the driving range is reserved for active duty military personnel and their spouses for free golf lessons.

When FOX 13 News stopped by on a recent Wednesday, Air Force Reserves Maj. Bill Kerr was getting some tips on taking the slice out of his swing from assistant manager Dave Stewart.

"It's nice to come out, hit a few balls and see what they can teach us," said Maj. Kerr. "There's a lot of knowlegable guys out here so it's a great bonus we get, to get this hour on Wednesdays for free."

The clinic gives them a chance to put their stressful jobs aside and focus on their swing.

"Hopefully they get some relaxation," said Harris. "We're not putting our lives on the line out here. There's nobody bleeding, there's nobody shooting at us. So we can enjoy ourselves a little bit. That's where golf comes in. That's the game of a lifetime."

LINK: Click here for more information about Bay Palms Golf Complex