Former President George W. Bush was at Ridgewood Country Club on Friday morning for a charitable event to raise money for the education of spouses and children of service members killed or catastrophically disabled in the line of duty.

Bush was named honorary chairman of the inaugural Patriot Golf Day Weekend, started this year by the Folds of Honor Foundation to raise money for the organization’s scholarship fund.

The foundation’s name refers to the U.S. flag-folding ritual during a military funeral.

Former President George W. Bush jokes with onlookers after one of the members of his group at Ridgewood Country Club hit an errant drive off the first tee Friday morning.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

According to the foundation, thousands of golf courses across the country are asking golfers to add $1 or more to their normal greens fees for the program.

“Thank you for allowing me to associate myself with such a worthy cause,” Bush said during a brief statement to reporters before he teed off. “First, I like to play golf. And secondly, I admire our vets and their families and this is a way for citizens to contribute to a scholarship fund for children who have lost a parent in combat or whose parent is severely wounded.

“People all across America can play golf this weekend and support the children of our vets and that’s a noble and worthy cause.”

Bush did not take questions from local TV news crews cordoned off behind the first hole, but he brought “FOX and Friends” anchor Brian Kilmeade along to start the round.

Rounding out the presidential fivesome were retired Army Staff Sgt. Heath Calhoun, a double amputee and Iraq War veteran; Oklahoma Air National Guard Maj. Dan Rooney, who founded Folds of Honor; and Jim Remy, president of the PGA.

Calhoun lost his legs after his Humvee was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in Mozul in 2003.

Bush had awarded Calhoun a Purple Heart, and his children have received future scholarships through Folds of Honor.

Bush was the first in the group to tee off, after several members declined to go in front of a former president.

Bush was in a jocular mood during the event, ribbing Kilmeade for an errant drive and winking at the bank of TV cameras.

The president’s first drive was low to the ground and to the left of the fairway and Bush asked for and received a mulligan, golf-speak for a do-over.

His second attempt was also low and leftward but it curved back toward the fairway before dropping out of view below a decline on the course.

Several notable Wacoans came out for the charitable event and to watch the former president on the course. They included Waco Mayor Jim Bush and Waco Tea Party co-founder and vice president Michael Simon.

mshapiro@wacotrib.com

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