With Collegiate Club Golf, Veteran Jordan Johnson is Part of Something Bigger

In speaking with 32-year-old Jordan Johnson –– a competitor in this weekend’s PGA NCCGA (National Collegiate Club Golf Association) Spring Nationals at WinStar Golf Club in Thackerville, Oklahoma –– it’s crystal clear just how intrinsically motivated he is by the need to be a part of something bigger than himself. The Newark, Ohio, native had just finished his first year and a half at The Ohio State University, but when the time came to declare a major, he felt totally lost. He took a semester off to figure out what he wanted in life, and he found what he was looking for in the U.S. Air Force. Following training, Johnson spent nearly seven years stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, and he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2015. After a bad lower-body injury, he was medically retired from the Air Force and found himself dealing with the familiar feeling of aimlessness. “My military career had ended, and I had no plans,” Johnson said. “I was having a lot of trouble adjusting to being a civilian. During the really rough parts of that time, I found golf. It was therapy for me; it was healing. I loved everything about it.” He found the Veterans Golf Association (VGA), and spent two years playing golf and making meaningful connections. But something was missing. “I was only doing it for myself. I wasn’t representing something,” he added. Johnson, a father of two, spent three years working in various fields and playing golf when time allowed until his disability benefits were increased to 100%. This allowed him to leverage the G.I. Bill, and he enrolled in the cyber security program at Jones College in Ellisville, Mississippi.  “I’ve always really enjoyed a team atmosphere, so I started looking into joining the golf team,” he said. “ I wasn’t able to make that commitment. I stumbled upon the PGA NCCGA website and started digging. It worked really well for me, and it took off from there.” While he hasn’t found a team to surround himself with, Johnson has competed in NCCGA tournaments as an individual. A testament to his desire to be a part of something bigger, Johnson has dreams of starting a club golf team at Jones College before he transfers to the University of Southern Mississippi to continue his education –– and he plans to do the exact same thing there. “I’ve already got someone who is going to join at Southern,” he said. “Nine times out of 10, people don’t know about it and think it’s so cool when I explain it to them. I want to spread the word as much as I can.”  The PGA NCCGA is an initiative dedicated to the organization and promotion of collegiate club golf with a mission to increase opportunities for students to play golf in college. Through the coordination of local and national competitions, the NCCGA creates lifetime friendships and opportunities through its community. All tournaments are co-ed and all swings are welcome; any active college student at any college can compete. These days, you can find Johnson balancing fatherhood, class and, of course, practicing his game. He’s enrolled in the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) program at nearby Grand Bear Golf Club to stay connected with fellow Veterans through golf. On weekends when he has his kids, he’s started taking them to Hattiesburg Country Club where he’s a member to hopefully spark their love of the game. It's the first activity his son has really been interested in, he says. “I still have that competitive itch,” Johnson said. “Being a part of the NCCGA helps with that, and it helps me mentally. I’m working toward something.” He’s currently soliciting a local sponsorship to help defray the cost of his participation in and travel to the PGA NCCGA Spring Nationals, where he’ll join four fellow individual competitors and 26 teams this weekend. If anyone could be a spokesperson for the PGA NCCGA and its benefits, it’s Jordan Johnson.  “I’ve explained to them [administrators at Jones College and the University of Southern Mississippi] that it’s a great opportunity to get our school name out there,” he said. “It attracts people to school knowing it’s an option. I’ve spoken with the golf teams and their coaches to share that it’s a chance for the kids who aren’t selected for the team to play and improve. If it helps one Veteran, one kid that’s going to junior college, or anyone who wishes they could play at school . . . it’s worth it.”