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Twentynine Palms, California
Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
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Mel Henson, a member of the Sunrise Country Club, rolls a putt during a free round of golf with Combat Center Marines March 17. Henson wore a bright green mohawk in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day so he wouldn’t “get pinched by all the ‘weirdos’ out there.”

Photo by Cpl. R. Logan Kyle

Country club honors Combat Center Marines

19 Mar 2010 | Cpl. R. Logan Kyle Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms

Combat Center Marines traveled to the Sunrise Country Club here March 17 to participate in a free round of golf on the club’s executive course.

The Marines teamed up with members of the club in groups of four to play an 18-hole scramble, where the best-shot ball is played.

After catching a quick bite to eat, the teams scattered throughout the course to start the scramble.

“We have quite a few veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam,” said Dave Parsons, the club’s president. “We were tossing around ideas and wanted to give the Marines a decent outing, so we threw this together.

“We got a lot of pleasure in having them here today,” added the San Francisco native.

Other members of the country club agreed.

“It was wonderful having the Marines playing with us,” said Jim White, a member of the club, and Pasadena, Calif., native. “We need to hold events like this more often, and hopefully we can do this again soon.”

After the teams finished up on the course, they were treated to a traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal – corned beef over steamed cabbage with a side of fresh, steamed vegetables.

For some of the Marines, this was their first time playing a round of golf, but skills were the least of everyone’s worries.

“This was just a fun event,” Parsons said. “We weren’t concerned with the scores today.”

Parsons’ son is a Marine counterintelligence officer, and said being able to spend time with the Marines meant a lot to him.

Lance Cpl. Shannon Hearne, an ammunition technician with the Combat Center’s Center Magazine Area, and Dallas native, said it was a great way to spend his “day at the office.”

“This was my first golfing experience, and I learned a ton from the club members,” Hearne said. “I definitely plan to play again some time soon.

“I think I was more worried about not hitting the houses out there than actually getting the ball on the green,” he laughed.

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Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms