Tough Draw Tuesday: The Stories That Stay With Us
There are certain experiences in filmmaking that linger long after the cameras have stopped rolling. Sometimes it’s a particular shot or a moment I know will translate into something special on screen. But more often than not, at least for me, it’s the conversations and the people I meet along the way that leave the greatest impression.
I’ve always believed that one of the most meaningful parts of documentary storytelling is sitting across from someone, giving the conversation room to breathe, and simply listening. Sometimes those conversations are filled with laughter and great memories, while others take us into some of the most difficult experiences a person has ever faced. There’s a tremendous amount of trust involved when someone shares those moments, and a certain appreciation for humanity that comes from hearing their stories.
Recently, I experienced that again while working alongside Klyne Kidwill, who I had the privilege of co-producing and co-directing with, on a film for OnCourse Foundation USA, an organization that uses golf to create opportunities for wounded, injured, and sick military veterans, including careers in the golf industry.
Throughout the production, Klyne and I had the opportunity to sit down with 13 veterans, each with a different story about their service, the experiences that shaped their lives, and the paths that brought them to OnCourse. We took turns leading the interviews, but we were both there for every conversation, listening to the stories, sharing in the laughter, and experiencing some of the more difficult moments together. I think we both walked away with an even greater appreciation for the meaning of sacrifice, a reminder that the challenges people face aren’t always visible, and an understanding of how much impact something as simple as a game can have on someone’s life.
More Than a Game
For many people, golf is played for recreation, competition, or a chance to spend a few hours outdoors with friends. But for the veterans involved with OnCourse, the game often represents something far deeper.
Marine veteran Nick Kimmel was an accomplished golfer before joining the military. After suffering life-changing injuries in 2011, Kimmel, a triple amputee, stepped away from the game for several years. Having played at a high level before his injuries, he wasn’t particularly interested in returning if he couldn’t compete the way he once had.
Eventually, friends convinced him to get back on the course. During that first round, swinging a club with one hand, he made a birdie on a par 3 with a driver. It helped reignite his interest in golf and later led him back into competition, where he found ways to challenge himself and reconnect with fellow veterans.
Army veteran Norbie Lara’s journey was different, but equally remarkable. Lara spoke about the uncertainty following his injuries and the work it took to relearn everyday activities most people rarely think twice about. He described learning to walk again, with progress sometimes measured in just a few tiles across a hospital floor, and the challenges of finding purpose after leaving the military.
As Klyne and I listened to Kimmel and Lara share their experiences, one thing that stood out was the determination it takes to overcome those circumstances, but also the competitive spirit that continues to drive them. Their injuries changed what competition looked like, but they didn’t take away the desire to challenge themselves, improve, and accomplish something meaningful.
Having spent much of my life around rodeo athletes and professional competitors, I’ve always admired people willing to push themselves beyond what others might believe is possible. Hearing these veterans’ stories reminded me that the competitive spirit doesn’t necessarily disappear when life changes. Sometimes it simply finds another outlet.
And while the physical challenges Kimmel and Lara have overcome are extraordinary, some of the stories that affected me most involved experiences that weren’t immediately apparent.
Marine veteran Jacob Nelson described a childhood that included abuse, time in foster care, and periods when he had very little stability. Long before joining the Marine Corps, Nelson had already experienced hardships that would challenge anyone, much less a young child.
He found his way into military service and built a sense of identity around being a Marine, but the transition into life beyond the military brought its own challenges. During our conversation, Nelson reflected on how trauma and hardship can look different for everyone, and how he’d come to understand that suffering isn’t something easily compared.
Golf became one of the ways he found peace and direction.
“I think what saved my life was getting on the golf course,” Nelson told us, describing the satisfaction of hitting a good shot and wanting to experience that feeling again.
Marine veteran Russ Normandin also spoke candidly about his emotional challenges, including the loss of his best friend to suicide in 2021. When he described the role OnCourse played in helping him find his way forward, he didn’t leave much room for interpretation.
“They saved my life, man, like legit,” Normandin told us.
That’s not something quickly forgotten.
These four veterans became the foundation of our finished film, and while their stories are vastly different, each illustrates the impact that golf and the relationships developed through OnCourse have had on their lives.
For some, it’s a chance to compete again. For others, it’s the brotherhood they missed after leaving the military, a renewed sense of purpose, or simply somewhere to belong. The game may be the common thread, but what it gives each person can be entirely different.
What became clear throughout these conversations was that OnCourse Foundation is doing much more than introducing veterans to golf. It’s creating opportunities for them to develop their abilities, compete, build relationships, and find a community of people who understand some of the experiences they’ve been through. The game brings them together, but it’s the relationships, encouragement, and ongoing support that give the organization’s work its impact.
The Stories Beyond the Film
One of the realities of documentary filmmaking is that hours can be spent getting to know someone, only for a few moments of their story to make it into the finished piece.
While Kimmel, Lara, Nelson, and Normandin became the focus of our finished film, Klyne and I were fortunate to share conversations with several other veterans whose experiences were every bit as worth telling. Those stories stayed with both of us, even when they couldn’t all find their way into the film.
One conversation that stood out was with Army veteran Steve Ogletree, who grew up in Louisiana during segregation. Ogletree was active in sports as a young man, but golf wasn’t something he was allowed to consider.
“When I was coming up, I couldn’t play golf because of the color of my skin,” Ogletree told us. “So I couldn’t go to golf courses, and I was told that golf wasn’t for me.”
Years later, while receiving treatment at Walter Reed, Ogletree was encouraged to participate in activities outside the hospital and found his way to golf. To hear someone describe being told that a game wasn’t for him because of the color of his skin, only to later find such an important part of his life through that same game, was a powerful reminder of how much a person’s story can change.
Army veteran Todd Tongue, a former Army Ranger, also spoke about the relationships he developed through OnCourse and how golf and the Simpson Cup, an international team competition for veterans, offered a way to experience some of the camaraderie and shared purpose that had been part of his military life.
What struck me throughout these interviews was that the veterans weren’t defined solely by the injuries they’d suffered or the hardships they’d endured. There were plenty of stories about family, friendships, childhood memories, and the kind of competitive banter that comes naturally when a group of athletes gets together.
Those moments were just as important because they offered a more complete picture of the individuals sitting across from us.
That’s what makes OnCourse’s mission so special. The organization isn’t offering one solution to one problem. It’s giving people with different experiences a way to find something meaningful through a shared game.
Bringing the Simpson Cup to Fort Worth
This November, that mission will have a special connection to home as the Simpson Cup, set for Nov. 1-4, comes to Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth.
The Simpson Cup is an annual, Ryder Cup-style golf competition between teams of 13 injured service members and veterans from the United States and Great Britain. The competitors have earned the right to represent their countries, but the event also raises awareness and funds for the work OnCourse continues to do.
As part of our production, we sat down with Austin Hall, general manager of Shady Oaks Country Club, to hear what hosting the event means to the club and the Fort Worth community.
Hall said that when club member Zach Garcik first brought the event to Shady Oaks, the board unanimously approved hosting it. Since then, the club’s involvement has grown to include qualifying events, fundraising, and chances for members to build personal relationships with the veterans.
One detail that stood out was how quickly club members volunteered to welcome visiting players into their homes. According to Hall, the available host spots were filled within days, something that speaks to the enthusiasm surrounding the event and the reception these veterans can expect in Fort Worth.
Hall also emphasized the competitive nature of the Simpson Cup.
“It is not easy to qualify for a Simpson Cup,” Hall said. “You have to earn it.”
I appreciate that distinction because these veterans aren’t simply being invited to participate in a golf tournament. They’ve earned their place representing their country, and the competition matters to them.
There’s also something about bringing this event to Fort Worth that feels particularly fitting.
For anyone who has attended a rodeo, honoring our country and the men and women who have served it is an important part of the experience. From the American flag entering the arena to the national anthem and the recognition of military veterans, those moments are traditions that have been celebrated throughout the sport for generations.
I’ve experienced them countless times, and I still believe they’re among the most meaningful moments we have in rodeo. But working on this project gave me an opportunity to think about those traditions from a different perspective.
It’s one thing to stand alongside thousands of people and recognize the sacrifices made by our military. It’s another to sit across from someone who has made those sacrifices and hear what their life looked like before, during, and after their service.
It becomes clear that sacrifice can mean a lot of different things, and that the challenges someone carries aren’t always visible from the outside.
What I respect about OnCourse is that its mission goes beyond recognizing what these veterans have done for our country. It’s about continuing to open doors for them, helping them rediscover parts of themselves, and giving them a community where they can compete, build relationships, and move forward.
The Stories That Stay With Us
As Klyne and I worked through this production, I found myself reflecting on why I’ve always been drawn to documentary filmmaking and storytelling.
One of the things I valued most about this experience was getting to share those conversations with Klyne. We may have taken turns asking the questions, but we were both there to hear every story, experience the reactions, and take in the moments that unfolded throughout the interviews.
There’s something unique about being able to sit across from another person and ask them to share their life. I never know exactly where a conversation will go, what memories might surface, or what someone may choose to share. Sometimes those conversations bring laughter, while other times the emotion of an experience is still present, even years later. In those moments, I’ve always felt that the most important thing I can do is give the conversation space and listen.
Our job as filmmakers is to take those conversations and communicate a story to an audience. That means making difficult decisions about what belongs in the finished film and what has to be left out, but I’ve learned that the value of an interview isn’t necessarily measured by how much of it makes the final edit.
I’m grateful to OnCourse Foundation for trusting us with this project and to each veteran who took the time to share their experiences. I’m equally thankful for Austin and everyone at Shady Oaks who have embraced the opportunity to welcome the Simpson Cup to Fort Worth.
My hope is that sharing even a small part of these veterans’ experiences helps more people understand what OnCourse Foundation is building and why that work matters. Golf may be what brings these individuals together, but the friendships, camaraderie, and sense of purpose that come from it extend far beyond the course.
For me, this experience was a reminder that the impact of a game can extend far beyond competition, and that understanding the meaning of sacrifice often requires us to look beyond what we can see.
Long after the cameras have stopped rolling and the tournament has come and gone, I’ll remember the conversations, the people, and the privilege of being trusted to hear their stories.
Those are the stories that stay with us.
To learn more about OnCourse Foundation USA and its mission, visit oncoursefoundationusa.org.
If you are a veteran in crisis, or you are worried about one, the Veterans Crisis Line offers free support 24/7. Dial 988 and press 1, text 838255, or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net.
Continue the Conversation
What is a story someone shared that stayed with you long after the conversation ended? What made it unforgettable?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
Every Tuesday, Tough Draw shares stories, conversations, and observations from across the Western community, exploring the athletes, brands, businesses, and relationships that continue to shape its future.
Comments