Member Spotlight: Rob Jackson Deserves Your Attention

Rob Jackson, a member of the Southern Nevada Golf Association Southwest Golf Club, served as a United States Marine from 1985-93, and sustained physical injuries in 1991.

He can handle those.

It’s the mental scars from his “many kills” that still haunt him more than two decades later. Dealing with crowds is difficult, and coping with anxiety is a part of his daily process. Playing golf and organizing an annual charity tournament to help fellow veterans (the Greater Nevada Detachment 186 event at Bear’s Best Las Vegas this past weekend) eases the pain but doesn’t make it completely disappear.

“Do my efforts help me feel better?” Jackson asks rhetorically as he thinks about the answer. “Probably yes and no; it definitely makes me feel good to see so many people come out and support such a worthy cause so in that sense it’s very rewarding.”

Jackson is a 10 handicap and just playing the game offers a respite from the memories. At one time he was a 30+ handicap but through hard work and dedication he widdled his scores down to the low eighties and sometimes the high seventies.

“Playing golf on a wide open course helps me cope, for sure,” Jackson says. “I enjoy the outdoors and open space of a golf course and it is a freeing experience for me. I also ride motorcycles and going for a long ride is similar to playing golf. They both provide peace.”

Jackson, as with any soldier in the Marine Corps, believes in putting in a good day’s work, even when it comes to golf.

“I worked really hard to become a pretty good golfer,” Jackson says. “If you put your mind to something and put in the time, it can be done. I believe that and I hope everyone reading this does too.”

Mission of the Greater Detachment 186

Members of the Marine Corps League join together in camaraderie and fellowship for the purpose of preserving the traditions and promoting the interests of the United States Marine Corps. This is accomplished by banding together those who are now serving and those who have been honorably discharged from service; voluntarily aiding and rendering assistance to all Marines and their widows and orphans.

For more: http://mclgnd186.org/