Stuart Lambert, Gulf States PGA 2025 Patriot Award Recipient for Service to Veterans Through Golf

**Stuart Lambert, PGA Named 2025 Patriot Award Recipient for Service to Veterans Through Golf**

PGA HOPE Fall 2025 at Bayou Oaks

The game of golf has long been known for teaching patience, discipline, and integrity. For Stuart Lambert, PGA Professional and founder of Lambert Golf Academy in New Orleans, golf has become something even more meaningful: a vehicle for service, healing, and community for United States veterans and active-duty military personnel.

In 2025, Stuart Lambert was honored with one of the most distinguished recognitions in the PGA of America , the **PGA Patriot Award**. This award is presented to a PGA Professional who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America.

For Lambert, this recognition is not a milestone, but rather a reflection of years of steady, hands-on work through **PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere)** and his ongoing mission to ensure that veterans in the New Orleans community have access to the game of golf as a pathway to physical activity, mental wellness, and camaraderie.

What Is the PGA Patriot Award?

The PGA Patriot Award recognizes PGA Professionals who go beyond instruction and business to serve a greater purpose. The award guidelines highlight three essential areas:

• Contributions and support to the United States Armed Forces, active-duty personnel, and veterans

• Proven ability to create meaningful opportunities for veterans to learn and play golf

• Demonstrated leadership, integrity, and strong moral character

Stuart Lambert’s work through Lambert Golf Academy and PGA HOPE embodies each of these principles in daily practice.

PGA HOPE in New Orleans: More Than a Golf Program

PGA HOPE is the flagship military program of the PGA of America REACH Foundation. It introduces golf to veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being.

At Lambert Golf Academy, PGA HOPE is not treated as an occasional clinic or seasonal event. It is a foundational part of the academy’s mission.

Lambert organizes, leads, and teaches multiple PGA HOPE sessions throughout the year at local facilities including Bayou Oaks at City Park and surrounding New Orleans golf venues. Veterans participating in the program are provided with professional instruction, adaptive equipment when needed, and, most importantly, a welcoming environment built on respect and community.

Many veterans arrive at their first session unsure of what to expect. Some have never picked up a golf club. Others are navigating physical injuries, PTSD, or long periods of social isolation. By the end of a PGA HOPE series, participants often describe the experience as life-changing.

They are not simply learning to swing a golf club. They are rediscovering confidence, rebuilding social connections, and finding a new outlet for personal growth.

Creating Opportunities for Veterans to Learn and Play Golf

One of the key elements of the Patriot Award is the ability to provide meaningful golf opportunities for veterans. Stuart Lambert’s approach goes far beyond introductory lessons.

Through Lambert Golf Academy, veterans are offered:

• Structured multi-week PGA HOPE programs

• Access to modern technology including SportsBox 3D and FlightScope to enhance learning

• On-course playing opportunities after instructional sessions conclude

• Community events and veteran golf gatherings that extend beyond the classroom

• Fundraising initiatives to support adaptive golf equipment and program sustainability

Lambert frequently collaborates with local PGA Professionals, golf facilities, and community partners to ensure that veterans have continued access to the game after completing a PGA HOPE session. His goal is not simply to teach golf, but to integrate veterans into the local golf community for the long term.

Leadership and Moral Character in Action

The Patriot Award also recognizes leadership and character. Those who work alongside Stuart Lambert consistently describe his quiet, consistent leadership style. He does not seek recognition. Instead, he focuses on creating an environment where veterans feel respected, capable, and valued.

Lambert is also an advocate for expanding PGA HOPE training among fellow PGA Professionals. He encourages others to complete the required adaptive golf training so that more instructors can serve veterans effectively. By doing so, he helps grow the program’s reach beyond his own academy.

His leadership is evident not only in how he teaches, but in how he builds programs, organizes volunteers, communicates with veterans, and raises funds to ensure no participant ever has to pay to be part of PGA HOPE.

The Impact on Veterans

Veterans who participate in Lambert’s PGA HOPE sessions often share common themes in their feedback:

• Increased confidence and sense of purpose

• Reduced feelings of isolation

• Physical activity that accommodates injuries or limitations

• A renewed sense of camaraderie similar to military service

• A lifelong connection to the game of golf

For many, PGA HOPE becomes the highlight of their week. The driving range and golf course become places of encouragement rather than stress. Fellow veterans become friends. Golf becomes therapy without feeling like therapy.

This is the environment Stuart Lambert has worked tirelessly to create in New Orleans.

Lambert Golf Academy’s Commitment to Veterans

Lambert Golf Academy is widely known in New Orleans for junior golf programs, adult instruction, and technology-driven coaching. However, its commitment to veterans through PGA HOPE is equally central to its identity.

Veteran programming is woven into the academy’s yearly schedule. Fundraisers, equipment drives, and community events often support PGA HOPE initiatives. Lambert’s dedication has helped position New Orleans as an active and growing community for PGA HOPE participation within the Gulf States Section.

This consistent effort is what led to his recognition as the 2025 PGA Patriot Award recipient.

Why Golf Matters for Veterans

Golf offers unique benefits for veterans:

• Low-impact physical activity suitable for a wide range of abilities

• Time outdoors in calming, natural environments

• Opportunities for social interaction without pressure

• A skill that can be practiced for a lifetime

• Structured learning that builds confidence and routine

Stuart Lambert understands these benefits deeply and intentionally structures PGA HOPE sessions to maximize them. Each lesson blends instruction, encouragement, and personal connection.

A Recognition That Reflects a Community Effort

While the Patriot Award honors Stuart Lambert individually, he is quick to acknowledge the broader community that supports PGA HOPE in New Orleans. Local golf facilities, fellow PGA Professionals, volunteers, and donors all play an essential role in making these programs possible.

This award shines a light not only on one instructor’s dedication, but on a growing movement within the golf community to serve those who have served our country.

Learn More About PGA HOPE and Lambert Golf Academy

Veterans and active-duty military personnel in the New Orleans area who are interested in participating in PGA HOPE programs can learn more through Lambert Golf Academy.

Community members who wish to support PGA HOPE through donations, equipment contributions, or volunteering are also encouraged to get involved.

**Lambert Golf Academy – Professional Golf Instruction in New Orleans**

PGA Professional Stuart Lambert

Serving juniors, adults, and veterans throughout New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Slidell, and the West Bank

Conclusion

The 2025 Gulf States PGA Patriot Award is a testament to Stuart Lambert’s unwavering commitment to using the game of golf as a force for good. Through PGA HOPE, he has helped countless veterans rediscover confidence, connection, and joy through the simple act of learning and playing golf.

His work demonstrates that golf instruction can extend far beyond the swing,

it can become a meaningful way to honor those who have served our nation.

For Stuart Lambert, patriotism is not expressed through words alone, but through weekly lessons, patient encouragement, and a golf community that welcomes veterans with open arms.