Mary Hynes of Rochester — toting a bag of donated golf clubs into the Brook-Lea Country Club — started a drive to take the sport to U.S. troops in Iraq at the behest of her son, Edward, 28, who is on his second tour there.

Mary Hynes was on the phone with her son talking about his day and how life was treating him overseas. Then, the conversation turned to sports.

Her son, Edward Hynes, 28, is a U.S. Army staff sergeant stationed in Tikrit, about 140 kilometers northwest of Baghdad, serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. He has been overseas for seven months.

"He told me that the guys have team sports like football and soccer to keep them active, but nothing when they want to relax without a bunch of other people," said Hynes, of Rochester, who is also manager at Brook-Lea County Club in Gates. "He said 'Mom, can you do anything about that?' I figured there may be a couple of people with old clubs that they weren't using."

That was an understatement.

Western New York residents responded and will soon turn Baghdad's deserts into the world's largest sand trap. More than 200 golf clubs and thousands of balls from Syracuse, Buffalo, Bloomfield and Monroe County were delivered from caring residents during the past week.

This pile of donated golf equipment at Brook-Lea Country Club is headed for Camp Speicher in Iraq.

The golf equipment will be delivered to a 135-soldier battalion at Camp Speicher.

"My son joked that he's going to start seeing his generals coming around the camp a lot more once the golf clubs come in," said Hynes. "It's incredible. Once the word got out, we kept getting more and more bags and balls."Hynes said she is working with the U.S. Air Force to help offset the shipping costs, but specific delivery plans are still being made.

Bob Plum came into Brook-Lea County Club on Wednesday carrying four bags full of clubs and golf balls. He said with soldiers risking their lives, the least American citizens can do is keep their spirits up.

"What better way to give our troops some fun and a little taste of home? I know I would appreciate that if I was in their situation," said Plum, 61, of Wheatland. "And I brought a bagful of balls since they're probably not going to be retrieving them when they hit them."

Jon Hoecker of Greece, director of golf, said the outpouring of support has been incredible.

"We have a lot of former veterans who are a part of the club and they wanted to help out any way they could," he said. "I didn't know what to expect when Mary came up with the idea."

He said a little rest and relaxation amid the stress of constant warfare will help the soldiers' state of mind.

"With what they have to deal with, this is their chance for a moment of leisure," Hoecker said. "And after all they have done for us, this is our way of saying thanks."

This article reprinted with permission from The Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY) and appeared in the Friday April 6, 2007 edition.

By Ernst Lamothe Jr. , Staff writer
Photos by Jay Capers, staff photographer

Many thanks to ALBERT B. ANTONEZ, CCM for sharing this story.