*Article from Stroll Lakeside May 2026 Issue.*
Submitted by Resident Dean Paulson | Written by Kai Curry
We have a treasure here in the South Sound. It’s a treasure that most golfers probably know about, yet it’s worth knowing for everyone in the community. Here in Lakewood, in proximity to the American Lake VA Medical Center, we have a one-of-a-kind golf course. American Lake Veterans Golf Course, on Veterans Drive in Lakewood, is truly a gift to our veterans. In particular, this golf course is geared toward veterans with disabilities. Specifically and specially designed by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, American Lake Veterans Golf Course gives back in a big way.
“More than just a place to play, this veteran-built and veteran-operated course provides healing, camaraderie, and freedom for those who have served our country,” they say on their website (veterangolf.org). This is the only Americans with Disabilities Act-compatible, or ADA-compatible, golf course in the nation. That means that veterans with disabilities – including loss of a limb or even blindness – can go to this golf course and play. Thanks to specially designed golf carts, for instance, or the provision of a guide, this course is accessible to all.
If that weren’t impressive enough, there is something even more impressive about this incredible course – it’s run entirely by volunteers and donations. Although the course is owned by the VA, it receives no federal funding. Since its opening, it has relied on the kindness of our community – and oh boy, has the community stepped up. First of all, there are dozens of volunteers who arrive every day to work at the course, from groundskeeping to the machine shop to the clubhouse. The person at the helm, retired colonel Sam Williams, is also a volunteer. Add to this the multitude of contractors and others of our neighbors who have donated time, money, and resources over the years. One of these is Dean Paulson, President of The Floor Trader Outlet in Tacoma.
Towards the end of 2025, Dean was approached by the golf course for a carpeting project. They wanted to redo the downstairs. Dean went in and noticed there was also an upstairs that could do with some new carpet. A double amputee himself, Dean could relate to the course’s mission and its main clientele. “Let me see what I can do,” he said. What Dean could do was a lot. Along with equally generous business associates, Dean provided the 5300 square feet of carpet for free, and the labor at wholesale pricing. Engineered Floors, one of Dean’s manufacturers, donated the carpet. His transport company, TSL, donated the shipment of the carpet from Georgia to here. T&A Supply Co. donated the glue and other resources needed for installation. Dean even found an installation team. “One of our best crews that we refer had a job canceled in Portland, so they were sitting around, and I hooked them up with the golf course,” Dean shared.
This kind of generosity is contagious, and it pays forward. An outside sales representative of Dean’s, Sean, noticed that the golf course was also planning to do some repainting. Originally, they only planned to repaint one bathroom, due to budgeting constraints. “What about the rest of the place?” Sean asked. Sean called up Sherwin-Williams, who agreed to donate 80 gallons of top bin paint to the project. This would repaint the entire clubhouse interior. Because of the great success of this collaboration, the golf course came back to Dean and said, ” You know, we have some other rooms, such as our cafeteria and back office. What about getting those carpeted, too? “I found a product on 70% clearance from the manufacturer, so I passed that on,” Dean said.
Although Dean is not a veteran and lost his limbs due to health reasons, he has a big heart and a heap of empathy. Like many who visit American Lake Veterans Golf Course, once Dean set foot on the property and realized the type of organization that it is, he was more than happy to help. Many others have felt the same, such as Kyle Murray of Murray’s Collision Group in Port Orchard, who recently donated the resources needed to start replacing the golf carts. And these are not ordinary golf carts. Some of them are specifically designed to help those unable to walk or stand be able to golf with relative independence. The smiles on the golfers’ faces say it all.
American Lake Veterans Golf Course, like most military golf courses, is open to veterans and their guests. Unlike any other golf course in the U.S., it’s also open to disabled veterans. In many cases, these are veterans who thought they might never feel excited about life ever again. “The American Lake Veterans Golf Course is the nation’s only golf course designed specifically for the mobility impaired/handicap golfers,” says a news story on the course. Some of our neighbors might be aware that the course has been the host of the Pacific Northwest PGA Pro/Am Tournament, which helps raise money to support the all-volunteer-run organization.
American Lake Veterans Golf Course is more than just a great place to golf. It’s a place of renewed hope, of dedicated service, and of big hearts.
