It is the nature of their job for golf course superintendents to work behind the scenes. Most of the time, they let their grass do the talking. But every so often, they step into the foreground and shine on their own, as the San Diego Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) did with a generous deed at the end of October, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune.

For the third year, the 325-member organization hosted a “Golf With A Hero” event, in which chapter members treat active military members from the various bases in San Diego to a day of relaxation and golf.

At the Golf Club of California in Fallbrook, 48 military personnel from Camp Pendleton, Miramar and North Island were paired with about 25 area superintendents and 36 other vendors who work with the golf courses. The chapter paid for the golf and the food, and a raffle featured a prize for every military participant.

“They seemed to really, really appreciate it,” chapter board member John Baasch, the head Superintendent at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, said of the participants. “To play at a private club for free, there’s usually no way they’d have a chance to do something like this.”