Golf is the game. Veterans are the mission.
American Lake Veterans Golf Course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course near Tacoma, Washington, built and run by volunteers for one purpose: giving Veterans a place to heal, compete, and belong.
THE MISSION IN ACTION
More Than Golf
For veterans working through injury, isolation, or the transition back to civilian life, American Lake offers recreation, connection, and rehabilitation, the kind that happens naturally over eighteen holes with people who understand.
15,000+
Veterans served annually
36,000+
Rounds played each year
49,000+
Volunteer hours
FEATURED VETERAN STORY
Why I Come Here
"Golf gave me more than a game. It gave me a reason to keep moving forward."
Jason D., U.S. Army Veteran
For many Veterans, American Lake isn't just a golf course. It's the reason they get out of bed, the foursome that checks in when no one else does, the place that never once asked them to explain themselves.
THE COURSE
A World-Class Course. Designed for a Greater Purpose.
In 2016, Jack Nicklaus designed a new back nine and renovated the original front nine, Nicklaus Design's 400th course worldwide and one of the few he's ever built pro bono. In 2024, Nicklaus officially recognized American Lake as a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course.
18 holes
Jack Nicklaus Signature Course
Accessible design throughout
Rehabilitation & Learning Center
UPCOMING EVENT
Ken Still Memorial Tournament
Saturday, June 26, 2027
The annual Ken Still Memorial Tournament is our cornerstone charity fundraiser, an 18-hole shotgun start benefiting local Veterans. Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. and tee time is 8:00 a.m. Registration and sponsorship forms will be accepted beginning January 1, 2027.
SUPPORT THE MISSION
Help Keep the Mission Moving
American Lake has run without a dollar of government funding since 1995. Every green fee kept at $25, every adaptive cart, every free lesson exists because someone gave their time, money, or name to it.
