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Fort Buchanan Golf Club celebrates 75th Anniversary

By Carlos CuebasJuly 30, 2024

Fort Buchanan Golf Club celebrates 75th Anniversary
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Service members, families, civilians, and local golf players gathered here on July 26 to celebrate the installation's golf course 75th anniversary, which is the only military golf course in Puerto Rico. (Photo Credit: Carlos Cuebas) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Buchanan Golf Club celebrates 75th Anniversary
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Service members, families, civilians, and local golf players gathered here on July 26 to celebrate the installation's golf course 75th anniversary, which is the only military golf course in Puerto Rico. (Photo Credit: Carlos Cuebas) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Buchanan Golf Club celebrates 75th Anniversary
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Service members, families, civilians, and local golf players gathered here on July 26 to celebrate the installation's golf course 75th anniversary, which is the only military golf course in Puerto Rico. (Photo Credit: Carlos Cuebas) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Buchanan Golf Club celebrates 75th Anniversary
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Service members, families, civilians, and local golf players gathered here on July 26 to celebrate the installation's golf course 75th anniversary, which is the only military golf course in Puerto Rico. (Photo Credit: Carlos Cuebas) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Buchanan Golf Club celebrates 75th Anniversary
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Service members, families, civilians, and local golf players gathered here on July 26 to celebrate the installation's golf course 75th anniversary, which is the only military golf course in Puerto Rico. (Photo Credit: Carlos Cuebas) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO- Service members, families, civilians, and local golf players gathered here on July 26 to celebrate the installation's golf course 75th anniversary, which is the only military golf course in Puerto Rico.

"I want to say thank you to everybody coming out. This is about you and your club. When I came here two years ago, it was evident how much everyone loved this club. For the past 75 years, the Fort Buchanan club has been very important in the community," said Scott Abell, Director of the Fort Buchanan Morale Welfare and Recreation.

Col. Charles N. Moulton, Fort Buchanan's commanding officer, was also among the participants.

"A golf course is not about the greens, the clubhouse, or the facilities. It is about the people who play, enjoy, and have a good time here. The Fort Buchanan Golf Club team has done a great job making this a place where you can enjoy camaraderie and fellowship since 1949," said Moulton.

One of the most important parts of the anniversary ceremony was when Jaime Monge Rivera, author of the book “History of the Golf in Puerto Rico”, reflected on the relevance and importance of the Fort Buchanan Golf Course.

"Fort Buchanan's golf course is important because it is very close to everything and is the only military golf facility in Puerto Rico. All other military golf courses in the metropolitan area have closed. When the El Morro golf club was closed in 1966, most of its members transferred to Fort Buchanan," said Monge Rivera, referring to the golf course the U.S. Army built during World War II at the old Spanish fortress El Morro.

According to Monge, while the Fort Buchanan golf course only has nine holes, it is also challenging.

"This golf course is very interesting. Professional gold players always had a hard time playing it. They always had problems. It is a tough golf camp," said Monge, who started visiting the Fort Buchanan Golf Club in 1959 as a caddie.

In the end, the 75th-anniversary ceremony successfully created an opportunity for golf enthusiasts in the Puerto Rico military community to get together and remember good times.

The Fort Buchanan Golf Course is one of 54 separate golf courses worldwide that the Morale Welfare and Recreation Directorate maintains and operates for enjoyment by golfers of all levels. Army courses may be found throughout the contiguous U.S. and Puerto Rico, in Hawaii, Alaska, and overseas locations such as Japan, Korea, and Europe.

The Army Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program is a quality-of-life program that directly supports readiness by providing a variety of community, soldier, and family support activities and services.

With an annual investment in the local economy of more than $500 million, Fort Buchanan serves a diverse military community of approximately 15,000 active-duty Reserve, National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve troops.