Jan Stephenson’s Tarpon Woods Also Helps Vets, Disabled Golfers
It’s not all that surprising for a touring golf professional of Jan Stephenson’s stature to own – or at least partly own – a course somewhere. Stephenson’s course, Tarpon Woods Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Fla., is particularly special. She bought it to help others, including first responders.
“We wanted to make it a veterans’ golf facility,’’ said Michael Vandiver, executive vice president of the Jan Stephenson foundation. “We didn’t acquire it for personal gain. We wanted a facility to accommodate veterans and first responders.’’
Many of Stephenson’s golf memorabilia items have been used to decorate the clubhouse but there’s much more to her involvement than that.
Though her purchase of Tarpon Woods was no secret, Stephenson has doubts that even her fellow members of the LPGA Legends Tour realize just what the purchase meant.
“I’ve always had a charity,’’ said Stephenson. “I had a junior program before this, but now juniors are well taken care of. There’s lots of programs for them. I had been an ambassador for the disabled and the blind and this is for the veterans. “I would like to teach them all about golf and to even help them to have a career. This place became available, and we could devote it all to them.’’ More
