Nebraska’s Family Values and Golf Opportunities bring a Veteran Home

While serving in the U.S. Air Force, Ben Davis had not considered returning to his childhood home of Nebraska. “During the military, Nebraska was really nowhere on our radar of places we could be assigned,” he remarked. “Then out of nowhere my career path landed me here and brought us back to the area in 2011.” Returning to Omaha gave Ben an opportunity to show his family many of his favorite things about the Cornhusker State.

“It was special having the opportunity to bring my kids and introduce them to the things that I remembered,” said Davis. Though he had moved from Nebraska to Washington at age 11, he had vivid childhood memories of watching Huskers football games, catching catfish, bird watching, swimming, and setting off fireworks. “Probably the most prominent part of my childhood was time with family – food, parties, togetherness, gardening with my grandma, or fishing with my uncle while listening to Huskers games on the radio,” he reminisced.

After joining the military, Davis continued to follow Nebraska sports but otherwise lost contact with his childhood community. When his career brought him back to Nebraska from 2011 to 2015, Ben was reminded how great the state is for families. He was reassigned to West Texas in 2015, but after his time in Texas ended, Ben and his wife decided to return to Omaha.

“We had our pick of locations in the continental U.S., and we chose to come back to Nebraska for our family and for continuity and familiarity. We returned in late 2018,” he said. After being sent on a final military assignment to the United Kingdom in 2021 for four years, Ben and his wife again chose Nebraska when selecting where to retire from the military. “We really enjoyed our time in the UK, but we knew Omaha was where we planned to return. Everything lined up about a year ago [to come back to Nebraska].”

Discovering Nebraska’s golf industry

While enjoying post-military life in Nebraska, Davis has discovered that the state is an under-the-radar destination for golfers. “The golf facilities that exist here Nebraska range from your classic tree-lined community courses in Lincoln and Omaha to wide-open, windswept courses in rural Nebraska communities like Gothenburg or Valentine,” he explained. “There’s such a variety for golf enthusiasts.”

Davis grew up watching his uncle and grandparents play golf, which helped him fall in love with the sport. When traveling during his military career, Davis played golf in different parts of the world. While on leave, he would often meet up with family to enjoy time together and golf.

“As I got further on in my career and played more, I saw there was a lot more to golf than just the game,” he said. “There’s a lot of satisfaction in the puzzle of it. You can do everything right and have it come out wrong. You can do nothing right and somehow get a good bounce. There are a lot of parallels to life.”

In Nebraska, Davis has linked up with a community of veterans who share his love of golf. “I fell in with a crew working with PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), which is a community outreach arm centered on military veterans,” he said. Those connections led to Davis securing a job as the PGA Associate and Assistant Golf Professional at Miracle Hill, an 18-hole, championship-level course in Omaha.

Davis enjoys the versatility of his job at Miracle Hill, where he teaches golf, manages daily operations, and schedules tournaments. “I’ve even had my share of experience slinging cocktails. It’s not an aspect [of the job] I anticipated doing, but I quite enjoy it,” he laughed.

An outstanding veteran and family environment

Now rooted in Nebraska long-term, Davis has become an effective evangelist for the state—touting its family-friendly communities and veteran-friendly culture. He promotes Nebraska to anyone who is looking for a better quality of life.

“I’m Nebraska through and through,” he explained. “I’ve proven time and time again that I can sell Nebraska to just about anybody. It’s the community, it’s the food, it’s the culture, it’s the landscape, it’s the sunsets, it’s the thunderstorms.” And if you are looking for world-class golf experiences, Nebraska has those too.

The Good Life Is Calling

Are you interested in learning more about living and working in Nebraska? Connect with the Good Life Is Calling team here. You can also learn more about the benefits of living in Nebraska as a veteran.