Until recently, Jim Estes, 43, had no particular connection to things military. He grew up single-mindedly devoted to golf in the suburbs of Washington and got good enough to compete professionally for most of the 1990s, including a stint on the PGA Tour. But a chance conversation two years ago with a customer at the practice center here where he teaches brought a new focus to his work. He now spends several hours a week providing a golf lifeline to combat-wounded soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
