As part of its commitment to help grow global golf and drive positive community impact, DP World has collected used and unwanted balls from tournaments across the DP World Tour this season.
As the official title partner of the DP World Tour, DP World has joined forces with several golf organisations to support initiatives that provide a platform for the game of golf to grow around the world, making golf more accessible to all.
Unveiled in January, DP World created a revolutionary shipping container to collect and redistribute used, lost and unwanted golf balls, giving them a second life in grassroot golf projects.
The golf balls have been collected in numerous ways, with donations from DP World Tour players, fans, professional golf ball divers, ball-collecting dogs and children on golf ball hunts.
Following the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in November, DP World will use its expertise as a leader in global supply chain solutions to redistribute the golf balls to five organisations around the world.
We're supporting 5 global golf organisations through our @DPWorldTour container - championing the development of grassroots golf. We look forward to working with the EDGA, @sadga101 Golf Foundation India, @JGFKenya and Chicks with Sticks in the UAE. #DPWorldTour #DPWTContainer pic.twitter.com/CJ8SiQVo6E
— DP World (@DP_World) September 7, 2022
DP World has focused on three key areas of growth for the sport – golf for the disabled, junior golf, and women’s golf – hoping to inspire and encourage more people to take up the sport. Each organisation will receive a proportion of the tens-of-thousands of golf balls that are currently filling up the second-life container.
Daniel van Otterdijk, Chief Communications Officer of Group Communications at DP World, said: “Through our sponsorship of the DP World Tour, we wanted to find both a meaningful and memorable way to give back to the sport. This initiative is a great way for DP World to showcase our logistics and supply chain capabilities and expertise. By distributing the golf balls to the organisations that need them most, we are supporting initiatives that help to share the joy of playing golf. We look forward to hearing about how the balls have been used to grow the game around the world.”
Guy Kinnings, the DP World Tour’s Deputy CEO, Ryder Cup Director and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “It has been fantastic to see golf fans engaging with the custom-made container at several of our DP World Tour tournaments across this season. As the container fills up with donated golf balls, we are delighted to support DP World with their plans to redistribute the golf balls to these worth beneficiaries and encourage more people to pick up the sport – it’s important for us to champion the game of golf at all levels.”
A proportion of golf balls will be distributed to the South Africa Disabled Golf Association (SADGA) and the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA), two organisations working to ensure the sport is fully inclusive.
As part of the announcement, a first donation of golf balls was made by DP World Tour star Tommy Fleetwood to the EDGA as part of the G4D Tour event taking place at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship. Tony Bennett, President of EDGA was delighted with the news that they had been chosen by DP World as a beneficiary. He said: “With Golf for the Disabled developing at an exponential rate, it is very timely that this support is available for some projects where greater access to golf balls and facilities will make a big difference.”
Hoping to inspire the next generation of golfers, DP World has also partnered with two organisations promoting the sport among young people. The Junior Golf Foundation in Kenya and The Golf Foundation in India both aim to encourage and support more children to play golf and compete in tournaments, regardless of their background.
Angud Luthra, CEO of The Golf Foundation in India said: “The distribution of these balls will further help grow the game of golf in our beautiful country. We are forever grateful and humbled to be chosen by DP World for this initiative.”
DP World has also partnered with Chicks with Sticks, an organisation promoting women’s golf across the UAE, where the company is headquartered. The female golfing enthusiasts are excited about receiving the golf balls and their founder Jenny Hennessy said: “I promise we will put the golf balls to great use – growing the game, one woman at a time.”
DP World’s golf ball container will be onsite at this week’s BMW PGA Championship and fans are being encouraged to bring unwanted golf balls along for donation to be in with a chance of winning prizes including a set of Callaway golf clubs and a trip to the DP World Tour Championship. Visit the DP World stand in the fan village to be in with a chance of winning.
For the remainder of the season, golf fans are encouraged to follow the containers progress at https://www.dpworld.com/dpwtcontainer.
