DP World’s unique Second Life Container is returning for the 2023/24 DP World Tour season, as the global supply chain company continues its efforts to grow grassroots golf around the world.
The 20-foot shipping container is an innovative concept designed to give golf balls a second life in grassroots golf projects around the world. Rather than ending up in landfills, or hidden away in cupboards at home, the unwanted golf balls collected during the season will be repurposed and redistributed to support grassroots golf projects, helping to give more people access to the sport.
Over the past two seasons, 280,000 golf balls have been collected in numerous ways as the Second Life container, covered thousands of kilometres across land and sea. Donations were made from DP World Tour players, fans, governing bodies, professional golf ball divers, ball-collecting dogs, and children’s golf ball hunts. So far, balls have been sent to initiatives around the world, including Junior Golf Foundation in Kenya, the South African Disabled Golf Association and Golf Foundation India.
To mark its first appearance on the DP World Tour this season at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Dubai Golf donated 18,000 golf balls to the collection, helping DP World’s tally rise to 280,000 golf balls collected.
Some 3,000 range balls were donated from Jumeirah Golf Estates, 7,000 range balls from Dubai Golf Creek & Yacht Club and 8,000 balls from Emirates Golf Club – the same venue hosting this week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
“We are delighted to contribute to this great grassroots cause and donate 18,000 balls to DP World’s Golf Ball Container,” said Chris May, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Golf. “It’s a fantastic initiative, heading into its third year, we hope DP World can keep growing the game within the UAE and around the world.”
“We’re really pleased with the impact this initiative has had over the past two years, using our smart logistics solutions to help to continue growing the game around the world” said Daniel van Otterdijk, Group Chief Communications Officer at DP World.
“Thank you to our friends at Dubai Golf for their generous ball donation, kicking off the third year of our golf ball container. We’re hoping for another successful year on the DP World Tour.”
The Second Life container will begin its 2024 journey by departing from Jebel Ali Port in Dubai once the Hero Dubai Desert Classic ends. In the 2023 season alone, the container travelled over 20,000km whilst visiting seven DP World tour events including the Korea Championship via the Port of Busan, the BMW International Open in Munich via Rotterdam World Gateway & the Ryder Cup in Rome via the Port of Naples.
If you are heading to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club from January 18 until January 21, bring along your own golf balls to donate to the initiative. You can deposit your balls into DP World’s golf ball container, found in DP World’s Tournament Town space, for a chance to win some fantastic prizes.
If you’re an avid golf ball collector, please let the team know by contacting: [email protected].