DP World gives used golf balls second life with first-of-its kind shipping container
2 June 2022
Stars of the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour donate the first balls for the year-long collection campaign
DP World, leading provider of smart supply chain solutions and title partner of the renamed DP World Tour, has developed a unique sea container that collects and redistributes used golf balls collected during the 2022 season. This gives them a second life.
This container travels via DP World's global logistics network to six DP World Tour events. Fans are invited to donate used and unwanted golf balls, which are then redistributed to organizations dedicated to grassroots golf, with the aim of growing the sport worldwide.
With this campaign, DP World not only supports the development of golf at the amateur level, but also draws attention to the impact of the sport's growing popularity and global supply issues resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
The container – a converted 20-foot sea container – can hold as many as 200,000 golf balls and weighs approximately 12 tons when full.
The first stop is the fan village of the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, an iconic tournament that is part of the prestigious Rolex Series on the DP World Tour for the first time. The event takes place at the Emirates Golf Club from January 27 to 30.
Throughout the rest of the season, spectators, fans, players and other DP World Tour partners are invited to donate balls at other selected tournaments, including the BMW PGA Championship and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
DP World equips the container with real-time tracking technology, allowing fans to follow the journey of the project – by train, truck or ship – and thus discover the central role of DP World's leading logistics and supply chain solutions within the golf world.
Daniel van Otterdijk, Chief Communications Officer of DP World, said:
"The global supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic continue to affect the import of sports and recreation items in the Middle East, including golf equipment. With our passion for golf and our logistics expertise, DP World is excellently positioned to alleviate this pressure and meet the growing popularity of the sport. We are therefore proud to launch this unique container during the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic and thus contribute to golf from the grassroots."
Guy Kinnings, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of the DP World Tour, said:
"Our collaboration with DP World has grown stronger over the past 11 years. With DP World now as title partner of our main competition, this initiative is a perfect example of how they use their global logistics infrastructure to support the growing demand and popularity of golf worldwide. We also thank DP World Tour partner Callaway for their support of this important initiative."
Official DP World Tour partner Callaway supports DP World in growing the sport of golf worldwide by:
- Offering fans who participate in the initiative unique, not-for-sale experiences, such as VIP club fittings on the driving range during selected tournaments
- Making unique golf prizes available to encourage ball donations at future events
- Supporting grassroots projects with golf equipment
- Providing an initial stock of golf balls stored in a separate part of the container, which will be donated to grassroots golf organizations at the end of the season
Neil Howie, President and Managing Director of Callaway EMEA, said:
"Our sport offers a wonderful opportunity to encourage and support newcomers, especially as participation and interest in golf increases worldwide. As the official partner of the DP World Tour, Callaway is proud to support this innovative and appealing initiative, which will ultimately benefit many valuable participation projects."
To support the launch, DP World asked several world stars of the DP World Tour to donate the first balls to the container with a unique chipping challenge. Callaway staff professionals Thomas Bjørn, Marc Warren, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Nino Bertasio and Sami Välimäki kicked off the campaign by chipping balls into the container's hatch during the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.
