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DP World’s Falcons take flight to recover lost golf balls at DP World Tour Championship

Efforts being made to support sustainability and accessibility in Dubai's golf community and beyond

At the $10 million DP World Tour Championship, the pinnacle of the 2024 Race to Dubai, held at Jumeirah Golf Estates, attendees witnessed a unique initiative by DP World—a feathery assistant on a mission to recover lost golf balls, while supporting the sport’s sustainability and making it more accessible.

In partnership with James Oertel from Desert King Falconry Club, DP World introduced two trained birds: Malika, the UAE’s national bird, and Habib, a hawk, who took to the Earth Course on a mission to help collect golf balls. “I’m proud to be part of this initiative and support DP World’s vision for the growth and sustainability of the sport,” said James. “It’s a privilege to be here at the DP World Tour Championship with the national bird of the UAE.”

Their mission? To fly over the rough and bushes, retrieving lost golf balls as part of DP World’s innovative Second Life Container Initiative. This effort aims to repurpose used golf balls for grassroots golf programs worldwide, encouraging sustainability within the sport.

For the past three seasons, DP World has employed innovative methods for collecting golf balls, including scuba divers, specially trained dogs, UV torches, and even golf ball-finding sunglasses. These creative techniques have resulted in recovering over 350,000 golf balls, which have been repurposed for global grassroots golf initiatives in countries like the UK, Kenya, South Africa, India, and the UAE.

Since 2022, DP World has also used its global logistics network to transport a custom-designed 20-foot Second Life Container to DP World Tour events worldwide. This container symbolizes DP World’s commitment to leveraging innovation and logistics to create a more sustainable future for golf. Each collected ball contributes to reducing waste while supporting the growth of golf communities across the globe.

The 2024 DP World Tour Championship also marks the culmination of DP World’s 'Balls for Birdies' campaign, where golf balls are donated based on the number of birdies, eagles, and albatrosses made throughout the season. So far, more than 65,000 balls have been donated to grassroots golf, further extending the impact of the Second Life Initiative.