Bag amnesty off to a flier

Crown Golf’s bag amnesty in aid of disabled golfers has got off to a fast start with more than 300 bags and 2,000 plus clubs donated across its portfolio of 25 clubs.

Hertfordshire’s Chesfield Downs and Essex’s Cams Hall Estate lead the way with around 60 bags each already. Wickham Park PGA pro Richard Benfield is pictured above with some of the equipment donated at his club.

The golf chain has set up its 25 golf clubs as drop-off points to receive donations of surplus golf equipment from all members of the public, irrespective of whether they are golfers or not.

All items donated during the Crown Golf Bag & Equipment Amnesty 2014 will be shipped to a warehouse set up by golfing charity The Golf Trust, for re-distribution to golfers with physical and mental disabilities in conjunction with organisations such as Special Olympics GB and the Disabled Golf Society.

The Golf Trust will also involve the donated goods in its outreach work in inner-city projects within the UK, and will also send them to countries such as Grenada and India where it is helping to grow the game.

The amnesty opened on Thursday, June 12, and closes on Sunday, September 28.

“With the Bag Amnesty, we are setting out to liberate abandoned golf bags and clubs from garages, stair cupboards, storage rooms and garden sheds across the UK,” said Stephen Towers, chief operating officer at Crown Golf.

“Our Freedom Play flexible membership is helping people to rediscover their love of golf, and by encouraging them to recycle their old golf bags and clubs at the same time, they are also helping the sport to grow into new areas.

“This initiative will genuinely help large numbers of people young and old, around the world, who do not have golf equipment of their own. I hope that many thousands of golfers and members of the public respond by each bringing in an item or two”.

Guy Riggott, director of operations at Crown Golf, is the man with the task of organising the amnesty. “The amnesty takes in three of golf’s majors, and you could say that this is our own major this year.

“It will be a logistical challenge, especially if the public really takes it to its heart, but we want a big response from golfers everywhere and we are delighted that we found the perfect partners in The Golf Trust, the Jason Roberts Foundation and Callaway Golf.”

Golfers who successfully root out their old golf bags and clubs should take them to their nearest Crown Golf pro shop (see www.crown-golf.co.uk for full addresses), where they will receive their Callaway Golf bag voucher in return by way of thanks.

The Facebook address is https://www.facebook.com/BagAmnesty