The Loop
Bunkers in Baghdad provides equipment for troops' makeshift golf ranges
One of the best parts about being the Hot List Coordinator here at Golf Digest is that I get to find homes for the used gear around the office.
The golf balls from our recent ball Hot List testing, for example, are covered in Sharpie markings. We color over all the logos so our testers have no idea which ball they're hitting. We're left with hundreds and hundreds of golf balls that most people wouldn't want to play. For the last few years, we've found the perfect place to send these golf balls, as well as the clubs from the Hot List Summit that many manufacturers provide us: A charity called Bunkers in Baghdad.
The below video is just an example of the type of golf Bunkers in Baghdad supports:
Founder Joe Hanna heard a story by David Feherty about the makeshift golf ranges built in Iraq that the soldiers use for stress relief. Since their first shipment of golf balls in 2008, Bunkers in Baghdad has shipped almost 6 million golf balls and over 350,000 clubs to U.S. soldiers around the world. They also support the Wounded Warriors programs, where golf is used as a part of injured veterans' rehabilitation.
This is a great charity that's allowing golf to do a little for the troops that do so much for us.