Hempstead officials pledge used golf balls to charity

Hempstead Town officials pledged yesterday to donate all recovered golf balls from its two town-owned courses to the Bunkers in Baghdad charity, according to a news release.

The charity sends used golf balls and equipment to troops who use makeshift driving ranges to de-stress while serving abroad, the release stated. 

The town owns golf courses in Lido Beach and Merrick. Officials also asked residents to donate extra golf clubs or other equipment to the charity. Donations can be dropped off at Lido Golf Club.

“Both of our beautiful Hempstead Town golf courses receive a large amount of play, so much so that our employees are constantly finding stray golf balls while tending to the courses,” Supervisor Anthony Santino said in the release. “ ‘Bunkers in Baghdad’ offers a gratifying way to deal with our surplus of golf balls while also giving us the extra opportunity to continuously support our troops.”

Santino, Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, and councilmen Dennis Dunne Sr. and Anthony D’Esposito announced the partnership at a news conference at the Lido Beach course. 

“Every contribution — whether it’s a handful of golf balls from the garage, a single putter, or a second-best set of clubs — represents a comforting slice of home and a gesture of appreciation for the sacrifices made by the men and women of our military,” Bunkers in Baghdad founder Joe Hanna said in the news release.