Birds of prey help recover lost golf balls at DP World Tour Championship

Birdies and eagles are standard sights on the golf course, but a falcon and a hawk? Not so much.

Yet, on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, two feathered assistants took flight ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, aiming to retrieve lost golf balls and promote a more accessible, sustainable future for the sport.

This unique initiative was organised by DP World in collaboration with James Oertel from the Desert King Falconry Club, who brought two specially trained birds—a falcon named Malika, the UAE’s national bird, and a hawk named Habib - to the course.

Their mission? To scour the rough and bushes, retrieving lost golf balls as part of DP World’s innovative Second Life Container initiative, which repurposes used golf balls for grassroots golf programs worldwide, championing both accessibility and sustainability in the sport.

“I didn’t know if it would be possible (when DP World first approached me about the idea),” Oertel told Gulf News.

“I spoke with Habib, and he said, ‘Give me a chance, boss.’ Five days later, we got the ball rolling—literally!

“Our training was quite intensive, waking up at 5 a.m.—even on a Sunday! I work with some amazing birds, Harris Hawks in particular, just like Habib. They’re an intelligent species and known as the wolves of the sky, as they work as a team.

“I’m just glad Habib sees me as part of his team, and we got the job done in the end.”

The birds of prey are the latest addition to DP World’s inventive approach to retrieving lost golf balls, joining a lineup that has included scuba divers, specially trained dogs, UV torches and even ball-detecting sunglasses.

This commitment has led to the recovery of over 350,000 golf balls, which are repurposed for grassroots golf initiatives worldwide. Programs in the UK, Kenya, South Africa, India, and the UAE have all benefited - including Chicks With Sticks, an all-girls golf group in the UAE.

“It was a lovely synergy to see DP World and the art of falconry joining up,” said Oertel.

“Falconry is such an important part of UAE culture and heritage that we need to remember.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from; at one stage, your ancestors were falconers. It’s something nice that links us all together. And falconry is sustainable, as it’s using an animal from nature in a sustainable way for the goals and purposes that you may have.

“For example, in the UAE 60 years ago, if you were hungry, there was no McDonald’s—you needed a falcon. It was the first fast food.

“Whatever your falcon caught, it would be shared with the family, and a portion would be given to the bird, which is a sustainable example of using nature.

“At the end of the hunting season, the end of winter, the falcon would then be released again and join the migration back into Asia and other parts of the world.

“It’s amazing to now be able to contribute to DP World’s pledge to give back to grassroots golf. What they’re doing in the game, trying to grow the game with the Second Life Container, is really great.”

Although the final count is yet to be confirmed, Habib and Malika retrieved hundreds of golf balls, which will be added to the 20-foot Second Life Container on site at the DP World Tour Championship.

With this impressive haul, what might the future hold for Oertel, Malika, and Habib in the golf industry?

“If anything keep your eyes peeled, I might join the PGA Tour!” said Oertel.