Pat Shepherd, Prescott owner of Shepherd’s Shillelaghs Custom Golf Clubs, and Prescott Habitat for Humanity ReStore have collaborated for several years in providing “gently used” golf equipment to youth at schools throughout the county.
Often, clubs, bags and carts that have been donated to the thrift store are in need of repair. Shepherd has contributed his time, skill (and quite a bit of money) to bringing such items back into usable condition. He has contributed thousands of golf balls, too.
When he relocated to Prescott from California several years ago, Shepherd made the decision to help local youth.
“I’ll do anything I can to help these kids get onto golf courses and play a sport they can enjoy all their lives,” he said.
In January, Shepherd helped, and the ReStore gave more than 16 sets of clubs, several golf bags and golf carts and more than 250 “slightly used” golf balls to Tom Rose, head golf coach at Bagdad middle and high schools. Bagdad is a mining community about 40 miles west of Prescott.
ReStore Operations Manager Jim Stubblefield, himself a golfer, learned from Rose that participation on Sultan golf teams has more than tripled in the past three years.
Stubblefield said he was “thrilled to see golf equipment get a second life among kids.”
Those wanting to contribute golf equipment to be passed along to youth can contact Stubblefield at 928-771-1777 or Shepherd Shillelaghs at 928-778-5023.