Habitat for Humanity and Antelope Hills provide Special Olympics participants and local students with golf equipment

Mack McCarley and Patrick Holt unload golf clubs and bags.

by Ray Newton

When Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore operations manager Patrick Holt heard that Antelope Hills Golf Course was providing free golf equipment and golf for local Special Olympics participants, he knew immediately what to do with some surplus golf equipment at his store. He donated more than 15 sets of golf clubs and golf bags to Mack McCarley, general manager at Antelope Hills. McCarley and his associate, Ed Compton, a teaching professional at Antelope Hills, gratefully accepted the golf equipment this past Saturday.

“Not only will we be able to help Special Olympics golfers, we’ll also be able to  provide some clubs and bags to local high school students who’d like to play but don’t have the equipment,” McCarley, a PGA golf professional, said.

McCarley explained that as part of it community service mission, he and the rest of the management team at Antelope Hills provide training experiences and free tee times to qualified students wanting to play golf.  He noted the golf course is owned by the City of Prescott, which emphasizes providing quality recreational opportunities for its constituents.

Also, just this past November, McCarley and Compton accompanied a group of 15 athletes and 10 volunteers to Phoenix, where they participated in a statewide Special Olympics Golf Tournament.

“It’s the largest Special Olympics event of its kind in the nation, with more than 200 participants throughout Arizona. Our athletes from Prescott won four medals and we’re really proud of them,“ McCarley said.

ReStore manager Holt said, “It’s gratifying to us at Habitat for Humanity that we can work with other organizations in providing whatever we can to the greater community. We’re especially pleased that the golf equipment will find a second home through the unique programs offered by Antelope Hills and the City of Prescott.”

For additional information or to make a donation, contact Patrick Holt, Operations Manager, Habitat ReStore at 928 308-7896; or Mack McCarley, General Manager, Antelope Hills Golf Course at 928 777-1881.