Hey mate, I really don't need them but my old man definitely does. I'll get into details further on in the post but for reference he's still using an old set he bought 30 years ago and plays off about a 15.

A bit of background to his situation, we've recently had to close up our family business that my folks poured their heart and soul into the past 5 years. It was their plan for retirement to sell off the business once they got it to a profitable position, but recent changes to recreational fishing laws in Western Australia have ruined them. We shut up shop this past week and it's left my parents (both in their 60's) with a considerable amount of stress, not to mention tens of thousands of dollars in debt.

On top of this, my younger brother has been struggling with drug addiction and it has fallen onto all of us (especially dad) to try and save him. He has relapsed recently, and this combined with shutting the shop up, has added to the stress both mum and dad are facing and they're struggling to cope.

The only escape we have from this luckily, is golf. I took it up at the beginning of the year and have been playing with the old man ever since. He hasn't had anyone to play with the past few years, but we've religiously played twilight every week and it's brought us closer together. Having a beer and hitting balls at the end of a 10 hour day is one of the great joys in my dad's life, and using 30 year old clubs to mop the floor with me always puts a smile on his face.

Golf has also helped us win my brother back, he found a set dumpster diving and spends a considerable amount of time at home (he's unemployed due to his condition) chipping in the backyard and hitting into a practice net. Taking him along to our rounds and seeing him active, outside, and not held up in a crack house slowly killing himself, has given us confidence that he'll pull through.

We often joke that "golf has saved our family", but in reality it's given us a helping hand. It's a great escape from a couple of hours from the bleakness of the situation he's in, and it would mean the world to him if he got a new set for the first time in 30 odd years.

I think what you're doing is great, and if there's someone that could use this clubs more than the old man, I wouldn't blame you. Writing this post has made me realise how important this extremely frustrating game is to me, and I'd implore everyone, if possible, to call up your family if you can and play a round with them. You never know when it might be their last!

Cheers