Callaway Golf Innovation

Innovation Philosophy
Making Every Golfer a Better Golfer
How does Callaway Golf make every golfer a better golfer? We’re always working to raise our game, too. It’s one thing to say it; we live it every day in our search for innovation and better performance. Our drivers are designed and built to help you improve distance and accuracy and optimize shot shape to suit your game. With irons, our performance goals center on feel and consistency, along with getting the ball airborne from any lie, in any conditions.

As a Company, we’re proud to offer a wide range of products, each with advanced technology and a variety of options suited to every type of player. From clubs, to golf balls and accessories, we undertake countless tests to ensure that each product we offer is an improvement on those that preceded it. Ely Callaway believed in helping golfers of all skill levels find more enjoyment, and we carry on that tradition with a passion for the game and our mission of helping you and every golfer become a better golfer.

Current Products

I-MIX

* Interchangeable clubheads and shafts

Drivers

* FT-iQ & FT-iQ Tour
* FT-i & FT-i Tour
* FT-5 & FT-5 Tour
* FT-i Tour LCG
* Big Bertha 460 Driver
* Hyper X Driver

Fairway Woods

* FT-i Squareway Fairway Woods
* FT Fairway Woods
* Big Bertha Fairway Woods
* X & X Hot Fairway Woods

Hybrids

* FT Hybrid
* X Hybrid
* Heavenwood Hybrid



Irons

* FT I-Brid Irons
* FT Irons
* X-20 Irons & X-20 Tour Irons
* X-22 Irons & X-22 Tour Irons
* X-18 Irons
* X Forged Irons
* Big Bertha Irons

Wedges

* X-Forged Wedges
* X-Tour Wedges

Balls

* Tour i
* Tour ix
* HX Tour & HX Tour 56
* HX Hot & HX Hot Bite
* HX Pearl & Limited Edition HX Pearl
* Big Bertha
* Warbird
* CB1

Callaway Professionals

PGA Tour

* Flag of the United States Cameron Beckman
* Flag of the United States Rich Beem
* Flag of the United States Notah Begay
* Flag of the United States Mark Brooks
* Flag of the United States Olin Browne
* Flag of South Africa Ernie Els



* Flag of Australia Nick Flanagan
* Flag of the United States J. J. Henry
* Flag of Sweden Fredrik Jacobson
* Flag of the United States Rocco Mediate
* Flag of the United States Phil Mickelson

European Tour

* Flag of Denmark Thomas Bjørn
* Flag of New Zealand Michael Campbell
* Flag of Italy Emanuele Canonica
* Flag of England Nick Dougherty
* Flag of Sweden Niclas Fasth
* Flag of Scotland Alastair Forsyth
* Flag of Scotland Stephen Gallacher
* Flag of Argentina Ricardo González



* Flag of South Africa Anton Haig
* Flag of Thailand Thongchai Jaidee
* Flag of England Barry Lane
* Flag of Northern Ireland Graeme McDowell
* Flag of Wales Phillip Price
* Flag of England Robert Rock
* Flag of Germany Marcel Siem
* Flag of England Oliver Wilson

LPGA Tour

* Flag of Paraguay Julieta Granada
* Flag of the United States Leta Lindley
* Flag of the United States Carolina Llano



* Flag of the United States Morgan Pressel
* Flag of Sweden Annika Sörenstam
* Flag of Japan Momoko Ueda

Champions Tour

* Flag of the United States Jim Colbert
* Flag of the United States Dave Eichelberger
* Flag of the United States Bruce Fleisher



* Flag of Ireland Mark McNulty
* Flag of Argentina Eduardo Romero

Nationwide Tour

* Flag of the United States Bubba Dickerson



Legends

* Flag of England David Leadbetter
* Flag of the United States Johnny Miller



* Flag of the United States Arnold Palmer
* Flag of South Africa Gary Player

Financial

In 1992, Callaway Golf went public on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Company announced a dividend of $.07 per share, payable September 20, 2007, to shareholders of record as of September 6, 2007.

History

Callaway Golf Company was founded by former Burlington Industries textile president, Ely R. Callaway, Jr. Callaway was raised in Lagrange, GA and was a graduate from Emory University. Callaway became very successful in the textile industry and was very fond in playing golf. At games, Callaway would use clubs by Hickory Sticks. The clubs were constructed of hickory-shafts with a steel core. At that time, Hickory Sticks was owned by Richard Parente and Dick De La Cruz. As Hickory Sticks started running low on funds, they sought investors to help the company and approached Callaway. At the time, he had just sold his vineyards for a $9 million profit. Then in 1982, he bought half of Hickory Sticks, the company was renamed to Callaway Hickory Stick USA. In 1984, Callaway bought the rest of the company for $400,000. In 1983, he became president and moved the company to Carlsbad, California where he sold clubs out of his Cadillac. The company eventually changed to its present name in 1988. [3]

In 1986, Callaway hired a billiard cue designer, Richard C. Helmstetter, as a consultant. Helmstetter later became chief club designer that same year and introduced computer-controlled manufacturing machines. With his help, the company developed the original Big Bertha driver using large-volume (190cc) steel clubhead. The Big Bertha driver grew to 290cc in 1997.[4]

In 1996, the company hired Roger Cleveland as chief club designer and in 2002, launched the Callaway Golf Forged Wedges. These wedges were constructed from carbon steel and a face with modified U grooves.[5]

In that same year, Callaway announced the development of a new golf ball. Callaway Golf spent three years developing its new golf ball and a state-of-the-art production facility. The company’s entry into the market represented a $170 million investment in the research and development of the ball, construction of the 225,000-square-foot production facility, and development and purchase of special manufacturing equipment. Callaway’s manufacturing facility and its equipment were designed specifically for the unique production requirements for the new ball.

Callaway Golf Ball Company engineers, recruited from Du Pont and Boeing, used aerodynamic computer programs (first used by Boeing and General Electric) to evaluate more than 300 dimple patterns and more than 1,000 variations of ball cores, boundary layers, and cover materials to create the new Rule 35 ball. Callaway engineers designed only two models of the Rule 35 ball—choosing to develop a "complete-performance" ball rather than separate balls developed for spin, control, distance, and durability. Ely Callaway explained the company’s product development objectives as follows: "We have combined all of the performance benefits into one ball so players no longer need to sacrifice control for distance, or feel, or durability. Each Rule 35 ball contains a unique synergy of distance, control, spin, feel and durability characteristics. This eliminates confusion and guesswork in trying to identify the golf ball that is right for each individual golfer."[6]

In 1997, Odyssey Sports was acquired expanding Callaway's line of putters.[1] This eventually led to the release of the Odyssey White Hot putter line in 2000.

Ely Callaway resigned in 1996 stepping aside for Donald H. Dye to take over as CEO and President, but Callaway would continue to be part of the company in a promotional role. He later returned in 1998 to reassume his leadership position but died of pancreatic cancer on July 5, 2001 which left the position to Ron Drapeau.[7]

In 2003, Ron Drapeau, announced the intended purchase of Top-Flite Golf, as well as its Ben Hogan Golf division, soon after it filed for Chapter 11. Following competition from Adidas the acquisition would eventually cost Callaway Golf $169 million.[2]

Callaway Golf Company

Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY) is an American sporting goods company based in Carlsbad, California, specializing in golf. They manufacture a full range of golf equipment, including woods, irons, wedges, putters and golf balls, and also license the Callaway brand name for apparel, footwear, timepieces and accessories.

Callaway Golf also market products under the Odyssey putter brand, acquired in 1997,[1] as well as the Top-Flite, Strata and Ben Hogan golf brands picked up following the bankruptcy of Spalding's former golf division in 2003.[2]