Callaway Golf is a manufacturer of golf equipment based in Carlsbad, California. Its product lines include clubs, balls and bags, and the company licenses its name to appear on golf apparel such as shoes, shirts, watches and other accessories.
It markets products under additional brand names such as Top-Flite, Ben Hogan and Strata. Callaway was founded in 1982 by former textile executive Ely R. Callaway Jr.
Origin
In 1982, Ely Callaway purchased a portion of Hickory Stick USA, a manufacturer of hickory-shafted putters and wedges, giving him a 50 percent stake in the company.
The following year, he became the company’s president and CEO, renaming the company Callaway Hickory Stick USA and moving the company headquarters to Cathedral City, California, near San Diego.
The Next Step
In 1986, Callaway hired noted computer expert Richard Helmstetter to take over the design function for the company’s golf clubs. Using computer-controlled milling machines, Helmstetter oversaw a process where the company produced putters with surfaces that were uniformly flat. This marked the first time that computers were implemented by a golf club company in the manufacturing process.
Radical Development
Callaway renamed the company Callaway Golf in 1988. That same year, the company’s annual sales rose to $4.8 million. The following year, it revolutionized golf club manufacturing by introducing a radical new four-faceted sole design incorporated into a stainless steel perimeter-weighted club. Overall company sales for the year more than doubled, reaching $10.4 million.
Going Public
In 1992, Ely Callaway took the company public and began trading shares on the New York Stock Exchange. He also relocated its headquarters to Carlsbad, California.
The same year, the company’s Big Bertha driver became the No. 1 driver on the men’s Senior PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and the Hogan Tour. For the year, the company reported sales of $133 million.
End of an Era
In 1996, Ely Callaway resigned as president and CEO, giving control to Donald H. Dye. Callaway continued to be involved in Callaway Golf, and returned as CEO in 1998, holding the post until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2001.
He was replaced by Ron Drapeau. In 2008, Callaway introduced I-MIX technology, which it claims will allow a player to create the “perfect” driver. The same year, it also marketed its first golf ball constructed of four pieces, called the Tour i Series.
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