GBR Tuesday - Exclusive Editorial Excerpt – The Unconquerable Game: My Life in Golf & Business by Ely Callaway
Every Tuesday and Friday Morning, We Bring You the Ten-Minute Summary of What Happened Last Week in the Golf Industry While you Were Golfing.
Good morning, GBR friends,
This week, we bring you an exclusive editorial excerpt from The Unconquerable Game - My Life in Golf & Business, the upcoming book by Ely Callaway. Thanks to the generosity of Nicholas Callaway and the team at Callaway Arts & Entertainment, we have the privilege of sharing this first look. It’s an honor to connect the GBR brand with the surname that forever changed the game and industry of golf.
But before that, let’s review what has happened since last Friday in these turbulent days for the golf industry.
Tariffs
Industry
Circuits
Equipment
People to Watch
Exclusive Excerpt: The Unconquerable Game: My Life in Golf & Business by Ely Callaway.
1. TARIFFS
HOW GBR READERS REACTED TO OUR EDITORIAL ON TRUMP’S TRADE WAR TARIFFS
Our last Sunday editorial on Trump's tariffs sparked a significant reaction, with engagement doubling and some dozen responses from readers. Some criticized the tariffs for their economic impact, while others endorsed President Trump or defended his tariffs as a necessary step. Here are the key takeaways:
Many readers expressed worries about rising costs and business uncertainty:
"As an avid golfer and business traveler who spends 60-70 nights a year in the U.S., this unjustified and illegal act against Canada is very disturbing to me. Many U.S. customers will be unhappy with tariffs they are forced to pay."
— Randy Reimer, Canada"I was ready to expand my golf event branding business into the U.S. Now, everything is up in the air."
— Howard Lenick, Canada
Some readers are reconsidering where they play and what they buy:
"I take five or six U.S. golf trips a year, but I’ll replace them with Canadian destinations. Many Canadians—right and left—are united in their anger today."
— Randy Reimer
Several readers defended the tariffs as a way to prioritize U.S. manufacturing and economic interests:
"The golf equipment industry should have transitioned to 'Made in the USA' long ago. I’ll support companies that do."
— Terri Frohnmayer, USA"If the golf industry thinks Trump doesn’t have our best interests at heart, think again."
— Gerry James, USA"In principle, tariffs like these make sense. More money for jobs, health, and infrastructure. But close allies should support each other."
— Tony Martin, Australia
Some readers criticized our editorial stance:
"Your headline is reckless, Tom!"
— Mocini PGA, USA"Quick way to lose subscribers."
— Phillip Tackett, USA"Stop being a bunch of crybabies."
— Phillip Kluesner, USA
A FRACTURED BUT ENGAGED COMMUNITY. One response captured the emotional divide created by these tariffs:
"It’s like when a longtime golfing buddy calls you out on a minor rules-bending that you both let slide before… confusion, anger, dismissal. But in the end, it’s a life-changing moment—not easily forgotten or forgiven. The relationship will never be the same again."
— Craig Fowler, Canada
WHAT´S NEXT. As promised, all our coverage on tariffs, Canada, and Mexico will remain open to all readers. If you’d like to share your perspective, comment below or email newsroom@golfbusinessreview.com.
CHINESE GOLF CART MAKERS MOVE PRODUCTION TO THE U.S. TO EVADE TARIFFS
The latest U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made golf carts have forced manufacturers to relocate production to America to avoid massive duty hikes. As reported by Ji Siqi in the South China Morning Post, the U.S. Department of Commerce has imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 478.09%, a sharp increase from the previous 10% tariff. With the U.S. accounting for over 80% of their market, Chinese producers have little choice but to offshore operations. Zhejiang Taotao Vehicles has already set up a factory in Texas, while Kandi Technologies plans a $100 million lithium-battery facility and a $30 million all-terrain vehicle production line in the U.S. According to the South China Morning Post, industry leaders see Vietnam as a short-term alternative, but some fear it may also face future anti-dumping measures. Zhejiang Taotao’s chairman, Cao Matao, argues that full-scale U.S. production is the only way to secure long-term market access.
2. INDUSTRY
NEWTON GOLF EXPANDS PRODUCT LINE WITH $1 MILLION INVESTMENT. A new $1 million investment will fuel Newton Golf’s efforts to develop advanced golf equipment and accessories. The funding aims to meet evolving golfer needs and strengthen the company’s competitive edge in the industry. Full press release in Yahoo Finance.
SHORE BRAND MEDIA LAUNCHES NEW GOLF MARKETING DIVISION. They will focus on marketing products for golf courses. The initiative aims to help courses enhance their branding and offerings through targeted strategies tailored to the golf industry. With specialized services, the division seeks to elevate course visibility and engagement. Full press release in EIN News.
PIN VISION ENHANCES GOLF EXPERIENCE WITH INTERACTIVE MAP. The new map is set to improve course navigation and player strategy. The tool provides real-time updates and detailed layouts, offering golfers a more immersive and informed experience on the course. This innovation aims to enhance both planning and overall enjoyment of the game. Press release in Golf Business Technology.
GREYSON CLOTHIERS PARTNERS WITH LEGION XIII FOR APPAREL SPONSORSHIP. A multi-year agreement makes Greyson Clothiers the official apparel sponsor for Jon Rahm’s LIV Golf team, Legion XIII. The collaboration includes custom-designed performance wear for team members Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt, and Tom McKibbin. The partnership highlights a fusion of luxury and function in golf fashion. Press release in LIV Golf.
GOLF VX EXPANDS INTO NORTH AMERICA WITH FRANCHISE MODEL. A new 12,000-square-foot indoor golf venue will mark Golf VX’s entry into the North American market. The facility, which features 12 high-tech simulator bays with moving hitting surfaces and high-definition graphics, aims to provide an ultra-realistic golfing experience. This expansion taps into the growing demand for indoor golf. By SGB Media.
GOLFSTATUS IMPROVES DIGITAL TOOLS FOR CHARITY EVENTS. An upgraded suite of event websites from GolfStatus is set to enhance charity golf tournaments and fundraisers. The new platform offers nonprofits advanced tools for event management, participant engagement, and fundraising optimization. These updates aim to maximize the impact of golf-related philanthropy. Press release in Business Wire.
BERMUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY INTRODUCES SKYNAV EXPERIENCE. A first-of-its-kind SkyNav experience in the North Atlantic now allows users to explore Bermuda’s golf courses and landscapes virtually. The Bermuda Tourism Authority aims to enhance tourism appeal through cutting-edge digital engagement. More information available at Bermuda Golf.
3. CIRCUITS
PGA TOUR TO TEST DISTANCE-MEASURING DEVICES IN 2025 TO IMPROVE PACE OF PLAY
Officials confirmed Wednesday that the PGA Tour will allow distance-measuring devices (DMDs) for select events in 2025 as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance pace of play. The move follows previous trials on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Champions and the PGA of America’s 2021 adoption of rangefinders in major championships. While the average shot time has remained around 38 seconds, PGA Tour Chief Competitions Officer Tyler Dennis emphasized that multiple factors—field size, course flow, and tee-time intervals—contribute to overall pace of play. The specific tournaments where DMDs will be tested have yet to be determined. PGA Tour announcement.
DP WORLD TOUR LAUNCHES FREE STREAMING CHANNEL IN NORTH AMERICA AND THE UK
The DP World Tour has partnered with C15 Studio to launch the DP World Tour channel, a 24/7 free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel now available to fans in the US, Canada, and the UK. The new platform will provide year-round golf coverage, including live feature group broadcasts from select Rolex Series events. The channel is accessible on Amazon Prime Video, Fubo, LG Channels, Plex, and Sling Freestream, with Samsung TV Plus set to carry it from February 5, 2025. DP World Tour announcement.
LPGA LAUNCHES SEASON-LONG CELEBRATION OF 75TH ANNIVERSARY
The LPGA Tour has officially launched its 75th anniversary celebration, marking a historic milestone in women’s professional sports. Founded in 1950 by 13 pioneering women golfers, the LPGA has grown globally. The 2025 season features 34 events and a record-breaking $130 million prize fund. The #LPGA75 campaign will honor the Tour’s past, engage fans in the present, and inspire the future. It will begin with the launch of www.LPGA75.com and a decade-by-decade social media tribute throughout the season. LPGA Tour announcement.
PHIL MICKELSON DOUBLES DOWN ON LIV GOLF’S FUTURE SUCCESS
As LIV Golf enters its fourth season next week in Riyadh, Phil Mickelson remains convinced that the Saudi-backed league is here to stay, citing its fan-friendly experience as a key differentiator from the PGA Tour. Speaking on The Joe Pomp Show, the six-time major winner argued that LIV’s relaxed atmosphere, music, fan zones, and family-friendly setup create a more enjoyable and less stressful environment for spectators, especially parents with young children. Unlike the structure of PGA Tour events, Mickelson believes LIV fosters a more inviting and entertaining experience that encourages fans to return. The full story is written by Golf.com’s Josh Schrock and can be read here.
4. EQUIPMENT
PING EXPANDS PLD MILLED LINE WITH THREE NEW PUTTERS
PING has quietly expanded its PLD Milled putter line, adding three new models—the Anser 30, Anser 4D, and Kushin—bringing the series to 15 distinct designs. The Anser 30, featuring a long plumber’s neck, offers a nostalgic twist for players who prefer a different feel from traditional neck styles. The Anser 4D, a deeper and wider version of the classic Anser blade, bridges the gap between a blade and mid-mallet, catering to strong-arc putters with its slant neck design. Meanwhile, the Kushin, a wide blade with a spud hosel and double-bend shaft, is face-balanced, making it ideal for straight-stroke players. With these additions, PING continues to expand its premium milled putter offerings, providing tailored performance for a variety of putting strokes. More details on the full lineup are available at PINGPLD.com.
5. PEOPLE TO WATCH
Ben Sharpe, Managing Director & President of Callaway Golf EMEA, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the upcoming Golf Accountancy Matters Workshop & Business Conference, set to take place at Kingswood Golf & Country Club in Surrey on February 27. Sharpe will share insights on the UK and global golf industry, discussing current trends, challenges, and future opportunities. Golf Business News.
6. EXCLUSIVE EDITORIAL EXCERPT
We are honored to present an exclusive first look at The Unconquerable Game: My Life in Golf & Business by Ely Callaway. Our deepest thanks to Nicholas Callaway and the entire team at Callaway Arts & Entertainment for making this possible. Ely Callaway’s journey—from textiles to wine to revolutionizing golf—offers invaluable lessons in business, passion, and innovation. We hope you enjoy this special preview.
This title will be released on March 25, 2025, but you can already pre-order it on Amazon.
THE UNCONQUERABLE GAME
My Life in Golf & Business
Ely Callaway
Chapter 1 | DEMONSTRABLY SUPERIOR AND PLEASINGLY DIFFERENT
How a Chance Discovery of a Hickory Stick Led to the Creation of Callaway Golf
The Power of a Good Story
As long as you've got a good story, you can convince anybody of almost anything. I've been around quite a while, and I have told an awful lot of stories. Sixty years ago, in 1941, one of my stories convinced the New York Mafia to help me, a 21-year-old skinny kid from LaGrange, Georgia, procure $350 million worth of uniforms ($4.2 billion in 2001 dollars) for the U.S. Army during the Second World War. Over 25 years ago, in 1974, I persuaded the Bank of America to loan me a million dollars on the basis of a few sips of wine. And 10 years ago, in 1991, I prophesied to the golfers of the world that if they tried a strange-looking driver with a funny name and a funnier sound, made by an itty-bitty company that they had never even heard of, it would change their lives and the game of golf forever.
I'm 82, and I've lived at least four lives: each one had a different career, a different home, a different wife, lots of golf throughout, and a few bits of hard-earned wisdom I carried from one life into the next. When we look back on our lives, we have a tendency to rewrite history – not to change the past but to justify the outcome and make ourselves look better. I will do my best in telling my story to be as forthcoming and accurate as I can, because the most important lesson I've learned in business and life is that there is only one story worth telling: the honest and true one. I will go to my maker saying that to anyone who will listen.
Speaking of the hereafter, I recently decided what I'm going to have engraved on my tombstone – but I better not give away the ending just yet. A few years back, a lady friend asked me, "Ely, you're always going out to dinner, so how do you stay so slim?" And I told her, "Because I never shut up long enough to take a bite of my food."
The story of Callaway Golf began nearly two decades ago, in the summer of 1982, and my chance encounter with a most peculiar golf club. That morning was pretty hot, as I recall, about as hot as it gets in Palm Springs, California. I was at the brand new Vintage Club in Indian Wells, walking through a trailer that served as the temporary pro shop. I was getting ready to go out and play some golf by myself. A few months before this, I had sold my winery, Callaway Vineyard & Winery, to whiskey giant Hiram Walker. Here I was, without a job, feeling too young to be retired, and looking for something new. I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I was about to find out.
Strolling through the shop, an unusual wedge on display caught my eye. It had a beautiful hickory shaft that looked at least as old as I did – and I was old enough to have cheered for Bobby Jones when he'd won the Grand Slam 52 years earlier in 1930. I remember thinking, "What in the world is that?" The clerk behind the makeshift counter assured me this "Hickory Stick" was new merchandise and not the bygone variety. Intrigued, I paid the $100 price, about double the going rate for a normal wedge, and headed out toward my golf cart.
I was wearing my usual straw hat, polyester slacks, knit shirt, and white golf shoes – the uniform of the corporate retiree. My cart was number three in the queue, the one with the bag full of MacGregor Muirfield irons strapped to the back. Muirfields were designed and promoted by Jack Nicklaus. The Golden Bear himself owned 20 percent of MacGregor, and the 80 percent owner, Clark Johnson, was a pioneer resident at The Vintage and a golfing buddy of mine. Johnson had gotten Nicklaus to send me the Muirfields as a gift. They were good enough to use, but not good enough to rave about, so I never did.
I slid the Hickory Stick into the middle of the Muirfields with their shiny steel shafts and metal heads. It stuck out like a blowgun in a reunion of rifle barrels. Other golfers were available for twosomes, threesomes, or foursomes, but since testing a new club can drive other players nuts, I decided to play the round solo. The starter gave me the thumbs up, and I headed for the first tee on these lush 18 holes that had sprouted in the California desert. It was a magnificent layout. The sand traps were indigenous, while the grass, palm trees, and color-coordinated flower beds were imported. A second golf course was under construction, along with several clusters of expensive houses and condos. My fourth wife, Cindy, and I had moved into one of the condos on the edge of a manufactured lake along the tenth hole of Course 1.
I had been coming to Palm Springs to golf since the 1950s, when it was already a playground for the rich and famous, though not nearly the golf resort mecca we might think of today. The Vintage was only five minutes from Eldorado Country Club, where I'd been an early member since it opened in '57, playing with former presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Gerald Ford and assorted captains of industry (with a few lieutenants thrown in). The Vintage was trying to attract a similar clientele, but not so exclusive that they'd exclude me. I was attracted to its two golf courses and the fact that Cindy and I could split time between our condo here and the one we'd bought at Bear Creek, another golf community 75 miles to the northwest.
Bear Creek was our summer home, and The Vintage was our winter home, the way some people have a winter home in Florida and a summer home on Cape Cod. After one career in the textile business and another in the wine business, I had arrived at age 62 with money in the bank and a Rolls-Royce in the garage, and plenty of time to improve on my game.
With the Eisenhower Mountains in front of me and the sprinkler heads popping up like groundhogs all around the 6042-yard par 72 course, I started to play my round without warming up on the range. On the first hole, a 346-yard par 4, I hit my five iron twice – first off the tee and again for my approach shot – and reached the green in regulation. On the 348-yard second hole, I pulled out a wood for the first time – a 3-wood – and then hit my 7-iron from the fairway, reaching the green in two again. But on the 400-yard, par 4, number-one-stroke third hole, my approach shot landed 50 yards from the flag in the fairway to the right – the perfect chance for the Hickory Stick to show what it could do.
I removed it from among the Muirfields, addressed the ball, and took a whack. It was heavier than the normal wedge and easy to control – at least, I thought so after the ball landed a foot from the cup. There was something clunky and reassuring about it, like an old toaster or a radio with tubes. When was the last time I had gotten this same feeling from a golf club? It must have been in the 1920s, when I was in grade school.
I shot two over par, an average score for me, but throughout the round, the Hickory Stick kept me close to the flag. I decided to discard the Muirfield wedge in favor of this one. By noon I was leaving The Vintage, passing through the receiving line of royal palms, waving at the guard at the security checkpoint that rivaled the CIA's. With the Hickory Stick in my bag and my bag in the trunk of the Rolls-Royce, I drove back to our summer home, where Cindy had finished a chipping lesson. "You've got to try this new club," I said.
A week later, the phone rang. It was Paula Longstreet, a real estate agent at The Vintage.
"I hear you're playing with a Hickory Stick," she said after we exchanged pleasantries. "Do you like it?"
"Who'd you hear that from?" I asked her.
"Kyle Burton." Burton was the pro at The Vintage.
"I bought it last week and used it once. It's a nice club. Has a solid feel. Is this a consumer survey?"
"Not really," said Paula. "But would you like to meet the guys who make it?"
"Why should I?"
"They sure want to meet you."
"What for?"
"They're looking for investors."
It turned out Burton had spied me with the club and told Paula. Paula had passed the news along to the manufacturers, who were friends of hers. This sighting of the ex-winery owner with cash to burn swinging a Hickory Stick aroused their interest.
"Richard Parente will be getting in touch with you," Paula said. "Is that okay? He's the head of the company."
"Okay," I said, but not very enthusiastically.
Before the receiver had cooled, I got another call. Parente was on the line. He talked in a gravelly voice, at a fast pace. He invited me to visit "the headquarters of Hickory Stick, USA in Temecula."
Temecula, of all places. The winery I had just sold was located there, only 66 miles away. The Bear Creek complex where I had just bought a condo was on the outskirts of Temecula. I'd lived and worked in this remote California cow town for 11 years. When I first got there, it had a population of 275. The shopping district had five stores and one tra≈c light. Up to now, I was sure I knew everybody in the business, from the barber to the horseshoer. That Parente was in Temecula and I'd never heard of him or Hickory Stick, USA was not the kind of news a prospective investor wants to hear. But I was curious.
Hickory Stick, USA
I found the building in the tiny industrial park section a few blocks from Main Street, stuck between an air conditioning repair shop and a self-storage warehouse. It was made of corrugated aluminium, with a garage door for an entrance. The door was open when I approached, and I could see three people scurrying around. The one with the beard came out to the edge of the concrete floor.
This was Parente. The combination of the beard, the plaid shirt, and the blue jeans made him look more like a hippie than the golf pro he said he was. He introduced me to the other two: Tony Manzoni, another golf pro, and Dick De La Cruz, a golf club "consultant."
Behind them around the edges of the room I could see a small refrigerator, two bar stools, several folding chairs, a file cabinet, an aluminum ladder, a desk on which sat an old electric typewriter and a black telephone, and a hide-a-bed sofa. In the middle of the room was a cardboard box filled with clubheads, a pile of wooden dowels, a bunch of steel shafts, a couple of metal workbenches with vice grips attached, and a funny-looking machine.
"What's that?" I asked Parente.
"A gun drill," said Parente. "It's designed to hollow out rifle barrels. We converted it to peacetime use. Let me give you a demonstration."
I stood on the sidelines and watched as Parente grabbed a 40" dowel from the heap on the floor. He clamped it down in the path of the drill and pulled the trigger. With a loud wham, the drill blew a hole through the entire length of the dowel.
"Never in history has anybody done this," Parente said. I believed it.
He removed the dowel from the gun drill and carried it to a workbench, along with a steel shaft he picked up from the group of shafts. He slathered the shaft with glue and shoved it into the hole in the dowel, the way a doctor inserts a pin into a leg bone.
"This hybrid shaft steel on the inside and wood on the outside is the key to the Hickory Stick concept," Parente explained. "We make putters and wedges like the one you bought the same way. Once we attach a clubhead on one end and a grip on the other and do a bit of sanding and polishing, the club is ready for the sales and marketing department."
"Get the man a brochure," Parente said to Manzoni, who turned out to be the sales and marketing department. Manzoni ambled over to his desk and returned with their only advertising piece, printed so it looked like a handwritten note on a Hallmark card: "The harsh feel of the standard wedge can be greatly reduced by the Hickory Stick. The natural wood absorbs harsh vibrations, producing a soft feel golfers raved about before the advent of steel shafts."
"You can keep it," Manzoni said after I finished reading. His job was to man the desk and work the phone, trying to convince pros at various golf courses to carry the Hickory Stick in their pro shops. I sensed he wasn't having much luck, so I said:
"Are you guys about to go busted?"
"As a matter of fact," said Parente, "we are."
Parente described how they had run up a tab with various suppliers, including Tru-Test for the shafts and another manufacturer for the clubheads. After having made several rescue loans, their bankroller, an airline pilot named Paul Sanders, was cutting off the credit line. Without a cash transfusion, Hickory Stick wedges and putters were on their way to the graveyard of golf equipment.
"Where is Sanders?" I asked Parente.
"He doesn't come around much. He's a silent partner."
I looked around at the dust and the piles of dowels and the sense of impending doom, trying to contain my enthusiasm.