| Callaway Golf The Home of Big Bertha Ely Reeves | | | | company was working to develop cutting edge Fusion |
| Callaway, Jr., the president of Burlington Textile, was | | | | irons. |
| an avid golfer. When he player, Callaway always used | | | | Six years later, Callaway introduced its forged |
| wooden golf clubs manufactured by a company called | | | | wedges. Constructed with carbon steel, the golf |
| Hickory Sticks. Like many of the old wooden club | | | | wedges featured a club face that contained special U |
| manufacturers, Hickory Sticks was in financial difficulty | | | | shaped grooves. Soon Callaway was offering a |
| and began looking for investors to bail them out. One | | | | complete line of high tech golf woods, irons, wedges |
| of the people they approached was Callaway. He had | | | | and putters. Many of these are featured in our Golf |
| just sold his wine vineyards for a nice profit and was | | | | Equipment and Tips articles and videos. |
| looking for a new investment. Why not, he thought, | | | | Also in 2002, Callaway introduced their own golf ball. |
| combine business with pleasure. | | | | Their engineers used sophisticated computer programs |
| In 1982, Ely Callaway purchased 50% of Hickory Sticks | | | | to analyze and evaluate hundreds of dimple patterns |
| and changed the company's name to Callaway | | | | and over 1,000 golf ball cores and cover materials. The |
| Hickory Sticks, USA. Six years later the Hickory Sticks | | | | result was the Rule 35 ball that combined distance, |
| name was dropped all together. | | | | control, spin and durability into one golf ball. |
| Realizing that golf club manufacturing was on the brink | | | | Today Callaway, through its acquisitions and internal |
| of a technical explosion, Callaway knew the company | | | | development, sells golf clubs and accessories under |
| needed a new direction. In 1986 he asked Richard | | | | the Callaway, Ben Hogan and Top-Flight Brands. Once |
| Helmstetter, of all things a billiard cue designer, to | | | | the home of only Big Bertha, now every golfer, from |
| consult with the company about better club design and | | | | amateur to PGA professional can carry a complete |
| the new technology in materials and manufacturing. His | | | | set of Callaway golf clubs. |
| ideas were well received and he soon became the | | | | Ely Callaway, who took Callaway from those old |
| Callaway Golf's chief club designer. | | | | hickory sticks to one of golf's great innovative |
| Under Helmstetter, Callaway soon introduced | | | | companies, resigned as Chief Executive Officer in |
| computerized club manufacturing and their first major | | | | 1996. Two years later he returned to again run the |
| success was the indomitable Big Bertha driver. The | | | | company, but sadly passed away from pancreatic |
| original Big Bertha had a very large steel club head that | | | | cancer in 2001. |
| measured 190 cubic centimeters. A later version, | | | | Callaway goal is to design and manufacture golf |
| introduced in 1997, grew to 290 cc's. Big Bertha | | | | equipment that will make every golfer a better golfer. |
| revolutionized the golf driver and became the | | | | Golf clubs and accessories from their many brands |
| cornerstone of Callaway Golf. | | | | are frequent visitors to significant publications like the |
| Roger Cleveland, founder of Cleveland Golf, joined | | | | Golf Digest "Hot List" and Editor's Choices. |
| Callaway in 1996 as chief club designer and soon the | | | | |