May 1996
Callaway Golf founder Ely Callaway believes that in order to be a complete golf equipment company, Callaway Golf must offer golf balls in addition to its already extensive club lineup. Among the team of golf ball developers he brings onboard are polymer chemists, aerodynamicists, physicists, manufacturing engineers, experts in golf ball manufacturing and more.
2000
In February 2000, Callaway Golf launches its first golf ball, the Rule 35 Golf Ball, in two offerings—the Firmfeel and Softfeel. The Rule 35 is groundbreaking in that it is the first solid, three-piece golf ball with a thermoset urethane cover. When Callaway Golf Staff Pro Annika Sorenstam comes to the Company’s Test Center to test the Rule 35, she holes her second shot from 165 yards away. She turns to the golf ball engineers awaiting her feedback and asks: “How’s that?” In 2000, Sorenstam wins three tournaments using the Firmfeel and two tournaments using the Softfeel.
In 2001, she wins eight more times with the Softfeel.
When Callaway Golf Staff Pro Rocco Mediate tests a prototype of the Rule 35 at a San Diego-area country club, he loses two golf balls in a water hazard while trying to cut a dog-leg. Callaway Golf’s CEO at the time actually hikes up his pants and retrieves the balls because he doesn’t want to lose the prototypes.
2001
In May of 2001, the CB1 Golf Ball launches with Red and Blue offerings. These two-piece golf balls allow Callaway Golf to carve out a place in the competitive two-piece, value golf ball market.
2001
In September 2001, the CTU 30 Red and Blue Golf Balls are launched, replacing the Rule 35 Golf Ball. These three-piece golf balls improve on the Rule 35 by offering more distance. In 2002, Callaway Golf Staff Professional Rich Beem uses the CTU 30 Red Golf Ball to win the PGA Championship at Hazeltine. (Source: Darrell Survey)
2002
The HX Red and HX Blue Golf Balls arrive. They are Callaway Golf’s first golf balls offering HEX Aerodynamics, which vastly improve flight characteristics and, therefore, provide more distance. In designing the HX Red and HX Blue, Callaway Golf engineers find that low lift at the beginning of a ball’s flight coupled with high lift at the end of a ball’s flight, will maximize distance. At the same time, those flight characteristics make the ball very stable in the wind. This research becomes a fundamental design requirement as Callaway Golf ball engineers move forward with new prototypes.
The first Callaway Golf Staff Professional to hit a prototype golf ball with HEX Aerodynamics is Bruce Fleisher. The Champions Tour player stops by the Callaway Golf Test Center and begins striping tee shots with his driver to within five feet of each other over and over again. Other Tour Professionals on the range stop what they are doing to watch the display. Fleisher turns to the golf ball engineers on hand and says: “That’s one hell of a ball you’ve got there, boys. I’d put it in play right now.”
The HX Two-Piece Golf Ball arrives in May of 2002. Built on the construction of the CB1, the HX Two-Piece also features HEX Aerodynamics, giving it much-improved distance over the CB1.
Built with distance and durability in mind, the Warbird Golf Ball is launched in 2002. How successful was it? Since its launch, more than 6 million dozen Warbird Golf Balls have been shipped by Callaway Golf.
2003
Building on the success of the CB1 and HX Two-Piece Golf Balls, the Big Bertha Golf Ball arrives. By continuing to make advances to the core formula, Callaway Golf ball engineers find more distance and softer feel in this value offering.
2004
The premium, three-piece HX Tour Golf Ball launches. In the HX Tour, Callaway Golf engineers significantly increase the ball speed on a Tour-level golf ball, creating the thinnest cover yet on any golf ball (0.025 inch thick). The HX Tour makes a huge splash on professional tours around the world. Phil Mickelson joins Callaway Golf in late 2004 and is immediately impressed with the Company’s golf balls. He later wins the 2006 Masters with the HX Tour Golf Ball. Over the next three seasons, Callaway Golf Staff Pro Annika Sorenstam uses the HX Tour Golf Ball to win an astounding 23 times on the LPGA Tour, including four major championships. (Source: Darrell Survey)
2005
The HX Tour 56 Golf Ball—a softer, higher-spinning compliment to the HX Tour—debuts.
The HX Tour 56 is the first ball to utilize RIM (Reaction Injection Molding) Technology. RIM injects two liquid components under pressure into a cavity that precisely centers the mantle layer-covered core of the golf ball. When the two components mix, they create a chemical reaction that forms a solid cover material (thermoset urethane) in just seconds. Using RIM Technology leads to a more durable golf ball.
Phil Mickelson tested several prototype golf balls and favored the one that would become the HX Tour 56 Golf Ball. It was due to feedback from Tour Professionals like Mickelson that the Company decided to commercialize the HX Tour 56. The name “56” comes from the ID number on the cavity that was used to make the golf ball. Mickelson won four PGA Tour events using a prototype of the HX Tour 56. He also used the HX Tour 56 to win the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol. (Source: Darrell Survey)
Also in 2005, Callaway Golf debuts the new HX Hot Golf Ball. The Company’s first three-piece distance golf ball, the HX Hot is designed to maximize ball speed and is named to the 2007 Golf Digest Hot List. It is the first Callaway Golf ball that utilizes a Dupont HPF boundary layer. This soft, resilient layer allows for great distance through high speed and lower driver spin with a relatively soft feel.
2006
Recognizing the growth in the women’s game, Callaway Golf launches its first three-piece golf ball designed specifically for women. The HX Pearl Golf Ball features a low compression core which allows players with moderate swing speeds to achieve greater distance. Its lustrous finish offers a unique look and makes it easy to spot.
2007
Ernie Els joins Callaway Golf as a Staff Professional, saying he was initially drawn to the Company by its golf balls. Upon joining Callaway Golf, he immediately puts the HX Tour 56 Golf ball in play then later switches to the HX Tour.
Also in 2007, Morgan Pressel uses the HX Tour Golf Ball to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship, becoming the youngest major championship winner in LPGA history. (Source: Darrell Survey)
2008
Building on the resounding success of the HX Tour and HX Tour 56 Golf Balls on professional tours around the world, Callaway Golf introduces its first four-piece golf balls, the Tour i and Tour ix Golf Balls. The balls feature dual core construction allowing for great distance off the tee while still offering spin around the green. The lower compression inner core provides low spin off the driver for great distance while the higher compression outer core provides high chip-shot spin around the green.
The balls receive great reviews from Staff Professionals like Mickelson, Els, Sorenstam and Morgan Pressel, who immediately put them in play on Tour.
The Tour i and Tour ix continue to attract more and more Tour Professionals around the world to Callaway Golf balls. On the very same weekend in February 2008, Sorenstam and Mickelson become the first two players to win with a Tour i Series Golf Ball; both using the Tour ix (Source: Darrell Survey). On the LPGA Tour, Sorenstam wins the season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay in Hawaii, while Mickelson captures the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust Open at Riviera in Los Angeles.
Two weeks later, Tour i Series Golf Balls enjoy a second double-win weekend. On the same day that Callaway Golf Staff Pro Ernie Els wins the Honda Classic on the PGA Tour using the Tour ix Golf Ball, Callaway Golf Ball Staff Professional Lorena Ochoa uses the Tour i Golf Ball to win the LPGA Tour’s HSBC Champions event in Singapore by an amazing 11 shots. (Source: Darrell Survey)
Visit our Golf Ball section to see the entire 2008 lineup of Callaway Golf balls.