CLUB MAKERS
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ELY CALLAWAY
Following a tremendous run in textiles in New York,
then in wine-making in Southern California, it was in-
evitable that Ely Callaway's final act would be golf. After
all, the charismatic Georgian happened to be a distant
cousin of Bobby Jones. In 1984, Callaway invested in
Hickory Stick clubs, which soon led to full-fledged
launch into Callaway golf clubs, and eventually a com-
plete line of equipment, apparel and accessories. Most
memorably, the company launched the overwhelmingly
popular oversized "Big Bertha" driver in 1991, which
fundamentally changed the industry. Each subsequent
new product launch had to abide by Callaway's credo
that it be "demonstrably superior, pleasingly different."
Ely Callaway died in 2001 at 82, from pancreatic cancer.
ROGER CLEVELAND
Growing up in Long Beach, California, Roger Cleve-
land took to golf at age 12, and was breaking 80 within
18 months. After some starts and stops in the equip-
ment business, he launched Cleveland Classics in 1979,
designing classic-looking clubs that incorporated
modern technology. Cleveland Classics attracted a
stable of high-flying Tour pros, especially after the
1988 debut of the 588 wedge, which patinaed over
time. Roger Cleveland sold to Rossignol, a Swiss ski
company in 1990, which changed the company name
to Cleveland Golf. Roger stuck around for another five
years, then returned to club design – this time for Call-
away, where he's hung his shingle for 22 years, creating
wedges for the likes of Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson.
KARSTEN SOLHEIM
Norwegian-born Karsten Solheim emigrated to Seat-
tle, Washington, in 1913 and eventually pursued a career
in engineering. While working for General Electric, the
inveterate tinkerer created the first PING putter in 1959,
which featured the revolutionary concept of perimeter
weighting. He soon founded Karsten Manufacturing in
Phoenix. After Julius Boros won on the PGA Tour in
1967 with PING's Anser putter, business soared. He
utilized the same concept with cavity-back, investment
cast irons in 1969, and perfected it soon after with the
PING Eye series. The technology enabled off-center hits
to result in still acceptable height and distance. It was a
game-changer. Karsten Solheim died at 88, from com-
plications from Parkinson's disease.
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