Two of the cardinal rules of learning golf are to keep one’s eye on the ball and swing with the correct technique, both of which require intense focus and lots of practice. While that advice is still sensible, some novice players may have to concentrate a little less to hear the satisfying smack of a ball.
Topgolf announced its latest collaboration with golf equipment giant Callaway for a new addition to its bays intended to help inexperienced golfers make decent contact with the ball, the sport’s most basic but least straightforward component. The addition is a new take on a driver called “The Sure Thing” with a larger club face, increased loft and a shorter shaft, increasing the odds customers hit the ball and hit it with some punch.
Topgolf says the new club is part of its mission to “bring joy” to golf, no matter a player’s skill level.
“The world needs more play in it, and that’s all we’re trying to do at Topgolf – offer a chance for our players to cut loose and have fun, and now they can do it with a club that helps make the game more enjoyable no matter your skill level,” Topgolf Chief Brand Officer Geoff Cottrill said in a press release.
The clubs are not available for sale to the public.
“The Sure Thing” collaboration is not the first between Callaway and Dallas-based Topgolf, which merged in March 2021 in an all-stocks deal valued around $2 billion. The company, called Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp., also owns German outdoor wear retailer Jack Wolfskin, luggage producer Ogio and clothing supplier TravisMathew, and netted more than $4.2 billion in revenue in 2023. Topgolf alone accounted for more than $1.7 billion of that revenue and all of the clubs stocked in its driver bays are produced by Callaway.
Aside from offering customers the ability to play Angry Birds with golf balls and eat chicken wings between swings, Topgolf has emerged as a sizeable retailer of golf gear and operates in many ways a secondary Callaway storefront. Each of Topgolf’s more than 100 locations worldwide includes a pro shop that sells Callaway golf balls, hats, bags and clubs.
“The Sure Thing” is also not Topgolf’s first foray into easing the on-ramp to golf proficiency. All Topgolf facilities offer lessons to those looking to improve, while some employ dedicated “Club Fitters” to help golfers find the right clubs for their skill level and size. The new driver is not for sale but is available at all U.S. Topgolf venues, including those in Dallas, The Colony, Allen and Fort Worth.
“We want everyone to experience the thrill of hitting the ball solidly and into the air, and designing a club with new players in mind is our way of helping to make that happen,” Topgolf CEO Artie Starrs said. “I remember the first time I hit a solid shot into the air as a kid and we want to enable that thrill for everyone! New players are going to love it and experienced players will too.”
