With the acquisition of Toulon Design, Callaway strengthens its position in the putter category, where its Odyssey brand has been the #1 Putter in Golf since Callaway acquired the brand in 1997. Odyssey is also the #1 Putter across major worldwide Tours, with more Tour wins and major championships than any other putter company this year.

“Sean is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable leaders in the golf equipment industry, and we are excited to have him come aboard to help us continue to lead the putter category with great designs and the highest performing innovations,” commented Chip Brewer, president and Chief Executive Officer at Callaway Golf Company. “With today’s announcement we fortify our position as the number one equipment company in golf and add valuable experience to our leadership team.”

“We are so excited to be joining forces with Callaway and Odyssey,” said Mr. Toulon. “We have been inspired by these two great brands over a long period of time. But what might be even more impressive is the engagement these great brands have with golfers,” he continued. “We have always believed that a deep connection to the game and to those that love it is the key to creating world class products and experiences that golfers love. We feel like we have found the perfect home and look forward to creating incredible products for passionate golfers for many years to come.”

The post Callaway Golf Acquires Toulon Design appeared first on Golf Equipment.

Sometime in the rush of ballspeed-enhancing, face-flexing technology discussions, it can be forgotten that the main trait of a hybrid is to be forgiving. A hybrid’s one job is to not merely replace the corresponding iron but to produce playable results that said iron cannot achieve in a particular player’s hands.

The Steelhead XR builds upon Callaway’s successful line of XR and Apex hybrid technologies, which feature a wraparound cupface. The cupface feature is designed to create more flexible areas around the perimeter of the face to enlarge the are that produces the highest ball speeds.

The new Steelhead XR takes the proven shape of the Apex hybrid, which was aimed at better players, and expands it to make it more forgivable with a large front-to-back dimension, a lower center of gravity, a larger blade length and a larger face. It marks a size and tone complement to Callaway’s just introduced Steelhead XR irons.

“That’s going to allow the face to flex quite a bit more,” says Alan Hocknell, Callaway’s senior vice president of research and development. “We’ve done all sorts of things that are going to help you hit more consistent shots.”

On the other area of forgiveness that might go unnoticed but average golfers might appreciate more than ballspeed gains is the more forgiving sole design. Hocknell says Callaway’s engineering team used computer modeling to study how the sole and turf interact. he result of those efforts is a stepdown sole shape that allows the club to move through the turf more easily, despite the larger size compared to the compact Apex hybrid.

The Steelhead XR hybrid will be available in stores Sept. 2 and will cost $200. It will feature four loft options ranging from 3H-6H, or 19, 22, 22 and 28 degrees.

The post Steelhead XR Hybrid Available in Stores Sept. 2 appeared first on Golf Equipment.