Golf club brands. Most GolfWRXers know the golf equipment companies like the backs of their hands. If you can wax poetic about history of the carbon composite crown across driver manufacturers, this article isn’t for you.

Rather, we think it’s a good time to welcome our newbies to the 101 of the golf club business.

So, welcome! Let’s get to know the major players in the golf club game.

Golf club brands: What is an OEM?

First off, the acronym OEM stands for “original equipment manufacturer.“ Simple enough. Interestingly, Hollywood has a similar setup. There are major studios, mini studios, and independents.

They originate, develop, and distribute their products across the globe to retail, online outlets, etc.

So, you might ask, who are the major OEMs? 

TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping, Titleist, Cleveland/Srixon, Mizuno, Cobra all examples of major OEMs. They would be your Warner Bros., Fox, Sony, Paramount, Disney, Universal, and Netflix.

For this exercise, we will do a brief rundown of each major OEM so if you are new, you will know who is who.

Callaway: The keyword here is BIG. In company size, scope, and messaging. Founded by Ely Callaway in 1982, the company first hit the mainstream with its introduction of the Big Bertha Driver and Metal Woods. Since the company’s inception, it has added numerous assets to its portfolio with Callaway Golf balls, Odyssey and Toulon Putters, OGIO, the TravisMathew brand, club design legend Roger Cleveland to head up R&D, and a long-term relationship with hall of famer Phil Mickelson. Not to mention countless PGA Tour victories and major championships.

The golf club brand’s current lineup includes Mavrik Metal woods, Odyssey Putters with Triple Track Technolgy, MD5 Jaws wedges, Toulon Milled putters, and Chrome Soft Golf Balls.

Cobra: Cobra Golf has been an interesting case study in redefinition. Founded in the early ’70s by Thomas Crow, the company saw its first taste of notoriety with the introduction of Baffler technology, that simple idea of putting rails on the bottom of a fairway wood to cut through the rough is still used on Cobra Golf clubs today. What really put them on the global tour stage was the Greg Norman partnership in the early ’90s that garnered a 1993 British Open with the beloved King Cobra Deep Faced Driver (Also used by Tiger Woods to win the 1996 US AM and the 1997 Masters).

This golf club brand’s, ownership of Cobra Golf has gone through some changes since day one, most notably Acushnet and current owner Puma, which, since 2009, has had Rickie Fowler as the face of the brand.

Cleveland/Srixon: Roger Cleveland, Roger Cleveland, Roger Cleveland. The Cleveland brand has him to thank for YEARS of popularity specifically with wedges. His shape, soles, etc are still the foundation of most wedges across the market today. Roger parted ways with Cleveland Golf some years ago to join Callaway, but the brand continued to succeed with notable wins at the Masters (Vijay Singh) PGA Championship (Toms, Micheel, Bradley, Singh), and after aligning itself with Japanese OEM Srixon, a British Open (Shane Lowery).

The Cleveland/Srixon brand as we know it today carries with it not only Cleveland wedges under its umbrella but also the beloved Srixon golf balls and cult classic irons. Staff most notably includes Shane Lowry, Graeme McDowell, Keegan Bradley, and Hideki Matsuyama.

Mizuno: Precision craftsmanship and a history of strong affections in the iron category. No other iron in golf carries with it the loyalty and curiosity of a Mizuno iron, having been the symbol of elite players for the past 30 years. Starting with Nick Faldo’s epic run as World #1 in the early ’90s, running into Tiger Woods winning 3 U.S. Amateurs and a Masters with Mizunos.

The Osaka-based golf club brand has been a worldwide sports equipment OEM for over 100 years with golf being a small portion of the portfolio. Now, having U.S. operations based in Georgia, the company continues to go hard in the iron category but has now added a formidable wedge and metal wood line to its catalog.

Ping: The godfather of the modern golf club is Ping founder Karsten Solheim. The golf industry has him to thank for a number of still used designs most notably the Ping Eye2 iron and Ping Anser putter. The Phoenix-based golf club company has been actively one of the giants in the industry for 50+ years.

Today, Ping’s thumbprint has evolved a bit with a new young tour staff with names like Finau, Champ, Hovland, Bubba Watson, and LPGA star Brooke Henderson. The current catalog includes the G410 metal woods, forged Blueprint irons, and i210 cavity back irons—all being used in heavy rotation on all major tours.

TaylorMade: If we are comparing golf OEM’s to the movie industry, then TaylorMade Golf is Warner Bros. Big, fast, and always pushing the envelope. The Carlsbad based company was founded in 1979 by Gary Adams, and the company has been at the pinnacle of metal wood technology since its inception. With popular offerings like Burner, Burner Bubble, R series, RocketBallz, M Series, and the current SIM, TaylorMade is typically the first one considered when any golfer is purchasing a new driver.

Currently, the company has the ability to equip the bag top to bottom with products that are top of the class in every category. P790 irons, High Toe wedges, TP series golf balls and the previously mentioned SIM metal woods.

From a global brand perspective, TaylorMade has traditionally been an OEM with a robust tour presence among golf club brands, but has since gone to a more concentrated approach with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, and Jon Rahm being the core of the small staff. TM has also been at the forefront of social media strategy with detailed tour interaction and the now-famous marketing shoots held in the fall.

Titleist/Acushnet: As American as apple pie. The Titleist/Acushnet brand has dominated golf for decades. The company founded in 1932 by MIT grad Phillip E. Young has a stronghold on the golf ball patent game, and with the additions of the Scotty Cameron putter line and Bob Vokey wedges, Titleist has a strong portfolio from top to bottom.

Notable staff members past and present include Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, David Duval, Sergio Garcia, and currently Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.