'Mistakes were made': Controversial ad showing a male golfer shoving a woman to the ground puts Callaway Golf in hot water

The ad, created by Good Good for their Callaway Quantum Max Driver collaboration and released in mid-August, caught immediate backlash for its depiction of male violence against a woman. Callaway Golf CEO Chip Brewer later issued an apology, admitting that the ad was approved by the company and that “mistakes were made and we are taking the matter very seriously.”

“What’s mind-boggling, from a public relations perspective, is how many people presumably had an opportunity to look at this concept before it went out into the world,” Jay Revell, president of PR and branding firm Revell Media, told Moneywise. “This wasn’t simply a random influencer posting something inappropriate. Somewhere along the way, the guardrails failed.”

Good Good’s founder and CEO Matt Kendrick also apologized, adding that the ad was meant to parody the film Obsession but “missed the mark.”

“The golf industry has spent years trying to shed its ‘boys’ club’ reputation and attract more women,” Ellen Hyslop, co-founder of The GIST, a female-founded sports media company, told Moneywise. “For one of the sport’s biggest brands to approve a campaign that turns violence against a woman into a punchline directly undermines that progress.”

Women are driving golf’s growth

Women, meanwhile, are among golf’s fastest-growing player demographics.

In May, the National Golf Foundation (NGF) reported a 45% increase in female golfers between 2020 and 2025, compared to a 12% rise among men, giving them a record-high 28% representation rate. Additionally, a 2025 NGF report referred to women’s numbers in golf as “vital to the game’s future health.”

“Not to make it into this Big Thing, but what on earth are young girls supposed to think when they see something like this?” Skratch Golf’s Claire Rogers wrote on X.

Alison Root, the women’s editor at Golf Monthly, added that “It’s bad advertising, profoundly unfunny on many levels, and out of step with where the game is trying to go.”

Neither Callaway or Good Good responded to Moneywise's request for comment, but Hyslop, for one, doesn't believe the companies can mulligan their way out of the controversy.

“Look at the comments from girl dads, male golfers and others who saw the ad and immediately recognized that it crossed a line.”

Evan Nierman, founder and CEO of the global crisis PR firm Red Banyan, told Moneywise that while the ad isn’t likely to cause anyone to walk away from the sport, “first impressions matter, especially when trying to bring new audiences into a sport,” and new audiences look for signals that they belong.

“Companies have a responsibility to make sure those signals match the values they promote,” he said.

In terms of values, Callaway’s Brewer, in his apology, called the brand a “positive force for diversity and inclusion in the game of golf.” Callaway is also still listed among the “proud partners” of the LPGA Tour. And Good Good reportedly plans to donate proceeds from the ad campaign to a women’s organization.

Hyslop, though, says that “the scale of the backlash shows how much power women now have within the sport” and that she expects to see women continue to play despite the controversy.

“Women aren’t going to abandon golf because of Callaway. But they, and others, can absolutely abandon Callaway,” she added. “They can choose different clubs, support different brands, and give their attention and loyalty to companies that better reflect their values.”

The backlash already has Callaway’s business partners in the rough

As for the potential business fallout for Callaway and Good Good, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp called the ad “concerning,” saying that Good Good’s response “was a bit defensive and late” and that they’ll “continue to monitor and work with them moving forward.”

He wouldn’t say for sure if a planned November Good Good championship tournament was still a go, but the Golf Channel reportedly postponed a reality show made in conjunction with the company after a sponsor pulled out. Golf Galaxy and Dick’s Sporting Goods also pulled Good Good merch from their stores.

On August 27, Callaway officially cut ties with Good Good and committed $1 million to support organizations working to prevent violence against women. In response, Good Good took to social media to reveal they would “step away” as sponsor of the tour event in Austin.