Backlash from disturbing golf ad opens door for new brands

The GIST: By now, everyone and their mother has probably seen the Callaway and Good Good Golf video where co-founder Garrett Clark shoved fellow golfer Alexis Miestowski to the ground and told her to never touch his new driver. After the ad went viral, the backlash was immediate and continues to grow.

• While the companies’ generic apologies show exactly the kind of brands they are, several golf organizations founded by women or that actually support making golf more inclusive are ready to tee off following the generational foozle.

The response: In the wake of the ad, The GIST social channels asked our community to shout out their favorite golf brands. When it comes to apparel, GISTers loved Erin Bailey and Renwick for their timeless yet functional approach to women’s clothes. Definitely not “shrink-it-and-pink-it” types of designers — although there are still plenty of tasteful pink options.

• You also introduced us to Rosebloom Headwear’s hats for numerous hair types, Birdie Girl Golf accessories designed by a former D1 golfer, a golf-inspired fragrance line from On and Off the Course, and so many more.

The repercussions: Good Good Golf started as four college friends posting fun videos and in six years, turned that brand into a company reportedly worth $60M. With investment from the likes of Peyton Manning and nearly 2M YouTube subscribers, it was set to take off this year.

• Now thanks to a tone-deaf ad, deflection, and non-apologies, Front Office Sports reported that its products were pulled from Golf Galaxy and its parent company, Dick’s Sporting Goods. Its new show on the Golf Channel was postponed after a sponsor requested to be removed, and the Callaway driver featured in the spot is no longer available for purchase.

Zooming out: When there are so many forces set on making women in sports feel small, it’s nice to know there are people who don’t think violence against women is a good way to sell a golf club. It’s still TBD on how far the fallout will go, but at least there are good brands to support the growth of women in golf, a number that increased 45% since 2020 and totals over 8M. Here fore that.