Golf equipment maker Callaway is severing ties with Good Good after the influential internet golf company’s controversial advertisement that featured one of Good Good’s co-founders pushing over a female member of their team.
“Over the last several days, we have listened and reflected deeply on the hurt and disappointment caused by the video we reposted,” Callaway said in a post on X announcing the decision. “We heard from individuals who shared personal experiences related to violence against women, and their stories were powerful reminders that this issue touches the lives of far too many people.
“Unequivocally, violence against women is unacceptable and should never be trivialized, normalized, or used as entertainment.”
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The advertisement posted last week showed Garrett Clark, one of the co-founders of Good Good, shoulder-checking Alexis Miestowski to the ground as she went to touch his co-branded Good Good x Callaway driver. The advertisement quickly drew immense backlash and was pulled down, with Callaway and Good Good both facing intense questions over how an ad showing a violent act against a woman would be approved and posted.
In its statement, Callaway noted that its processes failed, with the company’s CEO earlier admitting that Callaway reviewed Good Good’s video and approved it before it went live.
“In this instance, our content review process was not comprehensive enough. We have taken appropriate internal corrective actions and significantly strengthened our approval procedures to help ensure this does not happen again,” the statement read.
Callaway will donate $1 million to organizations that work to “prevent violence against women, provide resources to survivors, and advance education and awareness efforts,” the company said.
But even still, the company said it understands many people feel harmed by the advertisement and that hurt is not easy to undo.
“We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt, disappointed, or offended by this incident,” the statement read.
The backlash against Good Good, in particular, has been intense this week.
Multiple reports have indicated major golf retailers are pulling the company’s merchandise from shelves, which would be a significant blow to Good Good’s bottom line if it went on for a lengthy period. While the company made its name with social media videos showcasing their personalities playing golf, its merchandise sales make up a large portion of the company’s revenue.
In a video posted on Wednesday, Clark apologized for his role in the ad, and on behalf on Good Good.
“This is not, at all, what we stand for. The way this ad was received is not how Good Good is and not what we stand for once again. I want everyone to know that. I do not support (domestic violence), abuse or any of that,” he said.
Clark offered “some clarity” on the idea behind the ad, likening it to the 2026 movie “Obsession” directed by 26-year-old YouTuber Curry Barker.
Clark explained that, like the movie, he was supposed to be obsessed with his driver and anybody who touched it would become “possessed with the obsession.”
“Looking back, super dumb ad concept,” Clark added. “Terrible ad in general. Not the greatest idea. … Once I watched it back and it got posted, my skin was crawling. I was cringing. I mean, even just minutes after I saw it get posted, before this surfaced anywhere online, I thought it was the worst ad known to man.”
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Clark described the comments and criticism the ad received as “very justified,” but denounced the hate and death threats Miestowski has received in her social media direct messages.
Good Good was founded in 2020 and is one of the primarily online golf media companies that became popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. The success of Good Good and other companies like it has sparked lots of discourse over whether the boisterous personalities involved in the company’s videos are the best way to promote the game of golf, which traditionally promotes a very staid and demure culture.
The company’s popularity has grown to the point that legacy names in the sport, such as Callaway, have tried to capitalize on its popularity with partnerships. One of the most high-profile partnerships that’s now in jeopardy is The Good Good Championship, a PGA Tour event slated to take place this November in Texas.
The advertisement, and the fallout from the video, have seemingly put that event in jeopardy. Brian Rolapp, CEO of the PGA Tour, called it a “fluid situation” earlier this week.
“We were disappointed at first. It sounds like in the last 24 hours they’ve made some progress. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and see how it develops,” he said in response to a question from CNN Sports.
The-CNN-Wire
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