Equipment season takes huge twist as TaylorMade SUES Callaway over ball claims

The devil is in the details when it comes to selling top-end golf equipment, and brands are as naturally hawkish watching what their competitors are doing in the market as they are worried about themselves.

This has led to countless legal battles over the years, however it's exceedingly rare that two of golf's big five original equipment manufacturers lock horns in court. However that may soon be set to change, as TaylorMade has filed a lawsuit against Callaway's parent company, Topgolf Callaway Brands, in court this week over issues with the latter's claims in its latest golf ball marketing.

News of the claim first emerged earlier this week courtesy of industry insiders Front Office Sports, who reported that TaylorMade have alleged false advertising, unfair competition and trade libel, citing in particular Callaway’s marketing of its new Chrome Tour golf balls. Check out our video below for a brief explanation, and read on for a full breakdown.

Why is TaylorMade suing Callaway?

As just mentioned, TaylorMade's dispute lies in the marketing campaign surrounding Callaway's new flagship Chrome Tour golf ball range and its construction compared to its competitors. 

Paint consistency has been a growing talking point in the manufacturing and marketing of golf balls in recent years, as imperfect and inconsistent application has been found to create negative performance characteristics when it comes to ball flight. Callaway introduced a new paint treatment with the new Chrome Tour line to address this, and it's the manner in which they've gone about showcasing this with which TaylorMade have taken umbrage.

In the suit, TaylorMade alleges that Callaway sales representatives and brand ambassadors have been demonstrating perceived imperfections on the paint covering of its own TP5 golf balls, going so far in one cited (and alleged) example to describe a perceived paint imperfection on a TaylorMade TP5 as resembling a “gigantic piece of mud”.

In TaylorMade's view, the implication put forward by Callaway in this activity is clear: paint imperfections cause mud ball-like performance, and this is exactly what's happening on TP5 golf balls.

TaylorMade, however, disputes this claim, describing it in their suit as a "marketing contrivance” and stating that Callaway's method of showcasing these perceived imperfections – by putting the balls under a UV light – is inherently flawed. Per MyGolfSpy, "the company contends UV brightness and cosmetic appearance under black light have no reliable relationship to real-world golf ball performance."

What happens next?

Callaway are yet to officially respond to the suit, however it's likely we'll see them fight their corner in responding to TaylorMade's claims in the weeks or months to come. Whether this leads to a lengthy court battle or, in the far more likely scenario, a quiet settlement, remains to be seen.