The TaylorMade Golf Company is based in Carlsbad, California. Originally founded by Gary Adams in 1979, TaylorMade has since been acquired by German-based Adidas. The company initially made its name through the metal woods invented by Adams, and has expanded into irons, putters, bags, clothing, golf balls and shoes. With the acquisition by Adidas in the late 1990s, TaylorMade expanded its global presence, which continues to this day.
History
Since Gary Adams created the TaylorMade Golf company in 1979, it gained and maintained a reputation for being on the cutting edge of technology. The first premier product offered by TaylorMade was the metal wood that Adams invented. The company remained privately owned until the Adidas Group acquired it in 1997. Adidas's focus shifted to becoming the No. 1 driver producer in the market. TaylorMade shifted its product emphasis and exceeded $1 billion in revenue for the first time in 2006. The Burner line of drivers, released in 2007, quickly became the best-selling driver line of the company's history. In 2008, the company sold the Maxfli brand to Dick's Sporting Goods while retaining the rights to the Noodle golf ball.
Significance
Only two years after TaylorMade hit the market, the company had its first PGA Tour victory. Ron Streck won the Houston Open in 1981 playing a TaylorMade driver. The company followed on the heels of his success by releasing full wood and iron sets for public sale and saw company sales exceed $1 million for the first time. By 1982, the number of tour pros grew to seven, including one LPGA player.
Products
TaylorMade is best known for its Burner, R7 and R9 line of golf drivers. It also produces sets of irons, fairways woods and a wide range of wedges to complement each line of clubs. The Rossa-branded putting line has not garnered as large a market share as the other clubs the company has made. TaylorMade was also one of the first golf club manufacturers to offer interchangeable weights, with the introduction of its R7 Quad driver, permitting the golfer to change the playability of the club.
Identification and Internationalization
The TaylorMade brand is associated with the "T" emblem and the "TaylorMade" name. The Burner line of clubs uses a "B" emblem surrounded by flames, and both brands use a color scheme of silver, black, red and white. Since the company's acquisition by the Adidas group, its reach has expanded to include all major continents for sales of TaylorMade-branded emblematics and golf equipment.
Tour Professionals
Some of the notable PGA tour professionals who had used TaylorMade clubs and products as of 2009 included Sergio Garcia, Corey Pavin, Kenny Perry, Mike Weir, Sean O'Hair and Y.E. Yang. The most notable LPGA professional to use TaylorMade clubs was Paula Creamer.
About The Author
Based in Memphis, Jackson Lewis has been writing on technology-related material for 10 years with a recent emphasis on golf and other sports. He has been freelance writing for Demand Media since 2008. Lewis holds a Master of Science in computer science from the United States Naval Postgraduate School.
