Photo by Johnson Liu
By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
You may remember the tragic golf ball factory fire that happened at the Launch Technologies golf ball manufacturing factory in Taiwan back in September. Reports of at least nine people killed and more than 100 injured took center stage, and at the same time, stories of golf ball shortages started to crop up.
However, since that time, there have been more questions than answers on the topic, and the notion that the sky is falling on golf practice facilities and pro shops across the U.S. seems to have been unfounded. At least that’s the vibe I’m getting from recent research conducted. In fact, a Golf Digest story of September 26 quoted Seed Golf CEO Dean Klatt as saying that his company would be shuttered for a year due to the impact of the fire. The same article contains a later quote saying it would take “six months to reestablish supply elsewhere.” Just more than two months later and there’s no indication of any of this on the Seed Golf website.
At the time, MyGolfSpy reported that the plant manufactured Callaway ERC Soft and Supersoft balls. There were also tales of Topgolf ball supplies being severely impacted by the fire. However, a customer service representative at Callaway told me today that “a lot of our balls get made in Chicopee, Massachusetts.” When I asked if they were initially impacted but are now manufacturing their golf balls elsewhere to make up for the deficit in Taiwan, the representative simply reiterated that “our main factory is in Chicopee, Massachusetts” and that he’s seen no impact to green grass golf shops’ 2024 pre-orders. In addition, he admitted there were some range balls being manufactured at the plant in Taiwan but that there would be no impact to range ball supplies.
Although Acushnet declined an official comment for this story, they did provide some helpful background information and expressed their lament for the personal impact on the workers in the factory. However, with their golf ball manufacturing plants being self-owned and operated, the makers of the #1 ball in golf will be unaffected on the business side.
So, as a former green grass head professional, I always want to know the situation at the course. I reached out to several green grass professionals to learn what they’re hearing from vendors, and the message seems to be consistent with what Callaway had to say – there’s really nothing to see here.
According to Jim Smith Jr. at Philadelphia Cricket Club, “The information I was given was that the factory produced balls for some of the “fringe” brands; companies like Titleist and Callaway supposedly weren’t hit and since they account for about 98% of our ball sales, I’m not concerned our members and guests will feel any impact.”
Erik Sorensen at Newbury Golf Center near Boston says he’s heard of possible shortages, but he’s ordered golf balls a year and a half out and has been guaranteed by his range ball supplier that his three range ball shipments in 2024 will be unincumbered.
Adam Betz at Family Golf and Learning Center in St. Louis was told that only the Callaway Warbird was affected and that Callaway’s main plants weren’t impacted, which partially jives with what the Callaway phone service rep offered.
Matt Clay of Del Mar Golf Center in California says, “We did hear about the fire and it was a Callaway facility. We use Callaway and Top Flite balls. We pre-book all of our range balls 1-2 years out so we are usually in the cue. This year I have been told we should be okay since the fire impacted Supersoft production more than anything.”
Joel Weitz at Vitense Golfland in Madison, Wisconsin says, “We have had no disruption from our vendors with current orders and possible future orders.”
Some professionals took matters into their own hands from the start. For instance, Ken Morton Jr. at Morton Golf in Northern California “immediately put in on-hand orders for enough product to get us through the end of 2024. As a result, we have a full year’s supply of range balls sitting in our cart barn so that we’re not stuck with what will supposedly be a mucky situation.”
A mucky situation? The level of “muckiness” seems up in the air as 2023 comes to a close. What the new year will hold on this topic is something that will have to play out.
