If you’re watching the F1 Documentary “Drive to Survive” on Netflix, you get a first-hand look at what the teams behind the car must do to ensure optimum performance day in and day out.
On the PGA Tour, it’s no different, the difference between success and struggle comes down to inches, feet, and yards, and like F1, Callaway has a team of performance technicians that live by those same elevated standards. That endeavor requires the highest level of fitting expertise and access to the industry’s best building equipment.
Led by Tour Manager Jacob Davidson, the Callaway Tour Performance team makes sure players like Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, and Sam Burns have their tools dialed to a level of precision that most mortal golfers may never experience. This commitment requires a mobile workshop designed to build, fit, analyze, and ideate to satisfy the best golfers in the world.
The Tour Performance team consists of Sr. VP of Sports Marketing Tim Reed, Tour Manager Jacob Davidson, Performance Representatives Kellen Watson and Dean Teykl, Iron and wedge lead Simon Wood, Champions Tour Manager Johnny Thompson, Tour builder Greg Shaw and Odysseys Joe Toulon, and Steve Mata.
This performance team now has an onsite/mobile performance facility that leaves no stone unturned.
“Our vision in designing this mobile tour headquarters was to help Callaway athletes perform at their very best. Everything we do as a company is focused on optimizing players’ bags and providing the best performing equipment in the industry. Each week, we compete in an environment where the smallest details matter, and performance will drive success. The new performance trailer gives Callaway the ability to prepare our athletes for golf’s biggest events like never before.“
-Jacob Davidson Tour Manager, PGA Tour
Welcome to the new Callaway Tour Performance Trailer
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Built by Craftsmen (St. Louis, Mo) in collaboration with Tim Reed and Jacob Davidson, the new Callaway Tour Performance Trailer has two levels, a custom putting lab, proprietary measuring devices and bending machines, four air conditioning units, four flat-screen TVs, two Apple TV’s, all controlled by two iPads, its own secured internal and external wireless network, over five miles of electrical and data cables inside the trailer, two refrigerators, Bluetooth sound system, state of the art ventilation system, two lounges, a coffee bar, a snack bar, an upstairs conference area, and from the top-level the ability to see as far as your eyes will allow.
The new Callaway Performance Trailer also incorporates roof-top solar panels that provide 25-30% of sustainable energy.
Needless to say, they thought of everything.
Before we get into the finer details, here is a quote from Craftsmen Project Manager Jim Fickert that I found interesting; Jim has been involved in multiple builds like these, but this one pushed his creativity to the limits.
“Callaway threw everything but the kitchen sink into this trailer and make no mistake; it’s not just a place to build clubs; it’s a mobile headquarters for the Callaway Tour operation.” “It’s a workshop, an office, and a home away from home for the best players in the world.”
The Specs:
On the Road: 42 Feet Long, 13.6 Feet High, 8.5 feet Wide
Tournament Ready: 42 Feet Long, 20 feet high, 15 feet Wide
What’s Inside:
Odyssey Putting Lab:
“At Odyssey, we are always looking to push the envelope with new technologies and innovations to help all golfers putt better, and that same focus applies to our tour operations. Our new tour truck features a revolutionary Odyssey studio that will change how tour players get their putters dialed in. The studio is equipped with Quintic Ball Roll, which allows us to measure everything about a player’s stroke and ball roll to ensure their equipment suits them. The studio is already paying dividends as we had a non-staff Odyssey user come in last week for a quick check-up, where we confirmed his launch and stroke were ideal. The result? That player finished first in strokes gained: putting.”
-Joe Toulon Odyssey Performance Representative, PGA Tour
State of the Art build tech and machinery:
The perfect combination of new proprietary technology in harmony with old school tools of the trade, the Callaway Performance Trailer houses machinery that allows our Performance Reps to dial in a player to the nth degree. Camera-based loft and lie machines, digital swing weight scales, and Quintic Putting technology are just a few of the tools used in this trailer. This equipment, matched with the best Performance Team on Tour, gives our players an unmatched level of service.
Upstairs Conference Room and viewing deck:
This upstairs meeting area serves multiple functions but is used primarily for our Performance Team to meet with players, agents, and the like to go over stats, new products, goals, etc. At Callaway, we have a proprietary analytics program that can break down a player’s performance from every perceivable angle. This allows our team to address any issues and prepare a plan based on that player’s needs and goals. In many cases, it’s used to optimize a player looking for that last puzzle piece. For example, Sam Burns switched into the Apex TCB irons in late 2020 due to this system and has since risen to #10 in the OWGR.
Roof Top Solar Panels:
Main Floor Lounge and Coffee Bar:
Custom Hat Storage:
The Mission:
This Tour Performance Trailer is beyond just a workshop/office/mobile HQ. It’s our flag; it represents the pursuit of excellence for our players and our team. In each city we visit, we host staff, non-staff, local PGA Professionals, family, and friends week in and week out. We hope that they leave our trailer with the sense that they just experienced a passion, dedication, and level of service that is unlike anything seen in golf. We continue to push the envelope, and this Performance Trailer is one big step in that evolution.
Callaway Tour Performance Trailer Photo Gallery
Tom Lovrine, PGA Life Member
August 30, 2022 at 5:53 pm
Fantastic! I am a PGA Life Member and Quarter Century ‘physically older’ but still into the newest and greatest. As a Callaway VIP pro I am very proud of the way you are going forward and presenting the BEST golf company to the tour and especially the public. This onsite presence shows a commitment I do not think other companies match.
In this era of selfishness and ‘me-gotta-have’ Callaway is CLASS!!!
Johnny Wunder
August 30, 2022 at 6:11 pm
This is humbling. Thank you so much for the kind words.