McLaren Enters Golf

The new venture, named McLaren Golf, has slated a full launch of its first products for April 29. Leading the division is CEO Neil Howie, who previously served as the President and Managing Director of Callaway Golf in Europe for nearly three decades before his retirement in December 2024. The move capitalizes on a growing link between Formula 1 and golf. This connection was recently highlighted by the Netflix Cup, a crossover golf match featuring F1 drivers like McLaren's own Lando Norris, an avid golfer, and PGA Tour players. The "Full Swing" golf docuseries on Netflix is also made by the same producers as the popular "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" series. McLaren enters a global golf equipment market estimated to be worth over $8 billion in 2025. The industry is dominated by established brands such as Callaway Golf Company, TaylorMade, and Acushnet Holdings, the parent company of Titleist. This is not the first time a luxury car brand has ventured into golf equipment. Bentley Motors launched a line of clubs a decade ago, while Porsche designed clubs in the late 1990s and 2000s, at one point collaborating with TaylorMade. Additionally, tire manufacturer Bridgestone is a major player in the golf ball market. The company has a history of applying its high-tech expertise outside of motorsport through its McLaren Applied division. It has previously transferred its sensor, data, and simulation technologies to other sports like cycling and even into the healthcare field for training surgeons. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown called the expansion "a natural step" that opens the brand to a new audience. The goal, according to McLaren Automotive CEO Nick Collins, is to create "equipment that is beautifully engineered, meticulously refined and unmistakably McLaren."