Aptly timed for the arrival of spring and weekend tee times, the Library Society is thrilled to host a name not unfamiliar in America’s favorite leisure sport. Since 1982, Callaway Golf Company has been fueling the greens and tee boxes alike, producing top-quality golf equipment made to last. Ely Callaway Jr. is to thank, having founded the company at the age of 65 in his California garage after a widely successful career in textiles and wine. What many don’t know, however, are the secrets to his success not only as an entrepreneur but also as a golfer, and how his southern roots and upbringing in Georgia shaped this trajectory. We are honored to welcome his son, Nicholas Callaway (a successful publisher and media producer in his own right), just days after pub day to celebrate the launch of Ely’s posthumous memoir, The Unconquerable Game, My Life in Golf and Business, “lost book” of personal stories he edited from his father’s well-lived life, both on the green and off.
If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to purchase one or more signed copies, please call Buxton Books to place your order at (843) 723-1670.
About the Book
Among the 40 million active golfers in the world today, Callaway is recognized by touring pros and amateurs alike for having created the most compatible golf equipment ever made. Indeed, Callaway’s revolutionary approach to research and manufacturing changed the game, and how people approached it, for the largest subset of players in history. However, not many know that the company was founded by one man, Ely Callaway (1919-2001), who, at the age of 65—after enjoying successful careers in textiles and wine—began it as a garage start-up in southern California. Within ten years, Ely (Ee-lee) built the Callaway Golf Company into the largest golf club company in the world and one of the sport’s most prestigious brands. Golf was Ely’s passion project: he had spent 50 years playing the game as an amateur; following the example of his hero and first cousin, Grand Slam winner Bobby Jones; analyzing the golf industry; and reflecting on the true meaning of the game. The success of the Callaway Golf Company was a direct result of its charismatic leader, who made a deep impression on everyone he met. Ely was beloved by millions around the world, from golfers to presidents, pop stars, to corporate titans, and most importantly, the weekend players who often struggled with their game. In the last years of his life, Ely wrote a book about the secrets of his success. He wanted to share his outlook on life with others, and why he kept at “the unconquerable game” for as long as he did. Ely died in 2001 however, before he was able to publish the book. Now, a generation later, the “lost book” of Ely Callaway is finally edited and compiled by his son, Nicholas Callaway, and co-editor, Andrew Moorhead. Here for the first time are Ely’s stories from his lifetime in the game of golf, the people he met along the way, as well as vignettes from his career in business. Ely was a man who loved his work and sport and life, and the wisdom embedded in these pages offers promising life lessons for all.
About the Author
Nicholas Callaway is the Founder & CEO of Callaway Arts & Entertainment, a cross-platform media company that works with renowned artists to bring their work to a global audience. The company creates print, digital, and audio books; computer-animated television series; mobile and tablet applications; design-driven lifestyle brands, and immersive exhibitions. Recent titles include Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine; The Beatles: Get Back; The Sistine Chapel trilogy; Mark Rothko at Pace; and Leonardo by Leonardo. Nicholas Callaway is the son of Ely Callaway, who taught him to play golf starting at the age of five. His father also gave him a camera at the age of seven, and he hasn’t put down his clubs or his camera since. He received his BA in Classics and Visual Studies from Harvard University in 1975 while studying photography with Minor White in the Visible Language Workshop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Nicholas Callaway had his first museum exhibition in 1974 at The Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Massachusetts, of photographs made before and after his first visit to Georgia O’Keefe at her home in Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. Years later, Callaway became O’Keefe’s publisher with One Hundred Flowers, The New York Years, and In the West. He founded Callaway Editions in New York at the age of 26, after four years in Paris, where he studied art and served as the first director of the pioneering photography gallery Galerie Zabriskie. He has two children, Nikeyu and Issey, and lives in East Hampton, New York with his wife Rhea Nair Callaway.
