Ely Callaway is remembered as the versatile and charismatic business leader who founded the Callaway Golf Company, the world’s largest maker of golf clubs, when he was 63. He died in 2001, having grown a four-person company into a multi-billion corporation valued at approximately $3 billion today. The backbone of his company’s success was the “Big Bertha” driver, developed in 1991, that allowed even mediocre players to get the ball airborne more quickly and with more distance.
A book, The Unconquerable Game: My Life in Golf and Business, is set for release on April 29. Started by Callaway, himself, before his death in 2001, the autobiography was completed by his son, Nicholas Callaway. Alongside it, an audio book will also be released that, for the first time, features an AI-engineered replica of Ely’s beloved voice. “The book is almost a guide/handbook on how he confronted failure and crisis to lead to his ultimate path,” says Callaway. To celebrate the release of the book in Palm Beach — where Ely spent time in the 1950s — two events are planned. The Colony Hotel will present The Living Room Series with Nicholas Callaway on March 26th from 5–7 p.m. and The Palm Beach Book Store will host a book signing on March 27th from 5–7 p.m.
Here, Callaway muses about his charismatic dad who was known for his kindness and southern charm.
Why did you feel inspired to complete this book?
My father was a real visionary and I felt those visions, and the principles by which he lived, are still really relevant today. His simple, yet solid advice is so valuable for this generation of youth, especially with the complicated world we live in today.
Tell us a bit about his three different careers.
He was President of Burlington Industries, the U.S. fabric maker, from 1956-1973. That would prove to be advantageous later when he opened up the Callaway Golf apparel division. My dad was a super stylish man and really took Burlington from an industrial-based company to one that was customer facing. He worked there during the real rise of American fashion. When he left Burlington, he followed his passion for wine and started a winery in Temecula, California and then founded Callaway Golf in 1982 at the age of 63. I do believe he would say that what he was most proud of were the businesses he created, despite the obstacles he sometimes faced.
What did you enjoy most about completing his book?
Meeting the hundreds of people that were touched by him in their lives. Each one told me stories about how he was such an important figure for them and how he inspired them to be their best through his care and his integrity. So many asked what they could do to help with the project and I remember one former employee specifically saying, “Let me know what I can do to help spread his magic.”
What surprised you the most when you worked on this project?
The enormous leaps of faith and risk my father took in his life and in business. He was successful in his careers, but not without experiencing lots of failure. He had an incredible optimism and just never got discouraged. In each career he had, he risked it all and had an unshakeable confidence in his vision. Ultimately, it taught me to always keep going, no matter what.
Did he teach you how to play golf?
Well, let’s just put it this way, I learned to walk on the 18th fairway of the Wee Burn Country Club in Darien, Connecticut, where I grew up. My father started playing golf at three years of age and spent 50 years playing as an amateur. He really understood the spirit of the game and it was incredible to have a lifetime of playing with him. It’s a wonderful way for parents and their children to connect.
What did Ely love most about golf?
Great question. I have to say it has to do with the title of the book, The Unconquerable Game. I think what he knew most was that in order to master the game, you had to master yourself.
What was the biggest thing golf has taught you?
That you need to learn to put ego aside and use the game as a positive outlet for your frustrations and fears. In all the years I saw him play, my father never lost his patience, never once. That taught me a lot. He played for the sheer joy of it. He always said, “hit til you’re happy,” and in his later years, never even kept score.
How did the AI narrated audiobook idea arise?
Well, everyone knew his voice really well, it was incredibly distinctive. He was a master storyteller and would just seduce people with his tales. The book was written in a very conversational style and as a publisher for 45 years I thought, well, what if we could hear that voice?
Tell us a bit about the process.
It took years of research and development to get there. The marker of success was always that I would not be able to tell the difference when I heard it. Through the magic created by AI engineers in a studio in war-torn Ukraine — and help from voice actor Vincent Marcus and actor/comedian Fred Newman, who is from the same town as my dad, La Grange, Georgia — we were able to recreate my dad’s high pitched, southern accent.
It was simply incredible as there’s just so much you must perfect when recreating a voice: pitch, rhythm, speed and style. Even his tendency to pause while he conversed was something very distinctive and we nailed it. When I finally heard the voice that was his, I cried, of course, as it was what I had dreamed of — to really tell his story and to present a level of authenticity that had no match. It was all in service to sharing his life convincingly and eloquently. This way, the reader could truly sense his wonderful legacy — a legacy of not only of vision and passion, but of soul and integrity as well.