The Rise and Fall of Cleveland Golf: The Ski Company That Pushed Out Its Founder

In February of 2026, a golf company confirmed something it never bothered to announce. It would stop making drivers. It would stop making irons. It would stop making fairway woods. There was no farewell model and no press event. The company was Cleveland Golf. Roger Cleveland — a fireman's son from Long Beach — started with a copy of Bobby Jones's putter and built the wedge nearly every golfer has carried. Then a ski company bought his business, a consultant showed him the door, and his company passed through owners who had never made a golf club. Wait until you hear what happened when his name ended up on another company's wedge. If a Cleveland 588 ever lived in your bag, tell me in the comments: what loft was it, and is it still in there today? Subscribe for more forgotten golf history:    / @persimmonarchive   CHAPTERS (approximate — update after final render) 00:00 Cold Open 02:11 The Fireman's Son 05:04 Five Eighty-Eight 08:29 The Ski Company 12:38 The Comeback 15:07 The Surf Company 17:51 The Tire Company 22:09 The Last Driver 26:07 Closing Cleveland Golf history, Roger Cleveland, Cleveland 588 wedge, Tour Action 588, Cleveland Tour Action 485, Curtis Strange 1988 US Open, Corey Pavin 4-wood Shinnecock 1995, Cleveland VAS irons, Rossignol golf, Quiksilver Rossignol, Cleveland Launcher driver, Cleveland HiBore, Vijay Singh Cleveland, Srixon Cleveland, Dunlop Sports Americas, Callaway Mack Daddy lawsuit, Bob Vokey, vintage golf clubs, golf brand history, rise and fall of golf brands, golf documentary SOURCES Global Golf Post, "A Long Road Home" (John Steinbreder, Nov. 2025) MyGolfSpy, "Roger Cleveland Returns To Cleveland Golf" (2025) MyGolfSpy, "It's Official: Cleveland Golf Is Getting Out Of The Woods and Irons Business" (John Barba, Feb. 2026) Southern California Golf Hall of Fame, Roger Cleveland profile Cleveland Golf press release, 588 Tour Action Limited Edition (May 8, 2026) GolfWRX, "Cleveland Golf CEO Greg Hopkins Resigns" (Sept. 2012) GolfWRX, "Cleveland Golf Sold to SRI Sports" (Dec. 2007) The Sand Trap, "Your Guide to OEMs, Part 2" MyGolfSpy, "Making A Bag With 14 Memorable U.S. Open Clubs" (Pavin VAS 4-wood) Golf Digest Middle East / John Strege on Pavin's 1995 shot Awful Announcing, USGA cup tribute to Corey Pavin (June 2026) California Apparel News, Quiksilver–Rossignol coverage (2005, 2008, 2015) SGB Online and Shop-Eat-Surf, Rossignol sale coverage (2008) Quiksilver Inc. Form 10-K, FY2015 (SEC) Golf Magic and San Diego Reader, Cleveland Golf v. Callaway (2013) Golf Range / Cleveland Golf release, settlement of Roger Cleveland Golf Company v. Callaway Golf Company (July 2014) Callaway Golf press release, Mack Daddy 2 wedges (June 27, 2013) GolfWRX, Srixon/Cleveland/XXIO affiliated under Dunlop Sports Americas (2022) Titleist / Vokey.com, "Who Is Bob Vokey"