Good Good Golf Faces Backlash Over Controversial Ad

Good Good Golf has found itself in quite the predicament after releasing a controversial ad meant to parody the new horror film “Obsession,” according to founder and CEO Matt Kendrick.

The advertisement, produced in partnership with Callaway Golf to promote a new driver, sparked significant backlash due to a scene where co-founder Garrett Clark is seen pushing fellow creator Alexis Miestowski down. This did not sit well with audiences.

Kendrick admitted to the Wall Street Journal, “We fully own that we did make a mistake… As the CEO of the company, the buck stops with me and we should have had better processes in place.” He added, “Obviously the execution missed the mark and didn’t come across the way that we wanted to, and in no way were we trying to make light of or support violence.” Yet, he recognized that’s how it was received, and that’s their responsibility.

Interestingly, despite the ad’s intent being humorous, Kendrick noted on LinkedIn that it was indeed meant as a parody of a scene from the acclaimed horror film. The response, however, indicated otherwise.

Good Good Golf, with over 2 million subscribers on YouTube, has made significant waves in the golf content creation arena, especially appealing to younger fans of the sport. This influence likely amplified the backlash.

“Regardless of what we intended, we are responsible for what we put into the world and how it is received. We got this one wrong,” Kendrick stated on LinkedIn.

Kendrick also mentioned that the company plans to donate proceeds from the driver campaign to an organization benefiting women, though the specific choice is yet to be determined. He promised on social media that Good Good will establish new safeguards for its content going forward.

To bolster safety measures, Kendrick explained, “We are changing our creative review and approval process to make sure more perspectives are represented before something goes out. For the foreseeable future, I will personally review content coming from our marketing teams. We will make sure this never happens again.”

Since the ad’s release and subsequent removal, Callaway Golf has issued several statements addressing the incident. The PGA Tour also reacted, especially since Good Good Golf is slated to sponsor an upcoming tournament.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp expressed dissatisfaction on Tuesday with the initial accountability shown by Good Good Golf. He remarked, “I was not ‘initially’ pleased with the accountability the brand took… Their initial response was disappointing. It was a bit defensive and late.”

However, Rolapp acknowledged improvements in their dialogues with the brand, stating they are “continuing to monitor and work with them.” Yet, he noted that Good Good’s future involvement in the fall PGA Tour event in Austin, Texas, remains uncertain.

In response to questions about the event, Rolapp described the situation as “fluid” and assured that they are keeping an eye on developments. “We’ll continue to monitor the situation and see how it develops,” he added.