As the NCCGA President and a 2018 Srixon Ambassador, I had the opportunity to visit Srixon / Cleveland Golf’s Headquarters in Huntington Beach, CA earlier this year. It was an amazing experience and here are 5 takeaways from an unforgettable day.

1. First impressions - Upon arriving, I walked into the welcome room and was overwhelmed with the historically valuable and high performing clubs on display. Some displays had old Cleveland driver heads, others showed blueprints for new technology, and one display had the mold casing for casting an iron head together with liquid metals. The rest were hats and magazines that were signed by PGA players with Srixon or Cleveland. I felt like the welcome room was full of trophies all over as if I was in a royal residence and the walls were lined with Swords and muskets in delicate designs. This first experience was just a taste of what was to come.

1. Historical tour- Once Bryan Stahl, Senior Sales Support Specialist, greeted me in the welcome room, we walked to the history display wall that showed important moments in the company’s development. Roger Cleveland started the company in 1979, and In 1988 the 588 wedge was designed and remains one the best selling clubs of all time. Cleveland’s wedges since 1988 including the outstanding CBX and RTX wedges all have the same chassis! Shocker how the things that work well stick around. Finally, in October 2007, Srixon and Cleveland Golf merged and have been together ever since. The coolest part of the display was the heads of different irons and wedges from over the years.
2. Club assembly  - Bryan took me to the assembly line where I saw employees doing many different things, including shaving the shaft butts, applying grips, and gluing on the heads. We then moved onto the shipping yard where I felt like an ant in a grass field. Because I was at the company headquarters, I was also at the distribution and shipping headquarters for the entire country. The size of the yard and quantity of materials being shipped was eye opening. Our last stop was the golf ball labeling room. The machines that print the ink on balls were quite mesmerizing, and Bryan mentioned that these machines go non-stop every day!
3. Meeting the team - Bryan led me into the marketing sector where I met Scott Carlyle, the Vice President of Business Development. I was honored to meet Mr. Carlyle and speak with him briefly as an ambassador, NCCGA President, and just another club golfer enjoying Srixon / Cleveland Golf’s involvement in the NCCGA.

1. Fitting Studio - Finally, I was handed off to Ruben Padilla, who brought me into his fitting studio. The room was lined with wedges, irons, woods, and drivers for use at the hitting bay. This hitting bay had a projector displaying a simulated range nearly 12 feet tall and 15 feet wide! There was also an artificial green surrounded by putters. Let’s just say I felt special and wish I had one of these in my garage for between lectures during the week.

The experience at the Srixon/Cleveland Golf headquarters was truly unforgettable and I hope to continue the positive relationship with the staff I met. Wonderful people and an even better company partnership.