It was billed as "Callaway Golf Comes to Grand Central Terminal."
"Experience ‘Casual Friday’ in a whole new way today in Vanderbilt Hall as Callaway Golf unveils its brand new FT-iQ driver."
It was Friday, but there was nothing casual about the event because the buzz surrounding it involved Justin Timberlake,Callaway’s newest staff professional as of late October, showing up for a photo-op to help introduce its new driver, supposedly the longest and straightest ever from Callaway.
As a somewhat jaded New Yorker I was initially hesitant to devote the couple of hours the event would probably require. I reasoned I could receive a sample from the company — take it out and demo it on a course properly — and then write an informed review.
However, my partner reasoned, quite correctly, that having a Grammy- and Emmy Award-winning artist — who is also an avid golfer, PGA Tour tournament host, female heartthrob and all-around nice guy (I met him in LA about 10 years ago and he really was an unassuming sweetheart) — in our own backyard was too big an opportunity to pass up. So I went.
That must have been the reasoning used by assignment editors across the metropolitan area, because the place was jammed with media. Four rows deep in some places with all types of video recording equipment at the ready. You’d have thought President-elect Obama was showing up.
It’s easy to see why Callaway enlisted Timberlake as a pitchman. He may not say much, but his presence — simply grippin’ the big stick and grinnin’ — brings a throng of media and exposure onEntertainment Tonight/Access Hollywood/Inside Edition. Those are audiences Phil Mickelson just can’t deliver no matter how matter how many cameos he makes onEntourageor appearances before Congress to talk about math and science.
And so, truth be told, with all those lights and cameras, I was expecting a little action.
As a golfer, Timberlake knows the importance of punctuality, but photo-ops apparently aren’t governed by the same strictures. And so he was late. And we waited. Security was assigned the impossible: keeping rabid media types from getting too restless — and not using step stools to improve their camera vantage points. And whereas we were all expecting at least a few words from Justin, none were forthcoming. Just two minutes of Justin standing on a Callaway-embossed platform with a driver in his hand.
Thankfully for Callaway, its business is golf club design and marketing. And if the drives I hit on their mock range and simulator are any indication, the new FT-iQ is indeed long and straight or my golf game is vastly improved, or both.
The club is marketed as having a "sleek design inspired by stealth jets and futuristic concept cars." It features innovative Fusion technology and a Hyperbolic face design to generate those long, straight drives all golfers covet. If you can look past the squarish head prevalent in many driver designs these days and the estimated $500 retail price, this may be the club for you. I’m looking forward to taking it out on the course and trying it when the pressure is really on (you know those $2 Nassaus we all fret over). The Callaway FT-iQ officially hits stores on November 15th — Justin time for Christmas. – Rico Williams
