CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 23, 2002--Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) announced today that in 2001 it was granted more United States golf-related patents than any of its domestic competitors, and continues to build one of the largest golf equipment patent portfolios in the world.

In 2001, Callaway Golf filed eighty golf-related (club and ball) patent applications in the United States. Over the same period, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) granted fifty-four patents to Callaway Golf -- a number the Company believes is the largest number of golf-related U.S. patents granted to any United States manufacturer in 2001. Based on information available from the PTO, the number of golf club patents granted to Callaway Golf in 2001 exceeded the number granted to all of its domestic golf club competitors, combined.

Although Callaway Golf introduced its first golf ball to the world just two years ago at the January 2000 PGA Merchandise Show, the Company has obtained 25 domestic golf ball patents in the United States. Some of these patents are in areas of major technological significance, including key patents in the area of aerodynamics.

Worldwide, Callaway Golf has more than 500 golf-related patents and an additional 300 pending patent applications. The PTO already has told Callaway Golf that it will receive U.S. patents on thirty pending patent applications in 2002.

"Callaway Golf has a long history of innovation, and of protecting that innovation legally with patents, trademarks, and other devices," said Steve McCracken, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. "That innovation has allowed the Company to build one of the largest golf-related patent portfolios in the world in a very short period of time. We are proud of our record in this area, and we will continue to build our portfolio of intellectual property rights as we introduce new products in 2002 and beyond."

Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods and Irons, including Big Bertha ERC(R) II Forged Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha C4(TM) Compression Cured Carbon Composite Drivers, Big Bertha Hawk Eye(R) VFT(R) and Big Bertha Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Titanium Drivers and Fairway Woods, Big Bertha Steelhead(TM) III Stainless Steel Drivers and Fairway Woods, Hawk Eye VFT Tungsten Injected(TM) Titanium Irons, Big Bertha Stainless Steel Irons, Steelhead X-14(R) and Steelhead X-14 Pro Series Stainless Steel Irons. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey(R) Putters, including White Hot(R), TriHot(TM), and Dual Force(R) Putters. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells the Callaway Golf(R) HX(TM) Blue and HX Red balls, Rule 35(R) Firmfeel(TM) and Softfeel(TM) balls, the CTU 30(TM) Blue and CTU 30 Red balls, and the CB1(TM) Blue and CB1 Red balls. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our Web sites at www.callawaygolf.com and www.odysseygolf.com.