Good Good Golf is facing mounting criticism after deleting a promotional video that showed co-founder Garrett Clark pushing professional golfer and frequent Good Good contributor Alexis Miestowski to the ground.
The social media golf brand, which has built an enormous following since launching on YouTube in 2020, posted the 15-second advertisement as part of a collaboration with Callaway to promote a new driver.
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In the clip, Clark rushed toward Miestowski, shoved her to the ground and shouted, âdo not touch my new driver.â
The video was quickly removed after drawing backlash online, with critics questioning how an advertisement depicting violence toward a woman made it through the production and approval process.
Good Good subsequently apologized, but the controversy has continued to grow, with Callaway and the PGA Tour also being pressed to answer questions about their relationships with the popular golf content brand.
“The PGA should cut ties with Good Good,” Jamie Klingler, co-founder of womenâs rights group Reclaim These Streets, said.
Good Good Apologizes After Ad Draws Backlash
Good Good has become one of golfâs biggest digital brands, boasting more than two million YouTube subscribers and millions more followers across its social media platforms.
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Within 24 hours of the advertisement being posted, the company acknowledged that it had made a mistake.
“We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand,” Good Good said in a statement. “We have since taken that content down. And sincerely apologize.”
The company added that it has “always stood for making the game of golf more inclusive to all” and said it would continue to make inclusivity part of its mission moving forward.
Callaway, which has worked with Good Good since 2023, also distanced itself from the video.
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“We are disappointed by the content that was posted, and are appreciative of Good Good for addressing this,” Callaway said. “We look forward to working together to ensure a more inclusive space in golf.”
Skratch social media director Nicole Rae argued that the issue went beyond whether the advertisement made golf appear unwelcoming to women.
“They so donât get the point,” Rae said. “They didnât just create an ad that makes golf non-inclusive to women, but it endorses violence against women in the scariest and most threatening way.”
Rae called the video “a horrible look” for both Good Good and Callaway and described the situation as “wildly disappointing.”
PGA Tour Urged to Cut Ties With Good Good
The timing of the controversy is particularly significant because Good Good is preparing to expand its relationship with professional golf.
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The PGA Tour has partnered with the company for the Good Good Championship in Texas in November, an event designed to bring together traditional professional golf and the booming world of golf content creators.
The tournament is set to feature a $6 million purse and a 120-player field, including 12 sponsor exemptions for golf influencers. The reality competition “Big Break x Good Good” is expected to determine those 12 spots.
The PGA Tour did not announce any change to its partnership, but condemned the content of the video.
“The PGA Tour believes in golfâs ability to bring people together and create a welcoming environment for all,” the Tour said in a statement. “We do not condone violence in any form, and the since-deleted video does not reflect our values or commitment to inclusivity and respect.”
Women in Golf Question How Video Was Approved
According to Fox Sports, Katie Ginella, an avid golfer, former “Real Housewives of Orange County” cast member and wife of golf journalist Matt Ginella, told her Instagram followers she was “in shock” after seeing the advertisement.
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Ginella also spoke about her own experience with domestic violence and questioned how the concept survived multiple levels of approval before being published.
She later shared what she said was a response from somebody on Callawayâs social media team, which described the advertisement as a bad idea but pushed back against claims that the companies were endorsing violence against women.
That response only further frustrated Ginella, who said she would no longer support Good Good or Callaway.
CNN “Living Golf” host Jasmine Sanders, known online as The Jazzy Golfer, raised similar concerns.
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“My first thought was how did this get approved?” Sanders said.
She acknowledged that the clip was intended as a joke but questioned why violence against a woman needed to serve as the punchline of an advertisement for a golf club.
Sanders also noted that Callaway has invested significantly in womenâs golf through its support of female players, ambassadors and presenters, making the decision to approve the video even more difficult for her to understand.
“There are so many different ways you can advertise a golf club,” Sanders said.
“Golf keeps talking about making the game more welcoming to women. You canât say that matters and then make violence towards a woman the punchline.”
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