Callaway earns award from composites group

Few companies have explored the possibilities of using carbon composite or graphite in clubheads the way Callaway has, and none today are using the material to form the entire body of clubheads the way Callaway has done with clubs like its "fusion technology" series of drivers over the last eight years (FT-3, FT-5, FT-9, FT-i, FT-iQ, FT Tour).

Now, its latest carbon composite driver the RAZR Hawk, which earned a Gold designation in the 2011 Golf Digest Hot List, has claimed an award no golf company has earned before. The American Composites Manufacturers Association gave Callaway the Outstanding Merit Award for its unique carbon composite formulation in the RAZR Hawk driver.

The body of the RAZR Hawk, as well as the crown of the Diablo Octane, utilize a reformulated carbon composite matrix the company has trademarked "forged composite." Callaway says the new material allows for more precise internal and external geometries than previous formulations. The Outstanding Merit Award was first presented in 1997.

The "forged composite" material received other non-golf attention when it was announced in September that carmaker Lamborghini would partner with Callaway to use the material in its Sesto Elemento technology demonstrator.

--Mike Stachura