Good Good Golf co-founder Garrett Clark issued a video apology Wednesday night, saying he hopes “we can move on” amid continued fallout from a since-deleted advertisement for the company’s new co-branded driver with Callaway. The ad, posted on 21 August, showed Clark running and shoving Good Good’s Alexis Miestowski to the ground as she reached for the club in his bag, followed by Clark saying, “Do not touch my new driver,” while standing over her.
Immediate backlash and company response
The advertisement drew immediate criticism, with viewers claiming it depicted violence against women. Good Good removed the video quickly and issued a company apology on Saturday. In his Wednesday video, Clark offered a personal apology, saying, “I personally want to apologize for playing a role in the skit, in this ad, at the magnitude that I did.” He also apologized on behalf of the company and its marketing team, stating, “This is not at all what we stand for, the way that this ad was received is not how Good Good is.” Clark emphasized, “I want everyone to know that I do not support [domestic violence] abuse or any of that of any kind.”
Industry-wide consequences
The fallout has been swift, affecting multiple parts of the golf industry. Golf Channel postponed the premiere of the reality show Big Break x Good Good by a week after a sponsor requested its branding be removed. Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy are among retailers that have pulled Good Good merchandise from shelves and online stores.
Good Good is also the title sponsor of a PGA Tour event scheduled for 12-15 November in Austin, Texas. PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp, asked ahead of this week’s Tour Championship about the potential impact, said, “It’s a bit of a fluid situation. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and see how it develops.”
Company statement and CEO remarks
In a statement on Saturday, Good Good said: “We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand. We have since taken that content down, and sincerely apologize. Good Good has always stood for making the game of golf more inclusive to all, and we will continue to ensure that is our mission moving forward.”
Rolapp, when asked if the apology was sufficient, replied, “I think initially, no. I think what we saw was concerning, is clearly not aligned with PGA Tour values. We take it very seriously. I think their initial response was disappointing. It was a bit defensive and late.”
Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick spoke with the Wall Street Journal on Monday, saying, “We fully own that we did make a mistake. ... As the CEO of the company, the buck stops with me and we should have had better processes in place.” He noted the ad was intended as a spoof of the horror movie “Obsession.”
Clark’s detailed explanation and next steps
In his Wednesday video, which ran over eight minutes, Clark outlined how the ad was produced, sharing behind-the-scenes footage showing he did not strike Miestowski. She played golf at Indiana University and contributes to Good Good’s women-focused YouTube channel. Clark said he was “cringing” upon seeing the ad and condemned those sending negative messages to Miestowski on social media. He concluded, “Good Good messed up by promoting a very poor-taste ad, but hopefully you guys can forgive Good Good as well as myself for being a part of it. Hopefully we can move on and grow the women’s side of golf, because that is one of our huge, huge goals.”
