Game on for young Scottish entrepreneur who has challenged golf giants with his new range at Caley Golf
In five short years, Caley Golf has become an established challenger brand in the golf equipment market which has been dominated by expensive global brands promoted by big budget campaigns.
Caley’s creator Ryan Atha, a young Scottish entrepreneur with a passion for golf who believes the game has become too expensive for the majority of golfers who simply want great looking clubs and reliable performance at an affordable price.
He has even given it a Scottish name. The name Caley (pronounced Cah-lay) is short for Caledonia, the Roman name for Scotland which is an affectionate abbreviation still used today. As the home of golf, Scotland, and its reputation for an inclusive and accessible approach to the game, was his inspiration for Caley.
Born in Edinburgh, with three brothers and an enthusiastic golf dad, Ryan grew up playing on many of the courses around the city and down the East Lothian coast. His local course was The Braids – a magnificent public course with amazing views and a great example of how accessible and inspiring golf can be.
Ryan believes that golf is a sport to be enjoyed by all; old and young, male and female, from beginners to low handicappers. There is no need to play at exclusive, members-only courses with strict dress codes.
Nor do you need to buy expensive clubs and use the latest technology being promoted by global brands and retailers who are looking to upsell.
Dream of making golf accessible to all
When Ryan was working in digital marketing in London, he dreamed of the day he would run his own business based back in Scotland and help to make golf much more accessible for all. He was aware of current trends with small challenger brands taking on the big global brands with an online, direct-to-consumer business model which cut out the middleman and provide great looking, top-quality clubs at reasonable prices.
He was also aware of similar trends in other sectors such as beer and gin where smaller, craft brands with local provenance were starting to challenge the big global brands in their categories.
Developing the design
Working late at night and weekends, Ryan developed the design and technical specifications for golf clubs that would challenge the status quo. Selling from a basic website he had built, and using his expertise in digital marketing, he quickly established a growing community of enthusiastic customers from across the world.
Caley’s flagship offering is the 01 and 01T iron sets, aimed at mid to high and mid to low handicap golfers respectively. Both models are of hollow body construction - a sleek, minimalist design which offers distance, forgiveness and workability.
In addition, there is the 01X utility iron which offers the ease of play benefits of a hybrid and utility of an iron. The 01X was voted MyGolfSpy’s Most Wanted Utility Iron of 2023.
The XZ Wedges are the latest addition to Caley’s 2024 range. The wedges feature full-face grooves which help to generate maximum spin even on off-centre strikes ensuring consistent flight and superior feel.
Five-star reviews from customers and industry experts
Leaving the last word to his customers, there are over 8,000 reviews on the Caley website and more than 90% have provided a rating of 5 Stars and leave very positive comments about the quality and performance of the clubs as well as the fast and efficient personal services Ryan provides.
There are also a range of enthusiastic video reviews from a range of independent industry experts and commentators on YouTube, such as Rick Shiels, Peter Finch and Matt Fryer.
Caley’s satisfied customers have been pleased to provide positive reviews on the performance of clubs, as well as the quality of personal service that Ryan has provided. This is what some have said:
- “Gorgeous looking clubs, great shafts and great distance. I’ve been playing with my old taylormade RAC LT’s and I’ve got to say the difference in forgiveness and distance is world’s apart . . . I’m really impressed.” Duncan, Skipton
- “After spending several weeks looking at Cobra, Taylor Made and Mizuno’s, I just couldn’t justify the cost and fell across a number of reviews of the Caley 01T’s and for the price, bit the bullet. Several rounds in, I can honestly say these are simply the most forgiving and playable irons I’ve played. The quality is outstanding . . . they are simply a beautiful iron.” Nick, Daventry
- “Fantastic clubs. Anybody with doubts on quality due to the lower pricing need not worry. The irons are beautifully put together.” Gary, Forfar
Try them yourself
If you are looking for a well-designed set of clubs that perform as well as the expensive brands at a much more reasonable cost, then it’s game on for Caley.
A 60-day return policy allows you to try the clubs out on the course – and if you don’t love them, send them back for a refund.
To purchase your new clubs or find out more visit the Caley Golf website.