Ram Golf

Founded 1947 · Henderson, Nevada, USA

Clubs & Balls

#87

Global Rank

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Ram is a heritage name doing budget work, which is the fate of most heritage names in golf. The Hansberger brothers built Ram Golf Corporation in suburban Chicago from 1947, and by the 1960s and 1970s it was a legitimate force: the Zebra putter, the XS 1000 cavity-back irons, Tom Watson grinding his own wedges in the factory. Colgate-Palmolive acquired the company in 1974 for around $20 million in stock, the brothers later bought it back, and the brand has changed hands repeatedly since. What survives today is a direct-to-consumer operation running out of Henderson, Nevada selling complete sets, bags and accessories on price. The clubs are aimed at beginners and the gift market, not at anyone who remembers the Zebra. That is not a criticism so much as a description of what happens to a golf name when the equity outlives the engineering. Ram's search interest is a useful test of how long brand memory actually lasts in this game.