TaylorMade golf clubs are made through a global supply chain that spans the United States and Asia. Club design and engineering happen at TaylorMade’s headquarters in Carlsbad, California, while most clubheads, shafts, and grips are manufactured in China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
TaylorMade is currently owned by Centroid Investment Partners, a South Korean private equity firm that has controlled the brand since 2021. Knowing where TaylorMade clubs are made and who owns the company helps golfers understand what they are really paying for when they buy a new driver or set of irons.
This article covers TaylorMade’s ownership, its manufacturing locations for clubs and balls, its founding history, and how it compares to Titleist.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Who Owns TaylorMade Golf?
TaylorMade is owned by Centroid Investment Partners, a private equity firm based in Seoul, South Korea. Centroid acquired the brand from KPS Capital Partners in 2021 for roughly 1.7 billion dollars, and the current product lineup can be browsed on TaylorMade’s official website.
Centroid has been trying to exit its investment since 2025, and as of mid 2026 the sale process is still unresolved. A Denver, Colorado investment group briefly held preferred bidder status at roughly 3.1 billion dollars before its financing fell through in early 2026.
F&F Co., a Korean fashion company that co invested in the original 2021 deal, has since raised its own offer and holds contractual rights that give it an advantage over outside bidders.
Is TaylorMade Still Up For Sale in 2026?
Yes, TaylorMade remains up for sale as of mid 2026. Centroid announced plans to sell the company in 2025 after concluding that a direct sale would return more value to its investors than a public listing.
The process has been complicated by a dispute with F&F Co., which argues that its investment agreement gives it the right to match or beat any competing offer. Industry reports place F&F’s revised bid at around 2.8 billion dollars, while earlier reporting had valued the whole company at up to 3.5 billion dollars.
Until a deal closes, TaylorMade continues to operate normally under CEO David Abeles. Ownership changes at the top rarely affect club design or manufacturing in the short term.
Where Are TaylorMade Golf Clubs Made?
TaylorMade clubs are designed and engineered in Carlsbad, California, where the company’s team sets head geometry, face thickness, and weighting specifications. A detailed breakdown of the process is available from golf equipment publication Golf Sidekick.
Most clubheads for drivers, fairway woods, and irons are manufactured in China and Vietnam, where factories specialize in precision casting and forging. Putters are largely produced in Taiwan, and wedge production has taken place in Mexico.
Final assembly depends on the product. A large share of custom orders and tour clubs are assembled at the Carlsbad headquarters, while many stock retail clubs are assembled at or near the component factories in Asia before shipping worldwide.
Where Are TaylorMade Golf Balls Made?
TaylorMade’s golf balls are produced primarily at a dedicated plant in Liberty, South Carolina, which opened in 2013 and handles core, mantle, and cover construction for lines including TP5 and TP5x.
The company also owns ball manufacturing facilities in South Korea and Taiwan, which produce balls for international markets and supply some components back to the South Carolina plant. TaylorMade acquired its Korean ball plant in 2021 as part of its push into the golf ball category.
Because TaylorMade enforces the same specifications and testing across every plant, ball performance does not vary based on which facility produced a particular batch.
When Was TaylorMade Founded?
TaylorMade was founded in 1979 in McHenry, Illinois, by Gary Adams, a traveling golf salesman who borrowed against his own home to start the company. Adams introduced the first steel headed metalwood, nicknamed the Pittsburgh Persimmon, which replaced traditional wooden clubheads and changed the driver market. More on the company’s early history is documented on Wikipedia.
TaylorMade was sold to Salomon in 1984, then passed to Adidas when it acquired Salomon in 1997. Adidas sold TaylorMade to KPS Capital Partners in 2017 for 425 million dollars, and KPS sold it to Centroid in 2021.
The company crossed 1 billion dollars in annual revenue in 2006, becoming only the second golf brand in history to reach that milestone.
TaylorMade vs Titleist: Who Makes Each?
TaylorMade and Titleist are both major golf equipment brands, but they sit under very different kinds of owners. TaylorMade is owned by Centroid Investment Partners, a Korean private equity firm, while Titleist’s parent company Acushnet is also majority controlled by Korean investors through Magnus Holdings.
TaylorMade concentrates club manufacturing in China, Vietnam, and Taiwan, with final assembly split between Carlsbad and Asia depending on the order type. Titleist follows a similar global model for its clubs, though its golf balls are manufactured primarily at Acushnet’s own plant in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Golfers choosing between the two brands are often comparing playing feel and tour presence more than manufacturing origin, since both companies build to similarly tight tolerances.
For a closer look at how Titleist sources its own products, see our breakdown of where Titleist golf balls are made.
Are TaylorMade Golf Clubs Any Good?
TaylorMade’s 2026 Qi4D lineup has been well received by equipment reviewers, with outlets like Today’s Golfer and Plugged In Golf praising the driver’s forgiveness, ball speed, and a simplified shaft matching system built from more than 20 million recorded driver swings.
Reviewers note that TaylorMade appears to have addressed earlier complaints about inconsistent heel strike performance in prior driver generations, with the Qi4D Max in particular drawing praise for tightening up mishit results.
Some golfers find TaylorMade’s aggressive marketing and frequent model turnover polarizing compared to more understated rivals like Titleist and Ping, and premium pricing on new releases remains a common point of criticism. Overall, TaylorMade continues to be regarded as one of the top performing driver and iron brands on tour and at retail.
Frequently Asked Questions About Who Makes TaylorMade
Are TaylorMade clubs made in the USA?
TaylorMade clubs are designed in the USA, and many custom and tour clubs are assembled in Carlsbad, California. However, most clubheads, shafts, and grips are manufactured in Asia, so a typical TaylorMade club is not entirely made in the USA even though its engineering originates there.
Is TaylorMade Korean or American?
TaylorMade is an American company by history and headquarters, founded in Illinois and based in Carlsbad, California. Its current owner, Centroid Investment Partners, is a South Korean private equity firm, which makes TaylorMade an American brand under Korean ownership.
Who owns TaylorMade in 2026?
As of mid 2026, TaylorMade is still owned by Centroid Investment Partners, though Centroid has been trying to sell its stake since 2025. F&F Co., a Korean fashion company and early investor in TaylorMade, is currently considered a leading candidate to take over ownership once a deal closes.
Where are TaylorMade golf balls made?
TaylorMade golf balls are made primarily in Liberty, South Carolina, with additional production in South Korea and Taiwan. The company opened its South Carolina plant in 2013 specifically to manufacture premium balls like the TP5 and TP5x lines for the US market.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.