Previously, I gave Callaway credit for being the one ball manufacturer (granted, there were only two that tried) that properly nailed the timing on Shark Week this summer. But I’m starting to think the company hasn’t fully wrapped its head around when Christmas actually happens.
It’s only late October, and here we are with Callaway’s new Supersoft 12-Day Advent Calendar Golf Balls. They’re not explicitly calling it Christmas, but I think we all understand the original point of Advent calendars. Besides, the packaging, the choice of logos for the balls, the whole “count down to the holidays” messaging—they’re really getting in on the ground floor here, well ahead of Christmas, Black Friday, even Halloween for that matter.
WTF, Callaway? You know what? I don’t actually care.
Should golf balls come with surprises?
As with many of Callaway’s previous limited-edition ball offerings, the Advent Calendar collection will feature a mix of designs. We’ll get into the finer points in a bit but the interesting ripple here is that Callaway says that, in addition to the designs they’re willing to call out by name, there will be some “fun additional surprises to discover each day.”
Wouldn’t it be great if one of the surprises was a Chrome Tour?
Performance over feel, people.
I digress.
Generally speaking, when I’m pulling golf balls out of a box, I don’t want any surprises. I want predictable performance, consistent feel and, maybe—if I’m lucky—the ball to occasionally go where I’m aiming it.
But here’s the thing about limited-edition balls: while they’re entirely functional on the golf course, they’re also collectibles. And among golf collectibles, limited-edition balls, with their generally affordable price points, might just be the most collectible of them all.
Which brings us to the existential question at the heart of Callaway’s 12-Day Advent Calendar: Do you open each of the 12 individual compartments or do you preserve this thing for eternity?
It’s not chocolate (probably) so there’s no expiration date forcing your hand. These balls could theoretically sit unopened until your grandchildren inherit your golf collection and wonder why grandpa had a box of unopened Christmas golf balls from 2025.
What’s behind door number … well, all of them …
Callaway says the designs include gingerbread men, holiday bells, nutcrackers and, of course, those fun surprises (hopefully the surprise isn’t a reindeer and a sleigh, because we can clearly see that one in the photos).
What could they be?
The obvious suspects: Candy canes, Christmas trees, snowmen, holly leaves. These are the slam dunks of holiday imagery.
The slightly more creative: A wreath? Perhaps Santa’s hat or his boots?
The “fun additional surprises”: This is where things get interesting. How fun are these additional surprises, really?
I’d love to see a ball featuring a Festivus pole (for the rest of us) or one designed to look like a hibernating groundhog because, if October is close enough to Christmas, it’s probably close enough to Groundhog Day.
Maybe they’ll throw in a ball decorated with the exact pattern of your grandmother’s plastic furniture covers.
I’m holding out hope for a ball that captures the essence of expired gift cards or perhaps my own disappointed face as I open yet another trash gift.
I mean, you asked me for a list. Is it too much to ask for you to stick to it?
The collector’s conundrum
Specific design patterns aside, the nature of Callaway’s Supersoft Advent Calendar Collection brings with it a philosophical dilemma: Do you immediately begin systematically peeling back the cardboard curtains to see what it is you’ve bought? Do you stay true to the intent and turn this into a holiday game? Do you gift them individually throughout the season like some sort of golf ball Santa?
The pragmatist in me says to play them. They’re golf balls. That’s what they’re for. The collector in me says to preserve them forever because how often does Callaway make holiday-themed advent calendars?
Besides, you’d probably lose half of them before New Year’s, anyway.
The bottom line
Is releasing a Christmas advent calendar in October a bit aggressive? Absolutely. Are these going to sell regardless? Also absolutely.
The Callaway Supersoft 12-Day Advent Calendar Golf Balls are available now because apparently Christmas shopping season starts in October. Check your local retailer or visit Callaway.com for more information.
Sean
7 months ago
Ah I wasn’t aware of this sales option. Perhaps it’s US only.
Does make sense as to why they’re constantly promoting this utter drivel. These balls are really in the same envelope as desktop golf bag pen tidies, or a mouse matt made to look like a putting green.