In the early 1980s, Ely Callaway began selling golf clubs out the back of his car.
Nearly 40 years later, his company is still producing them at the highest level. In fact, Callaway clubs were used by over 70% of professional golfers at its peak.
Remain the club of choice for many, having been refined numerous times over the years. Famous versions include the Big Bertha, Apex, Rogue, and Epic lineups.
In this article, you’ll find a comprehensive list of Callaway irons by year.
Let’s get into it!
Callaway Irons By Year
Callaway developed its first golf iron in 1988, titled the S2H2. Since then, the company has expanded to over $1 billion in revenue. Famously, the Big Bertha lineup has received iterations over the years. Most recently, the Paradym Ai Smoke irons were launched, offering distance within a refined shape.
Here is a full list of every Callaway iron release:
Callaway Irons: 1980-1989
Founded in 1982, Callaway Golf launched after businessman Ely Callaway exited his winery company and purchased a share in the Hickory Sticks USA golf company.
Soon after, Callaway took full ownership of Hickory Sticks and rebranded to Callaway Golf, while moving the golf club operation to Cathedral City, California.
Having become the first golf equipment manufacturer to use computer-operated milling machines, Callaway applied the technology to produce uniformly-flat putter faces.
In 1988, Callaway launched the S2H2 irons. The S2H2 core technology was pioneering for it allowed weight in the club head to be distributed to the edges. In short, this made for a more forgiving club head than was currently available at that time.
Callaway Irons: 1990-1999
By the early 1990s, Callaway had launched the Big Bertha Driver. This propelled the company to the top of the industry, allowing for further development of its irons.
In 1992, the Callaway Bobby Jones Blades were released. These irons featured a cast blade design that incorporated the brand’s patented short, straight, hollow hosel design along with bore-through shaft technology.
Soon after, Callaway released the Big Bertha 94 irons. This was the company’s first iron product focused on forgiveness for the everyday golfer. In fact, these irons remain one of the most forgiving club heads in golf, according to the Maltby Playability Index.
Then, in 1996, the Big Bertha 96 irons were launched. With this iteration, Callaway increased the size and volume of the cavity, allowing weight to be pushed farther out to the perimeter of the club head. Along with a modified sole, this improved forgiveness.
Toward the end of the 90s, Callaway continued to refine the Big Bertha line. The brand released the Big Bertha Gold, Big Bertha Tungsten Titanium, and Big Bertha X-12 irons, each improving on the previous generation for enhanced feel and ball-striking.
Callaway Irons: 2000-2009
At the turn of the millennium, over 70 percent of professional golfers worldwide were using Callaway golf clubs — along with millions of everyday players.
However, they faced stiff competition from TaylorMade and Ping in the iron sectors, so had to continue product development to maintain their huge market share.
In 2000, the Callaway Steelhead X-14 irons were introduced alongside a Pro version for the better golfer. These irons blended forgiveness with performance, offering a large sweet spot without sacrificing distance control and accuracy.
That same year, Callaway developed the Hawkeye series. The design featured a unique tungsten weight insert to lower the center of gravity. Put simply, this made it easier to launch the ball for better consistency on the course.
In 2001, Callaway’s successful Big Bertha irons received an update along with the release of the Steelhead X-16 iteration — both suited for the everyday golfer.
For the rest of the decade, the Big Bertha and X-line — minus the “Steelhead” branding, which was dropped — continued to be the priority for Callaway.
Callaway Irons: 2010-2019
In 2010, Callaway debuted the Diablo range — featuring a lower, deeper center of gravity for increased distance without compromising feel.
Then, the RAZR X series was released in 2011, with numerous versions to suit a variety of golfing abilities. The RAZR X Forged was a classic, sleek-looking bladed iron for the better golfer, forged from 1020 carbon steel to produce a crisp feel at impact.
By 2014, Callaway refreshed their offering with the Apex irons. These were a huge success, helped by the fact the design blended the characteristics of both players irons with game-improvement irons. It was the ultimate all-rounder club.
In 2015, Callaway refreshed the Apex line with a new version. The following year, they introduced the Big Bertha OS irons — providing an ultra-forgiving oversized shape.
The next year, the Steelhead XR arrived. At this time, it marked a nostalgic return to the Steelhead brand which had first appeared back in 2000. In short, the latest version was equipped with excellent distance and forgiveness, suiting a variety of golfers.
In 2017, the Callaway Epic line was developed. Available in three variants for different skill levels, the Epic irons combined a cavity-back look with a mid-compact shape.
One year later, Callaway introduced another model — the Rogue irons. These ultra-forgiving game improvement irons were designed with wide soles and enhanced offset for mid-to-high handicap golfers. Ultimately, the Rogue line was very successful.
To round out the decade, Callaway launched the Apex irons in 2019. Designed for slightly better players, the Apex series offered distance and forgiveness, without compromising the ability to control and shape the ball on approach shots.
Callaway Irons: 2020-Present
To kickstart the current decade, Callaway dropped the Mavrik lineup. These game-improvement irons superseded the Rogue line, offering greater distance and forgiveness, along with excellent sound and feel off the clubface.
The following year saw a refresh to the Apex lineup — the Callaway irons famously renowned for their pure feel. Apex 21 was no different, featuring a body forged from 1025 mild carbon steel for a traditional, yet contemporary look and feel.
Afterward, 2022 saw the release of the Rogue ST irons. The Rogue’s reintroduction served as a lineup of forgiving game-improvement irons for the everyday golfer.
The following year, the Callaway Paradym irons were introduced. Designed for distance without compromising forgiveness, these irons benefitted from Callaway’s AI-designed Forged 455 Face with a unique Speed Frame for stability.
In 2024, Callaway debuted the Paradym Ai Smoke irons. Designed for golfers with mid to high swing speeds, these irons seek to maximize distance and dial in dispersion so that you can attack more greens — and improve your scores.
Check them out at Worldwide Golf Shops below:
PROS
– Modern hollow body construction
– Reliable distance and accuracy
– Improved turf interaction
CONS
– Not the best feeling irons
