Walk through any pro shop or big-box golf store from the 1970s or 1980s, and you were guaranteed to see the distinctive ram's head logo. It was a mark of quality, performance, and tour-proven success. Yet today, many golfers, especially younger ones, have never even heard of RAM Golf. This article clears up the story, explaining the brand's legendary rise, the complex reasons for its market decline, and what RAM Golf is up to in the present day.
RAM Golf wasn't just another equipment company, for a couple of decades, it was one of the titans of the industry. Founded in the late 1940s by the MacGregor brothers, George and Jim (later joined by their other brothers), RAM began as a small shop dedicated to innovation. It was in the 1970s and 80s that the company hit its absolute zenith, becoming a force to be reckoned with on professional tours worldwide.
During this period, RAM was synonymous with premium, forged irons. Their flagship models, like the RAM Tour Grind and the Accubar irons, were peerless in their feel and craftsmanship. As a coach, I can tell you that these weren't clubs for the faint of heart. They were true blades - thin toplines, minimal offset, and a tiny sweet spot that rewarded a pure strike with an unmatched, buttery softness. If you mishit one, however, the vibrations in your hands would tell you all you needed to know. These clubs were tools for artisans, and the best in the world wielded them with tremendous success. Legends like Tom Watson, Gary Player, Nick Price, and Raymond Floyd all played and won with RAM irons in their bag.
You can't talk about RAM's history without a deep dive into one of the most revolutionary products in golf history: the Zebra putter. Debuting in the mid-70s, the Zebra was frankly bizarre by the standards of the day. Putters were typically sleek, heel-shafted blades like the Wilson 8802 or early Ping Anser models. The Zebra was a bulbous mallet with strange black and white stripes on top.
But the design was pure genius. The two key innovations were:
This was game-changing technology. Its reputation was cemented when Raymond Floyd used a Zebra putter to dominate the field and win the 1976 Masters. After that, the Zebra craze was on, and it became one of an all-time best-selling putters, ushering in the era of the mallet and alignment-focused designs.
So, if RAM had tour-winning players and groundbreaking products, what happened? The answer isn't a single event but a perfect storm of factors that slowly eroded its market position through the late 80s and into the 90s.
The biggest challenge was the seismic shift in golf club technology. Karsten Solheim’s PING was pioneering investment-cast, perimeter-weighted irons. These "cavity-back" clubs were dramatically more forgiving than the forged blades that were RAM's specialty. Ely Callaway later turbocharged this trend with the oversized Big Bertha driver, proving that golfers of all skill levels craved forgiveness above all else.
RAM, rooted in its better-player, forged-blade identity, was slow to react. They continued to produce beautiful muscle-back irons, but the market was running in the other direction. The average golfer didn't want a "tool", they wanted a club that would help them when they didn't hit it perfectly.
This technological shift was paired with an explosion in marketing. Competitors like Callaway and TaylorMade began pouring millions into television advertising and massive Tour staff contracts. They skillfully built brands around a single star player (like Phil Mickelson for Callaway) or a specific technological story ("Movable Weight Technology" from TaylorMade). RAM, a more traditional manufacturing company, couldn't compete with the marketing horsepower and ballooning endorsement deals that became the new standard.
As RAM's tour presence dwindled and their pro shop sales slipped, the brand began a series of ownership changes. It was acquired by the Tommy Armour Golf Company in the 1990s, and throughout the years, the brand equity slowly faded. The name that once represented the pinnacle of Tour performance was eventually licensed out and became primarily associated with complete box sets sold at large sporting goods retailers.
To golfers who remembered Tom Watson holding a major championship trophy with RAM clubs, seeing a full bag, clubs, and all for $199 was jarring. The brand's identity as a premium manufacturer was gone. While these box sets provided an affordable entry point for many beginners, the heritage and prestige of RAM Golf had essentially vanished from the mainstream golf landscape.
It's a familiar story for many legacy brands, but it's not the end. The RAM Golf brand name was eventually acquired by the owners of UK-based GolfGearDirect. They relaunched RAM as a modern, direct-to-consumer (DTC) company.
Today, RAM Golf is very much alive and well, operating primarily online and shipping globally from the UK. They haven't tried to reclaim their old identity as a top-tier tour brand. Instead, they’ve embraced a new mission: providing high-quality, attractively designed golf equipment at an accessible price point. Their target audience is the everyday player, the beginner picking up the game, or the intermediate golfer who wants solid new gear without the $1,500 price tag.
Their current lineup includes everything from full package sets and forged wedges (a nice nod to their history) to colorful golf balls and accessories. The strategy is built around value and bypassing the traditional retail markup. For golfers who grew up with the brand or those discovering it for the first time, RAM now represents a smart, affordable way to get into the game.
The story of RAM Golf is a fascinating look at the evolution of the golf industry, tracking from tour-validated blades and the revolutionary Zebra putter to a box-store staple, and finally to its rebirth as a savvy direct-to-consumer brand. RAM’s journey shows how excellence in product isn't always enough to survive massive shifts in technology and marketing.
Ultimately, a good set of clubs is just one piece of the puzzle. Whether you're playing a modern set from the relaunched RAM or a classic set of forged irons, knowing how to manage your game on the course is what truly lowers your scores. For precisely that reason, we built an app to help you make smarter decisions. If you're standing over a tricky lie in the rough or feeling uncertain about which club to hit, my on-demand coaching app, Caddie AI, analyzes your situation and provides you with simple, confident strategic advice in seconds so you can play with more confidence and less guesswork.
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