You might file this one under one of golf’s worst-kept secrets, but now it’s official, MyGolfSpy has learned.
Cleveland Golf is exiting the metal woods and irons market and will focus exclusively on wedges and irons.
There has been no official announcement, but the folks at Srixon-Cleveland-XXIO have confirmed the news to MyGolfSpy.
There’s a lot to unpack here, but before we get to that, let’s lay a few things out on the table.
First, while this move can be framed in many different ways, it really says more about Srixon’s success than any shortcoming with the Cleveland brand.
Second, anyone with any business experience can tell you that in a niche market like golf clubs, the multi-brand approach is ultimately counterproductive. Competing against yourself as well as the rest of the market doesn’t make much sense.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, when you have multiple brands, it’s best for each to focus on its strengths. This makes any brand stronger.
OK, with that said, let’s break this down.
A brand-based decision
Cleveland has been part of the sports umbrella of Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI at Srixon) since 2007. Sumitomo’s sports division, Dunlop Sports, has balanced the Cleveland, Srixon and XXIO lines since then.
From a brand and business point of view, Dunlop’s decision is entirely logical given the growing strength of the Srixon brand. When Cleveland returned to the full-line market in 2016 (more on that later), it did so as a game-changing brand. Since then, Srixon has grown in sales and stature.
Last December, Srixon released the intriguing ZXiR and ZXiR HL irons, the brand’s first offerings in the game-enhancing and super-game-enhancing categories. That category had been the home of Cleveland’s full line drive.
Having two brands of your own that serve the same category tends to confuse the market and under serve both brands. Srixon has developed to the point where it made no sense to duplicate efforts. The move frees up Cleveland, which just last year welcomed legendary founder and designer Roger Cleveland returns to the familyto focus where it’s strongest: wedges and inserts.
The fact that Cleveland wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire in its designated category makes the move even more logical.
Srixon is no longer a challenger brand
Over the past decade, Srixon has grown from a fledgling brand to the point where it is now on the verge of joining PING, Titleist, Callaway and TaylorMade as the latest member of the new Big Five. Also during that time, Cleveland is positioned in the low to mid-priced barrel market. It has consistently released great performing machines that offer exceptional value for the price.
Additionally, Srixon-Cleveland-XXIO has also invested in new materials and an in-house metallurgical team here in the US. This team is responsible for the invention of Z-Alloy, a new durable, rust-resistant material used in Cleveland’s current RTZ wedges.
The new Srixon ZXiR lineup is huge for Dunlop as it immediately makes Srixon a player in the larger segment of the golf market. The Srixon brand has the juice to compete with Callaway, PING and TaylorMade in the game-enhancing and super-enhancing game battle. Cleveland, despite offering solid products, could never gain traction.
The simple message here is that the brand that is strong and stronger is the horse you want to ride.
Conversely, Cleveland is building significant momentum in the wedge market. Roger Cleveland’s return is more than symbolic; he brings a gravitas to Cleveland’s wedge offering that had been missing. We can expect some interesting new things in the coming months that will definitely attract attention.
Where do brands go from here?
This is a bit of déjà vu all over again for the Cleveland brand. SRI/Dunlop Sports did the same thing with Cleveland in 2014, supplementing his full-line offering to focus on pitching and wedges.
This move was also strategic. Cleveland it was a full line company at the time and overlapped with Srixon’s top player offerings. Srixon was still a new brand in North America in 2014. However, Cleveland was in decline. Not long after that announcement, Srixon debuted its most aggressive product launch yet: the Z 545 and 575 irons and woods. Two years later, the Z 565 driver would win MyGolfSpy’s Most Wanted Driver testing. The Z-series irons would also begin their 10-year run at or near the top of the leaderboard in player and player distance iron testing.
It was also at this time that the North American division of Dunlop underwent a leadership overhaul. A culture change and a new attitude followed.
At the end of 2016, Cleveland’s line returned as a complete line, focusing on game improvement and the game improvement super gear. While never threatening the Big Five, Cleveland filled a void, especially with its popular Halo hybrid irons.
Now, in 2026, Srixon is a clear powerhouse on rails. Its metalwood doesn’t have the same popularity, but the line has made significant progress in performance and sales over the past decade. Additionally, Srixon has built an impressive PGA Tour staff, featuring major winners Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, JJ Spaun and Keegan Bradley.
For the record, all of them play Cleveland wedges.
Will a full-line Cleveland return again?
It’s questionable for one simple reason: SRI/Dunlop doesn’t need it. Srixon is strong enough and, with the addition of the ZXiR irons, broad enough to cover the iron market from super-game-enhancing to top-of-the-line golfers. Srixon added a Max forgiveness driver to its stable last year, making Cleveland’s offerings essentially redundant.
As for the Halo hybrid irons, a portion of the game-enhancing market will be missing out. When it comes to forgiveness, Halo was extremely hard to beat. However, the ZXiR HL (High Launch) irons are extremely forgiving and, for what it’s worth, look a lot nicer. They should be able to fill that spot adequately. In addition, competitors such as Tour Edge and MacGregor offer hybrid-style cuffs at competitive prices.
The move also allows Srixon-Cleveland-XXIO to deploy its resources more strategically. As mentioned, Cleveland is planning an aggressive foray into the wedge market over the next few months. We should also see a new shooting line at some point this year. Considering Cleveland’s record, it should be another solid, value-performing lineup.
On a personal note, I will miss – and fondly remember – the last driver Cleveland ever released: My beloved HiBore XL. I don’t care what anyone says. That Dorito looking beast was a sweet driver.
Final thoughts
While it’s easy to say Cleveland’s all-out effort failed, it’s not entirely accurate. If you consider the Srixon-Cleveland-XXIO group as a single entity, it is more accurate to say that the group has been extremely successful and that Cleveland did its job. In 2015 and 2016, the SRI/Dunlop group was not doing well at all in North America. In less than 10 years, it has moved from a dying challenger brand to arguably the newest member of the Big Five.
In an industry where the status quo is stubborn and unforgiving, this kind of growth is difficult and worthy of recognition. As a full-line offer, Cleveland served its purpose in its second round. Repositioning the brand to focus on its strengths while launching Srixon is simply sound business.
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