Meet Ryan Atha, the man behind Caley Golf. Game on!

In just five years, Caley has become an established challenger brand in the golf equipment market. The brand based in Scotland ships golf clubs worldwide, for a fraction of the price you might expect from competitors.

In a market that’s dominated by global brands that have plenty of cash to throw behind marketing campaigns for their clubs, Caley is certainly a change of pace.

Caley has been developed by Ryan Atha, a young Scottish entrepreneur with a passion for golf. Atha believes that golf has become too expensive for the majority of golfers, who simply want great looking clubs with reliable performance, for an affordable price.

The name Caley (pronounced “Cah–Lay”) is short for Caledonia, the Roman name for Scotland. As the home of golf, Scotland, and its reputation for an inclusive and accessible approach to the game was the inspiration behind Caley.

Born in Edinburgh, with three brothers and an enthusiastic golf dad, Ryan Atha grew up playing on many of the courses around Scotland’s capital city and down the East Lothian coast.

Atha believes golf is a sport to be enjoyed by all, old and young, male and female, from beginners to low handicappers. There is no need to play at exclusive, members’ only courses with strict dress codes. He’s also keen to stress that the game doesn’t need to be enjoyed with clubs that are overly expensive.

The story of Caley Golf

When he was working in digital marketing in London, on a break from his time in Scotland, Ryan Atha dreamed of the day he would return north and run his own business and help make golf much more accessible to all.

He was aware of current trends with challenger brands taking on global brands with an online, direct-to-consumer, business model where he could cut out the middleman and provide great looking, top-quality clubs at reasonable prices.

He was also aware of similar trends in other sectors such as beer and gin where smaller, craft brands with local provenance were starting to challenge the big global brands in their categories.

Working late at night and at weekends, Atha developed the design and technical specifications for golf clubs that would challenge the status quo. Selling from a basic website he built and using his expertise in digital marketing, he quickly established a growing community of enthusiastic customers from across the world. Customers who were also pleased to provide positive reviews on the performance of clubs as well as the quality of personal service he was able to provide.

What does Caley Golf have to offer?

Caley’s flagship offering is the 01 and 01T iron sets, aimed at golfers with low handicaps, all the way to those with a higher handicap. Both models are of hollow body construction – a sleek, minimalist design which offers distance, forgiveness and workability. At less than £500, these are certainly affordable.

In addition, there is the 01X utility iron which offers the ease of play benefits of a hybrid and the utility of an iron.

The XZ Wedges are the latest addition to Caley’s 2024 range. The wedges feature full-face grooves which help to generate maximum spin even on off-centre strikes ensuring consistent flight and superior feel.

There is over 8,000 reviews on the Caley website and more than 90% have provided a rating of 5 stars. Many of these leave very positive comments about the quality and performance of the clubs as well as the fast and efficient personal service Atha provides.

If you are looking for a well-designed set of clubs that perform as well as the expensive brands at a much more reasonable cost, then it’s game on for Caley.

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Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor