A Brief History of Cobra Golf
Cobra Golf is one of the leading manufacturers of golf equipment, producing an entire line of golf clubs and accessories, such as bags for golf. Currently, Cobra Golf is a subsidiary of Puma, which purchased Cobra through the Acushnet company (owners of the Titleist and FootJoy brands) in 2010.
Important Points
- Cobra Golf is one of the most renowned brands of golf clubs and equipment.
- The company was first established by a group of golf enthusiasts in Australia in the early 1970s but is headquartered in the United States.
- Greg Norman was once a part-owner of the company. However, Cobra is now controlled by Puma.
The Early Years of Cobra Golf
Cobra Golf was founded in 1973 by an Australian named Thomas Crow. Crow was an amateur champion from his home country and worked for an Australian company that made golf equipment called Precision Golf. However, after experimenting with his designs, he moved to San Diego, California, and created Cobra Golf.
1973: The Founding
- Tom Crow, an Australian amateur golfer, moved to Kearney Mesa, CA to start Cobra Golf. Crow was an Australian Amateur Champion and won over 20 club championships, including at Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, and Royal Sydney.
- Crow set out to make great clubs at a fair price and claimed that while product and Tour presence were essential to success, it’s the people that really make the difference.
1975: A New Club Category
- The Baffler hybrid, a laminated wood with 23° of loft, introduced a new category of clubs to golf. It featured a patented sole plate design that allowed the club to glide through the turf effortlessly and drew inspiration from catamarans skimming across the Pacific Ocean.
- Move to Sorrento Valley: Cobra quickly doubled its warehouse footprint moving to a 6,000 SF location in the Sorrento Valley. The new facility allowed Cobra to produce irons and woods under one roof.
Innovations in the 1980s
1980: Trusty Rusty
- Phil Rodgers, a golf professional native to the San Diego area, invents the three-wedge system, implementing the gap wedge into players’ bags. This coincided with Rodgers’ original design for the first Trusty Rusty Wedge, a long-time cult classic amongst golf fans.
1985: Graphite Shafts & Autoclave System
- Cobra introduced the Autoclave System, which strengthens graphite shafts using proprietary technology, and became the first U.S. club manufacturer to offer graphite shafts as stock in woods and irons.
1989: Demo Sets
- Cobra launched the first club demo set program in the U.S., allowing customers to play a full 18 holes with any Cobra set before deciding to purchase, revolutionizing how golf clubs are bought & sold.
The 1990s: Growth and Success
1991: The Shark & The Ultramid
- Greg Norman signs with Cobra Golf after buying 12% of the company for $2 Million. Norman helps build Cobra’s first line of forged iron: The Norman Signature CB and MB Forged Irons.
- John Daly led the Tour in driving distance using the Cobra Ultramid Driver, which used a new high-tech plastic developed for the bullet-proof vest industry, then went on to shock the golfing world and won the 1991 PGA Championship.
1993: Major Wins
- Greg Norman wins the British Open at Royal St. George’s, the first Major Championship won with Cobra Irons. Norman led the Tour in total driving for the year using the KING COBRA Steel Driver.
- Hale Irwin, a three-time Major Champion signs with Cobra Golf. Shortly after joining team Cobra, Irwin went on to win the MCI Heritage Classic using the KING COBRA Oversize Irons.
1995: Crenshaw Masters Win
- Ben Crenshaw, a recent Cobra signing, secures an emotional victory at the 1995 Masters Tournament just days after the death of his long-time coach Harvey Penick. At the age of 43, Crenshaw was the second oldest player to ever win The Masters at that time.
1996: Steve Jones US Open Champion
- Steve Jones wins The U.S. Open at Oakland Hills Country Club using the KING COBRA Oversized II Irons. Jones becomes the first sectional qualifier to win the U.S. Open in over 20 years.
1997: Historic Triumph
- A young phenom captures the attention of the entire golfing world, winning the 1997 Masters in dominant fashion using the KING COBRA Deep Face Driver. Leading the field in driving distance averaging 23 yards further than the next closest golfer that week.
A New Era For Golf Equipment
1994: #1 Iron in Golf
- Cobra launches the first set of oversized irons which quickly became the performance standard and the #1 selling iron in golf.
1996: Product Expansion
- The most extensive line of new Cobra products up to this point is introduced, featuring the new KING COBRA Oversize II Irons and TI Offset Woods.
1997: COBRA Makes Moves
- COBRA Golf moves to its current location in Carlsbad, CA.
Game-Changing Innovations in the 2000s
2003: COBRA SS Driver
- KING COBRA SS Drivers are the top-selling drivers for the year, featuring a 430cc head that allowed golfers to hit drivers further with more forgiveness than ever before.
2005: Baffler Utilities
- COBRA Golf expands one of the hottest-selling utility metal lines in the industry with the addition of three new models to its line of KING COBRA Baffler Utility Metals. The patent-pending design promotes a high launch, forgiveness, and distance of a fairway metal with the playability and control of an iron quickly became the #1 selling line of utility metals.
2006: Ogilvy Wins U.S. Open at Winged Foot
- Geoff Ogilvy wins the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot using the COBRA X Speed Driver and KING COBRA Pro MB Irons.
The Evolution Continues in the 2010s
2010: PUMA Acquires COBRA
- Sports lifestyle company PUMA agrees to acquire 100% of COBRA Golf from Acushnet Company. COBRA PUMA Golf is born.
Tour Takes Off
Lexi Thompson
- 2010: Lexi Thompson becomes the first combined COBRA PUMA Golf athlete shortly after turning professional.
- 2014: Thompson wins The Kraft Nabisco Championship at just 19 years old.
Rickie Fowler
- 2012: Rickie Fowler signs with COBRA becoming a full COBRA PUMA Golf athlete.
- 2015: Fowler wins at The Players Championship.
Bryson DeChambeau
- 2016: COBRA signs Bryson DeChambeau as a full COBRA PUMA Golf athlete.
- 2020: DeChambeau wins the U.S. Open using SPEEDZONE Driver and KING Forged One Length Irons.
Innovating Excellence
KING LTD Driver (2015)
- COBRA works with NASA’s Center for Advancement of Science in Space to build a one-of-a-kind driver.
- COBRA releases the first connected golf club featuring an Arccos sensor embedded in the grip, allowing players to track their ball striking through advanced digital technology.
- COBRA launches full sets of single-length irons built to 7-iron length for consistent contact with every club.
- COBRA athletes win four times within four months using this driver, which remains a cult classic among avid golf enthusiasts.
Smart Clubs (2016) ONE Length (2017) KING F9 Speedback (2019)
Innovations in Technology in the 2020s
3D Printed Putters (2020)
- COBRA partners with HP to develop a first-of-its-kind 3D printed putter line.
Recent Highlights
Gary Woodland Signs With COBRA (2023)
- The 2019 U.S. Open Champion signs with COBRA Golf as a full COBRA PUMA Golf athlete.
- Rickie Fowler returns to victory using an AEROJET Driver and KING Tour Irons at Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
Rickie Wins at Rocket (2023)
Shopping for & Purchasing Cobra Golf Equipment
Cobra is one of the most prominent manufacturers of golf equipment; Cobra clubs and accessories are readily available at all major golf stores online as well as big-box retailers (e.g., Amazon) and at all major retailers of golf.
Cobra’s website features the dealer’s locator to assist customers in finding the closest retail stores. Customers can search for items through the Cobra website and also make purchases directly on the website.
The PGA Value Guide will help golfers determine the value of trade-ins of their existing clubs or resale prices on previously owned Cobra clubs.
Cobra Golf Web Site:
Contact Info:
To reach Cobra Customer Service within America, call (800) 917-3300. Mailing Address:
Cobra has its headquarters in California:
Cobra Puma Golf
1818 Aston Avenue
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Other phone numbers and postal addresses for regional areas can be found on Cobra’s website for your region. Visit CobraGolf.com and search for “Cobra International” at the bottom of the page.
