Item 1A. Risk Factors
Certain Factors Affecting Callaway Golf Company
The Company’s business, operations and financial condition are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The Company urges you to carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those risks set forth under the heading entitled “Important Notice to Investors Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and in other documents that the Company files with the Commission, before making any investment decision with respect to the Company’s securities. If any of the risks or uncertainties actually occur or develop, the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects could be adversely affected. Under these circumstances, the trading prices of the Company’s securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment in the Company’s securities.
Risk Factors Summary
The following is a summary of the principal risks that could adversely affect our business, operating results, cash flows and financial conditions.
Risks Related to the Company's Industry and Business
•A reduction in the number of rounds of golf played or in the number of golf participants could adversely affect the Company’s sales.
•The Company may have limited opportunities for future growth in sales of golf clubs and golf balls.
•The Company, including Topgolf, its franchisees and licensees, may face increased labor costs or labor shortages that could slow growth and adversely affect its business, results of operations and financial condition.
•The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a material and adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, supply and distribution chains and ability to manage its operations.
•Unfavorable economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation or otherwise, could have a negative impact on consumer discretionary spending and therefore negatively impact the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
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•A severe or prolonged economic downturn could adversely affect the Company's customers’ financial condition, their levels of business activity and their ability to pay trade obligations.
•The Company faces intense competition in each of its markets, and if it is unable to compete effectively, it could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.
•The Company’s expanding apparel business, and operation of related retail locations, is subject to various risks and uncertainties, and the Company’s growth and strategic plans may not be fully realized.
•Topgolf’s growth strategy depends in part on its and its franchisees’ ability to open new venues in existing and new markets.
•The Company may be unable to successfully manage the frequent introduction of new products that satisfy changing consumer preferences.
•The Company’s soft goods and apparel and Topgolf venues businesses face risks associated with changed consumer tastes and preferences and fashion trends.
•The Company’s business depends on strong brands and related reputations, and if the Company is not able to maintain and enhance the Company’s brands or preserve its strong reputation, including as a result of actions taken by franchisees and licensees , its sales may be adversely affected.
•The Company’s business and operating results are subject to seasonal fluctuations, which could result in fluctuations in its operating results and stock price.
•The Company’s sales and business could be materially and adversely affected if professional athletes, celebrities and other endorsers do not endorse or use the Company’s products.
•Any significant changes in U.S. trade or other policies that restrict imports or increase import tariffs could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations.
Risks Related to Operations, Manufacturing, and Technology
•The Company has significant international operations and is exposed to risks associated with doing business globally.
•Any difficulties from strategic acquisitions that the Company pursues or consummates, including its recent acquisition of Topgolf, could adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations.
•If the Company inaccurately forecasts demand for its products, it may manufacture either insufficient or excess quantities, which, in either case, could adversely affect its financial performance.
•The Company’s expanding international operations could be harmed if it fails to successfully transition its business processes on a global scale.
•Instances of food-borne illness and outbreaks of disease could negatively impact Topgolf’s business.
•The Company may be subject to product warranty claims that require the replacement or repair of products sold. Such warranty claims could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and relationships with its customers.
•Failure to adequately enforce the Company’s intellectual property rights could adversely affect its reputation and sales.
•Cyber-attacks, unauthorized access to, or accidental disclosure of, consumer personally-identifiable information that the Company collects may result in significant expense and negatively impact the Company's reputation and business.
Risks Related to Regulations
•Regulations related to “conflict minerals” require the Company to incur additional expenses and could limit the supply and increase the cost of certain metals used in manufacturing the Company’s products.
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•Changes in, or any failure to comply with, data privacy laws, regulations, and standards may adversely affect the Company’s business.
Risks Related to Tax and Financial Matters
•Changes in tax law and unanticipated tax liabilities could adversely affect the Company’s effective income tax rate and profitability.
•The Company’s ability to utilize all or a portion of its U.S. deferred tax assets may be subject to limitations.
•The Company’s obligations and certain financial covenants contained under its existing credit facilities expose it to risks that could materially and adversely affect its liquidity, business, operating results, financial condition and limit its flexibility in operating its business.
Risks Related to the Company's Industry and Business
A reduction in the number of rounds of golf played or in the number of golf participants could adversely affect the Company’s sales.
The Company generates a substantial portion of its revenues from the sale of golf-related products, including golf clubs, golf balls and golf accessories. In addition, the Company generates substantial revenues from the sale of golf-related soft goods, including apparel, gear and other accessories. The demand for golf-related products in general, and golf balls in particular, as well as the demand for golf-related soft goods, is directly related to the number of golf participants and the number of rounds of golf being played by these participants. If golf participation decreases or the number of rounds of golf played decreases, sales of the Company’s products may be adversely affected. In the future, the overall dollar volume of the market for golf-related products may not grow or may decline. Further, the Company generates substantial revenues from its Topgolf business. The demand for golf and overall popularity of the sport, including through increased off-course golf participation, is tangentially related to overall guest traffic and spending at each of the Topgolf venues, and therefore could adversely affect Topgolf sales.
In addition, the demand for golf products and other soft goods and apparel is directly related to the popularity of magazines, cable channels and other media dedicated to golf, television coverage of golf tournaments and attendance at golf events. The Company depends on the exposure of its products through advertising and the media or at golf tournaments and events. Any significant reduction in television coverage of, or attendance at, golf tournaments and events (whether as a result of COVID-19-related restrictions or otherwise) or any significant reduction in the popularity of golf magazines or golf television channels, could reduce the visibility of the Company’s brand and could adversely affect the Company’s sales.
The Company may have limited opportunities for future growth in sales of golf clubs and golf balls.
In order for the Company to significantly grow its sales of golf clubs or golf balls, the Company must either increase its share of the market for golf clubs or golf balls, develop markets in geographic regions historically underrepresented by the Company’s products, or the overall market for golf clubs or golf balls must grow. The Company already has a significant share of worldwide sales of golf clubs and golf balls and the golf industry is very competitive. As such, gaining incremental market share quickly or at all is difficult. Therefore, opportunities for additional market share may be limited given the challenging competitive nature of the golf industry, and the overall dollar volume of worldwide sales of golf clubs or golf balls may not grow or may decline.
The Company, including Topgolf, its franchisees and licensees, may face increased labor costs or labor shortages that could slow growth and adversely affect its business, results of operations and financial condition.
Labor is a significant component in the cost of operating the business of the Company, and a primary component in operating the business of Topgolf and its franchisees and licensees. If the Company faces labor shortages or increased labor costs because of increased competition for employees, higher employee turnover rates, the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic or other pandemics, increases in the federally-mandated or state-mandated minimum wage, changes in exempt and non-exempt status, or other employee benefits costs (including costs associated with health insurance coverage or workers’ compensation insurance), the Company’s operating expenses could increase and its growth could be adversely affected.
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In particular, Topgolf has a substantial number of employee associates (“Associates”) who are paid wage rates at or based on the applicable federal or state minimum wage, and increases in the applicable minimum wage will increase labor costs. From time to time, legislative proposals are made to increase the minimum wage at the federal or state level. As federal, state or other applicable minimum wage rates increase, the Company may be required to increase not only the wage rates of minimum wage Associates or other employees, but also the wages paid to other hourly employees. It may not be possible to increase prices in order to pass future increased labor costs on to customers, in which case the Company’s margins would be negatively affected. At Topgolf, reduced margins could make it more difficult to attract new franchisees and licensees and to retain existing franchisee and licensee relationships. If the Company is able to increase prices to cover increased labor costs, the higher prices could result in lower participation and therefore lower revenues, which may also reduce margins, as well as the fees received from Topgolf’s franchisees and licensees.
Furthermore, the successful operation of the Company’s business depends upon its ability to attract, motivate and retain a sufficient number of qualified executives, managers and skilled employees. From time to time, there may be a shortage of skilled labor in certain of the communities in which the Company operates, including where its Topgolf venues are located. Shortages of skilled labor may make it increasingly difficult and expensive to attract, train and retain the services of a satisfactory number of qualified employees, which, with respect to Topgolf, could delay the planned openings of new Company-operated and franchised venues and adversely impact the operations and profitability of existing venues. Furthermore, competition for qualified employees, particularly in markets where such shortages exist, could require the Company to pay higher wages, which could result in higher labor costs. In particular, Topgolf experiences competition to attract and retain skilled game developers and content creators is intense, and failure to do so may delay the implementation of Topgolf’s business strategy and growth plans. Companies in the Company’s industry have also historically experienced relatively high turnover rates, which may also result in higher labor costs. Accordingly, if the Company is unable to recruit and retain sufficiently qualified individuals, its business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
Some, but not all, of the Company’s employees are currently covered under collective bargaining agreements. In the future, additional employees, including Topgolf Associates, may elect to be represented by labor unions. If a significant number of additional employees were to become unionized and collective bargaining agreement terms were significantly different from current compensation arrangements, it could adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, a labor dispute involving some or all employees may harm the Company’s reputation, disrupt operations and reduce revenue, and resolution of disputes may increase costs. Further, if Topgolf or its franchisees enter into a new market with unionized construction companies, or the construction companies in Topgolf or its franchisees’ current markets become unionized, construction and build-out costs for new venues in such markets could materially increase.
In addition, immigration reform continues to attract significant attention in the public arena and the U.S. Congress. If new immigration legislation is enacted, such laws may contain provisions that could increase the Company’s, including Topgolf’s and its U.S. franchisees’ and licensees’, costs in recruiting, training and retaining employees. Also, although the Company’s hiring practices comply with the requirements of federal law in reviewing employees’ citizenship or authority to work in the United States, the Company does not monitor or control the hiring practices of Topgolf’s franchisees and licensees, and increased enforcement efforts with respect to existing immigration laws by governmental authorities may disrupt a portion of the Company’s workforce or the operations at its venues, or the workforce or operations of licensees, thereby negatively impacting its business.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a material and adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has created considerable instability and disruption in the U.S. and world economies. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and domestic and international governmental authorities around the world have issued orders, mandates, decrees and directives (collectively, “COVID Orders”), including travel restrictions, “stay-at home” orders and “social distancing” measures and business shutdowns. These measures have adversely affected workforces, customers, consumer sentiment, economies, and financial markets, and, along with decreased consumer spending, have led to an economic downturn in many of the Company's markets.
With respect to the Topgolf business, for example, statewide executive orders were issued in Texas and Florida, where Topgolf operates a significant portion of its venues, and other states in which Topgolf operates venues, ordering the closure of non-essential business establishments, mandating or recommending that residents “stay at home” other than in
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the case of limited exceptions, imposing curfews, suspending alcohol sales for certain establishments, limiting occupancy, ordering the implementation of strict social distancing measures in business establishments and mandating health screens and face coverings for Associates and customers and imposed heightened cleanliness standards, including cleaning and disinfecting golf clubs, golf balls, game screens and other frequently touched bay surfaces between each group of guests, which has had a material adverse impact on Topgolf’s business throughout 2020 and 2021.Further, Topgolf enacted various measures to reduce cash expenses to weather its temporary venue closures, including (i) suspension of non-essential capital expenditures, including the suspension of construction of future venues for a period of time, (ii) execution of substantial reductions in expenses, including furlough or lay-off of a significant number of Associates, (iii) temporary salary reductions for certain Associates, including executive officers, (iv) extension of payment terms with Topgolf’s vendors and (v) negotiation of rent deferrals for a portion of Topgolf’s leases. Although currently all Topgolf venues have been re-opened, there can be no assurance that additional closures or re-closures will not be mandated in the future. Even with respect to venues that may remain open, a number of its venues have reduced operating hours and foot traffic at Topgolf’s venues has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, and Topgolf has reduced headcount at its offices in response to these changes. Additionally, as a result of COVID Orders, Topgolf has been limited in its ability to host large group events in certain jurisdictions, which has resulted in a reduction of revenue from such events per past practice. Topgolf expects that occupancy limits imposed under COVID Orders and a shift in consumer demand away from out-of-home entertainment will result in lower guest traffic at venues and continue to negatively impact revenues, and that it will incur additional costs to ensure compliance with safety measures at venues, including mandatory measures under applicable COVID Orders as well as voluntary measures to enhance safety for guests and Associates. In addition, Topgolf may face difficulties in maintaining adequate staffing at venues due to illness, difficulty in recalling Associates that may be furloughed if venues are required to temporarily close again or a reduction in Associates willing to work in public gathering places. As a result, its business, operating results and financial condition have been, and will continue to be, materially and adversely affected. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions under COVID Orders could also delay construction of new venues, present difficulties in staffing venues and result in supply chain interruptions, including for manufactured components for the Toptracer Range system, which may materially adversely affect Topgolf’s ability to implement growth plans. Future outbreaks of other diseases such as avian flu, sudden acute respiratory syndrome (also known as SARS), swine flu or influenza may similarly impact Topgolf.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption in the Company’s supply and distribution chains for its golf equipment, apparel and other products sold globally, and resulted in temporary closures of its corporate offices and retail stores around the world. A majority of the Company's employees in the United States and Europe are continuing to work from home. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the cancellation of golf tournaments, restrictions on attendance at golf tournaments and related events, closures of golf courses and a significant decrease in demand for consumer products, including the Company's golf equipment, apparel and other products.
Further, the Company has been, and will continue to be, negatively impacted by the heightened governmental regulations and travel advisories, recommendations by the U.S. Department of State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and similar foreign authorities, and travel bans and restrictions, each of which has significantly impacted, and is expected to continue to significantly impact, travel of customers to its retail locations and to Topgolf’s domestic and international venues. Topgolf, in particular, cannot predict how quickly customers will return to its venues, which may be affected by continued concerns over safety and/or depressed consumer sentiment due to adverse economic conditions, including high unemployment.
The Company is unable to accurately predict the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting disruptions will have on its operations going forward due to the currently unknowable duration, scope and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the timing and effectiveness of vaccine distribution. Also, the Company is unable to accurately predict the impact of the ongoing governmental regulations that have been imposed or new regulations that may be imposed in response to the pandemic. To date, such disruptions have resulted in, among other things, production delays and closures of the Company's manufacturing facilities, retail locations and warehouses, any or all of which could materially and adversely affect its supply and distribution chains and ability to manage its operations. The Company has also experienced staffing shortages as a result of remote working requirements or otherwise. Although certain aspects of the Company's business have improved and net revenues increased during 2021 as compared to 2020, the Company expects to continue to be impacted by the instability and disruption in global economic and market conditions, and the related decreases in customer demand and spending. Demand for the Company’s products and services may weaken for a significant length of time and the Company cannot predict if and when such demand will return to pre-outbreak demand.To the extent that third parties
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on whom the Company relies for revenue, including, among others, its customers and licensees, are negatively impacted by COVID-19, such third parties may be unwilling or unable to make payments otherwise due to the Company on a timely basis, or at all. In the event of a nonpayment, default or bankruptcy by such third party, the Company’s cash flows may be adversely impacted, costs may be incurred to protect its contractual rights, and the Company may be unable to recognize the revenue that the Company otherwise expected to receive from such third party.
Although the Company has taken actions to significantly reduce costs, maximize liquidity and strengthen its operating and financial position, there can be no assurance that such actions will be able to counteract the global economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. If the Company experiences a decline in revenues, cash flows or earnings due to COVID-19, the Company may have difficulty paying interest and principal amounts due on its existing credit facilities or other indebtedness and meeting certain of the financial covenants contained in such credit facilities. Also, if additional financing is required to operate the Company's business, such financing may not be available to the Company on acceptable terms, or at all. While it is premature to predict the ultimate impact of these developments, the Company expects its results in the near-term and beyond will be adversely impacted in a significant manner. Furthermore, when conditions return to a more normal state, the Company may experience difficulties efficiently ramping up its operations to pre-COVID-19 levels in an effective manner.
To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Item 1A and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” under Item 7 below, including, without limitation, risks relating to changes in demand for the Company's products or the supply of the components and materials used to make its products, level of indebtedness, need to generate sufficient cash flows to service the Company’s indebtedness, ability to comply with the obligations and financial covenants contained in the Company’s existing credit facilities, availability of adequate capital, the ability to execute the Company's strategic plans, U.S. trade, tax or other policies that restrict imports or increase import tariffs, ability to successfully operate its expanding retail stores and venues, and regulatory restrictions. In addition, if in the future there is a further outbreak of COVID-19 or a variation thereof, or an outbreak of another highly infectious or contagious disease or other health concern, the Company may be subject to similar risks as posed by COVID-19.
Unfavorable economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation or otherwise, could have a negative impact on consumer discretionary spending and therefore negatively impact the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
The Company’s golf-related products are recreational in nature and are therefore discretionary purchases for consumers. In addition, the Topgolf venues business is dependent upon consumer and corporate discretionary spending on leisure and entertainment based offerings.Consumers are generally more willing to make discretionary purchases of golf products and to spend on leisure and out-of-home entertainment during favorable economic conditions and when consumers are feeling confident and prosperous. The Company’s soft goods and apparel products are similarly dependent on consumer discretionary spending and retail traffic patterns.In particular, the Company’s recently acquired outdoor apparel, gear and accessories brands are premium in nature and, therefore, the purchasing patterns of consumers can vary year to year.The recently acquired Topgolf venues business offers a leading technology-enabled golf entertainment option for consumers, with an innovative platform that comprises its state-of-the-art open-air golf and entertainment venues.The demand for these entertainment and recreational activities is highly sensitive to downturns in the economy and the corresponding impact on discretionary consumer spending. Any actual or perceived deterioration or weakness in general, regional or local economic conditions, unemployment levels, the job or housing markets, consumer debt levels or consumer confidence, as well as other adverse economic or market conditions due to COVID-19, inflation, or otherwise may lead to customers having less discretionary income to spend on entertainment and recreational activities, and may result in significant fluctuations and spending patterns year to year.Discretionary spending is also affected by many other factors, including general business conditions, interest rates, the availability of consumer credit, taxes and consumer confidence in future economic conditions. Purchases of the Company’s products and services could decline during periods when disposable income is lower, or during periods of actual or perceived unfavorable economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant or prolonged decline in general economic conditions or uncertainties regarding future economic prospects that adversely affect consumer discretionary spending, whether in the United States or in the Company’s international markets, could result in reduced sales of the Company’s products and reduce demand and
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spending on the Company’s entertainment offerings, including Topgolf, which in turn would have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
A severe or prolonged economic downturn could adversely affect the Company's customers’ financial condition, their levels of business activity and their ability to pay trade obligations.
The Company primarily sells its golf and apparel products to retailers directly and through wholly-owned domestic and foreign subsidiaries, and to foreign distributors. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and generally requires no collateral from these customers. However, a severe or prolonged downturn in the general economy could adversely affect the retail market which in turn, would negatively impact the liquidity and cash flows of the Company's customers, including the ability of such customers to obtain credit to finance purchases of the Company's products and to pay their trade obligations. In addition, as a result of COVID-19 related restrictions or public safety measures, many retail stores have been and may continue to operate in a more limited capacity, which could result in fewer consumers purchasing our products. This could result in increased delinquent or uncollectible accounts for some of the Company’s customers. A failure by the Company’s customers to pay on a timely basis a significant portion of outstanding account receivable balances would adversely impact the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
The Company faces intense competition in each of its markets, and if it is unable to compete effectively, it could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.
Golf Equipment. The golf equipment business, which is comprised of golf club and golf ball products, is highly competitive, and is served by a number of well-established and well-financed companies with recognized brand names. The golf ball business, in particular, includes one competitor with an estimated U.S. market share of over 50%.
With respect to golf club sales, new product introductions, price reductions, consignment sales, extended payment terms, “closeouts,” including closeouts of products that were recently commercially successful, and significant tour and advertising spending by competitors continue to generate intense market competition. Furthermore, downward pressure on pricing in the market for new clubs could have a significant adverse effect on the Company’s pre-owned golf club business as the gap narrows between the cost of a new club and a pre-owned club. Successful marketing activities, discounted pricing, consignment sales, extended payment terms or new product introductions by competitors could negatively impact the Company’s future sales.
With respect to golf ball sales, the Company’s competitors continue to incur significant costs in the areas of advertising, tour and other promotional support.The Company believes that to be competitive, the Company also needs to continue to incur significant expenses in tour, advertising and promotional support. In addition, the Company has invested, and may continue to invest in the future, significant capital into upgrades to its manufacturing and assembly facilities, including its golf ball manufacturing facility in Chicopee, Massachusetts, to remain on the forefront of technological and competitive innovation. Unless there is a change in competitive conditions, these competitive pressures and increased costs will continue to adversely affect the profitability of the Company’s golf equipment business.
Apparel, Gear and Other. The Company’s apparel, gear and other business includes the Jack Wolfskin outdoor apparel, gear and accessories business, the TravisMathew golf and lifestyle apparel and accessories business, and the Callaway soft goods business and the OGIO business, which consists of golf apparel and accessories (including golf bags and gloves), storage gear for sport and personal use, and royalties from licensing of the Company’s trademarks and service marks for various soft goods products.The Company faces significant competition in every region with respect to each of these product categories. In most cases, the Company is not the market leader with respect to its apparel, gear and accessory markets.
Topgolf.The Topgolf business operates primarily in the consumer entertainment industry, which remains highly competitive.Consumers today have a wide variety of options when deciding how to spend their leisure time and discretionary entertainment dollars. Topgolf’s venues compete for consumers’ time and discretionary entertainment dollars against a broad range of other out-of-home entertainment options, as well as increasingly sophisticated forms of home-based entertainment. Other out-of-home entertainment options against which Topgolf competes include other dining and entertainment venues, sports activity centers, traditional driving ranges and other establishments offering simulated golf or multi-sport experiences (including Toptracer Range and Full Swing licensees), arcades and entertainment centers, movie theaters, sporting events, bowling alleys, nightclubs, casinos, bars and restaurants. In many cases, these businesses, or the
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entities operating them, are larger and have significantly greater financial resources and name recognition, longer operating histories, and concepts with which consumers may be more familiar, and are better established in the markets where venues are located or are planned to be located. As a result, these competitors may be able to invest greater resources or implement more aggressive strategies to attract consumers, including with respect to pricing, and, accordingly, may succeed in attracting those who would otherwise come to Topgolf’s venues. Home-based entertainment options against which Topgolf’s venues compete include internet and video gaming, as well as movies, television and other on-demand content from streaming services. Further, in some cases consumer demand has shifted towards home-based entertainment options and away from out-of-home entertainment, including Topgolf’s products and services, as a result of the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related COVID Orders, which may result in greater competition from home-based entertainment options in the future. The failure of Topgolf’s venues to compete favorably against these other out-of-home and home-based entertainment options could have a material adverse effect on Topgolf’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
Topgolf also faces intense competition across its other business lines. In particular, the International and Toptracer business lines compete against other companies to attract and retain qualified franchisees and licensees. WGT and the content Topgolf produces through Topgolf Studios also competes for consumer attention and leisure time against the other home-based entertainment alternatives described above, particularly content focused on sports, including golf. From a commercial perspective, Topgolf also competes against other businesses seeking corporate sponsorships and other commercial partners, such as sports teams, entertainment events and television and digital media outlets, and compete against television and digital content providers seeking advertiser or sponsorship income. Topgolf’s growth strategy and prospects will be materially impaired if it is unable to compete successfully in these aspects of its business.
If the Company is unable to grow or maintain its competitive position in any of its business areas, it could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company’s expanding apparel business, and operation of related retail locations, is subject to various risks and uncertainties, and the Company’s growth and strategic plans may not be fully realized.
The Company has been expanding its focus over the last several years to include soft goods and apparel, in addition to its core golf business, primarily through the acquisitions of OGIO and TravisMathew in 2017 and Jack Wolfskin in 2019.Jack Wolfskin is an international, premium outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment brand, and it designs products targeted at the active outdoor and urban outdoor customer categories.The scale and global scope of Jack Wolfskin involves various risks and uncertainties described throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in this “Risk Factors” section, as well as the following:
•Maintaining its market share in its key markets such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland and China in the face of increasing competition and new competitors;
•Difficulties in developing the Jack Wolfskin brand in the North American and other target markets;
•Significant competition from existing premium outdoor apparel companies in target markets;
•Continually changing consumer preferences; and
•Difficulties in managing or realizing sustainable profitability from Jack Wolfskin’s large network of global wholesale retail partners, consisting of hundreds of third party owned retail locations.
Additionally, as a result of the Company’s golf apparel joint venture in Japan in July 2016 and the acquisitions of TravisMathew in August 2017 and Jack Wolfskin in January 2019, the Company now maintains over 150 retail locations around the world. The Company’s retail operations are subject to various factors that pose risks and uncertainties and which could adversely impact the Company’s financial condition and operating results. Such factors include, but are not limited to, macro-economic factors that could have an adverse effect on retail activity generally; the Company’s ability to successfully manage retail operations and a disparate retail workforce across various jurisdictions; the Company's ability to successfully open and maintain new retail stores in new markets; governmental restrictions or public safety measures put in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in such retail stores operating in a more limited capacity and with fewer in-person customers; to manage costs associated with retail store operations and fluctuations in the value of retail
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inventory; to manage relationships with existing retail partners; and to obtain and renew leases in quality retail locations at a reasonable cost and on reasonable and customary terms.
If the Company fails to realize the expected benefits from its expansion into soft goods and apparel or is unsuccessful in its operation of its retail locations, the Company’s growth and strategic plans may not be fully realized, and its business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Topgolf’s growth strategy depends in part on its and its franchisees’ ability to open new venues in existing and new markets.
The Company has recently entered into the consumer entertainment industry with its acquisition of Topgolf in 2021.A key element of Topgolf’s growth strategy is to open additional venues in locations that it believes will provide attractive unit economics and returns on investment. As of December 31, 2021, Topgolf had 67 venues operating in the United States with an additional eight venues under construction, three Company-operated venues in the United Kingdom and three franchised venues (Australia, Mexico and United Arab Emirates), one Company-operated venue under construction in the United Kingdom and one franchised venue under construction in Germany. The Company plans to open additional new venues across flexible venue formats in the years to come. In addition, Topgolf has signed development agreements with various partners to open additional franchised venues in countries across the world. In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Topgolf suspended construction on certain venues and temporarily paused negotiations on new leases and purchase agreements. Further, construction on future venues could be delayed by additional COVID Orders, reduced availability of labor and supply chain interruptions. As a result, some of the projects in Topgolf’s development pipeline may not be completed on the anticipated timeline, or at all, and new projects may not continue to enter Topgolf’s pipeline at the same rate as in the past.
Topgolf and its franchisees’ ability to open new venues on a timely and cost-effective basis, or at all, is dependent on a number of factors, many of which are beyond Topgolf’s control, including Topgolf and its franchisees’ ability to:
•identify and successfully compete against other potential lessees or purchasers to secure quality locations;
•reach acceptable agreements regarding the lease or purchase of locations;
•secure acceptable financing arrangements;
•comply with applicable zoning, licensing, land use and environmental regulations;
•overcome litigation or other opposition efforts brought by special interest groups;
•raise or have available an adequate amount of money for construction and opening costs;
•respond to unforeseen construction, engineering, environmental or other problems (including delays in construction due to applicable COVID Orders);
•avoid or mitigate the impact of inclement weather, natural disasters and other calamities;
•respond to infectious diseases, health epidemics and pandemics (including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic);
•timely hire, train and retain the skilled management and other Associates necessary to meet staffing needs;
•obtain, in a timely manner and for acceptable cost, required licenses, permits and regulatory approvals, including liquor licenses, and respond effectively to any changes in local, state or federal law and regulations that adversely affect costs or ability to open new venues; and
•efficiently manage the amount of time and money used to build and open each new venue.
In addition, Topgolf has relied, and expects to continue to rely, primarily on the services of a single design/build contractor for the construction of venues. For venues in certain locations, Topgolf’s reliance on this contractor may result in additional costs or delay. Though Topgolf believes it would be able to find one or more replacements if it were to lose its relationship with this contractor or if its services otherwise became unavailable, there can be no guarantee that Topgolf
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would be able to do so without incurring additional costs and delay, or that the terms of arrangements with any such replacement would not be less favorable to Topgolf.
There can be no guarantee that a sufficient number of suitable Topgolf venue sites will be available in desirable areas or on terms that are acceptable to Topgolf in order to achieve its growth plan, or that Topgolf will be successful in addressing the other risks inherent in its business that will allow it to open new venues in a timely and cost-effective manner or at all. If Topgolf is unable to open new venues, or if venue openings are significantly delayed or face other obstacles, the Company’s revenues could be adversely affected and its business negatively impacted.New Topgolf venues, once opened, may not be profitable or may close, which would adversely affect the Topgolf business as well the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations and ability to execute its growth strategy.
Even if Topgolf and its franchisees succeed in opening new venues on a timely and cost-effective basis, there can be no guarantee that the profitability of these venues will be in line with that of existing venues or the performance targets Topgolf has set. New venues may even operate at a loss or close after a short operating period, which could have a significant adverse effect on overall operating results. Historically, new venues often experience an initial start-up period with considerable sales volumes, which subsequently decrease to stabilized levels after their first year of operation, followed by increases in same venue sales in line with the rest of Topgolf’s comparable venue base, although there can be no assurance that the same venue sales of any new venues opened in the future will increase in line with the rest of Topgolf’s comparable venue base, particularly in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or that a new venue will succeed in the long term. Topgolf and its franchisees’ ability to operate new venues profitably may be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond its control, including:
•general economic conditions, which can affect venue traffic, local labor costs and prices for food products and other supplies to varying degrees in the markets in which venues are located;
•changes in consumer preferences and discretionary spending;
•difficulties obtaining or maintaining adequate relationships with distributors or suppliers in a given market;
•inefficiency in labor costs and operations as newly hired Associates gain experience;
•competition from other out-of-home entertainment options, including existing venues and the businesses of the Toptracer Range licensees, as well as a variety of home-based entertainment options;
•temporary or permanent site characteristics of new venues;
•changes in government regulation, including required licenses, permits and regulatory approvals, including liquor licenses;
•the impact of infectious diseases, health epidemics and pandemics (including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic) on factors impacting Topgolf’s business, including but not limited to changes in consumer preferences and discretionary spending, the ability and cost of suppliers to deliver required products and health and public safety regulations; and
•other unanticipated increases in costs, any of which may impair profitability at a specific venue or more broadly.
Furthermore, as part of Topgolf’s longer-term growth strategy, it may open venues in geographic markets in which Topgolf has little or no operating experience. These markets may have different competitive conditions, consumer tastes and discretionary spending patterns than existing markets, which may cause new venues to be less successful or profitable than venues in existing markets. The challenges of opening venues in new markets include, among other things: difficulties in hiring experienced personnel, lack of familiarity with local real estate markets and demographics, lack of familiarity with local legal and regulatory requirements, different competitive and economic conditions, and consumer tastes and discretionary spending patterns that may be more difficult to predict or satisfy than in existing markets. In addition, Topgolf’s marketing and advertising programs may not be successful in generating brand awareness in all local markets, and lack of market awareness of the Topgolf brand may pose additional risks. Venues opened in new markets may open at lower average weekly revenues than venues opened in existing markets, and may have higher venue-level operating expense ratios than venues in existing markets. Sales at venues opened in new markets may also take longer to reach
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expected revenue levels, if they are able to do so at all, thereby adversely affecting overall profitability. Any failure to recognize or respond effectively to these challenges may adversely affect the success of any new venues and impair Topgolf’s ability to grow its business.
If the Company is unable to successfully manage the frequent introduction of new products that satisfy changing consumer preferences, it could significantly and adversely impact its financial performance and prospects for future growth.
The Company’s main golf equipment products, like those of its competitors, generally have life cycles of two years to three years, with sales occurring at a much higher rate in the first year than in the second. Factors driving these short product life cycles include the rapid introduction of competitive products and consumer demands for the latest technology. In this marketplace, a substantial portion of the Company’s annual revenues is generated each year by products that are in their first year of their product life cycle.
These marketplace conditions raise a number of issues that the Company must successfully manage. For example, the Company must properly anticipate consumer preferences and design products that meet those preferences while also complying with significant restrictions imposed on golf equipment by the Rules of Golf (see further discussion of the Rules of Golf below) or its new products will not achieve sufficient market success to compensate for the usual decline in sales experienced by products already in the market. Second, the Company’s research and development and supply chain groups face constant pressures to design, develop, source and supply new products that perform better than their predecessors many of which incorporate new or otherwise untested technology, suppliers or inputs. Third, for new products to generate equivalent or greater revenues than their predecessors, they must either maintain the same or higher sales levels with the same or higher pricing, or exceed the performance of their predecessors in one or both of those areas. Fourth, the relatively short window of opportunity for launching and selling new products requires great precision in forecasting demand and assuring that supplies are ready and delivered during the critical selling periods. Finally, the rapid changeover in products creates a need to monitor and manage the closeout of older products both at retail and in the Company’s own inventory. Should the Company not successfully manage the frequent introduction of new products that satisfy consumer demand, the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be significantly adversely affected.
The Company’s soft goods and apparel and Topgolf venues businesses face risks associated with changed consumer tastes and preferences and fashion trends.
The Company’s expanding apparel business and its Topgolf venues business are subject to pressures from changing consumer tastes and preferences on a global level and, as a result, the Company is dependent on its ability to timely introduce products and services that anticipate and/or satisfy such preferences.
With respect to Topgolf, consumer and corporate discretionary spending on entertainment and leisure is affected by consumer tastes and preferences, which are subject to change, and there can be no guarantee that golf-oriented entertainment will continue to appeal to consumers, particularly given the recent shift in consumer spending away from out-of-home entertainment in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Any decline in guest traffic and/or guest spending in Topgolf’s venues, whether resulting from unfavorable economic conditions or changes in consumer preferences, will reduce revenue in Topgolf’s venues business, impair the value of Topgolf’s brand and impact Topgolf’s ability to attract new franchisees, licensees and commercial partners and generate sponsorship revenue, all of which could have a material adverse effect on Topgolf’s business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.
With respect to the Company’s soft goods and apparel business, changes in consumer preferences, consumer purchasing behavior, consumer interest in recreational or other outdoor activities, and fashion trends could have a significant effect on the Company's sales. The Company’s success depends on its ability to identify and originate product trends as well as to anticipate, gauge and react to changing consumer demands and buying patterns in a timely manner. However, significant lead times for many of the Company’s products, including the OGIO, TravisMathew and Jack Wolfskin-branded products, may make it more difficult for the Company to respond rapidly to new or changing product trends or consumer preferences.All of the Company’s products are subject to changing consumer preferences that cannot be predicted with certainty. The Company’s new products may not receive consumer acceptance as consumer preferences could shift rapidly to different types of lifestyle products or away from these types of products altogether, and its future success depends in part on its ability to anticipate and respond to these changes. In addition, decisions about product designs often are made far in advance of consumer acceptance.If the Company or its customers fail to anticipate and respond to consumer preferences or fail to respond in a timely manner or if the Company or its customers are unable to
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effectively navigate a transforming retail marketplace, the Company could suffer reputational damage to its products and brands and it may experience lower sales, excess inventories and lower profit margins in current and future periods, any of which could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company’s golf equipment business and its apparel, gear and other business has a concentrated customer base. The loss of one or more of the Company’s top customers could have a significant effect on the Company’s sales.
On a consolidated basis, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in 2021, 2020 or 2019. The Company's top five customers accounted for approximately 13% of the Company's consolidated revenues in 2021, 20% in 2020, and 18% in 2019.
The Company's top five customers specific to each operating segment represented the following as a percentage of each segment's total net revenues:
•Golf Equipment customers accounted for approximately 24%, 25% and 23% of total consolidated Golf Equipment sales in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively; and
•Apparel, Gear and Other customers accounted for approximately 17%, 12% and 11% of total consolidated Apparel, Gear and Other sales in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.
Consolidation of retailers or concentration of retail market share among a few retailers may increase and concentrate the Company’s credit risk, putting pressure on its margins and its ability to sell products.
The off‐course golf equipment retail markets in some countries, including the United States, are dominated by a few large retailers. Certain of these retailers have in the past increased their market share and may continue to do so in the future by expanding through acquisitions and construction of additional stores. Industry consolidation has occurred in recent years, and additional consolidation is possible. These situations may result in a concentration of the Company’s credit risk with respect to its sales to such retailers, and, if any of these retailers were to experience a shortage of liquidity or other financial difficulties, or file for bankruptcy, it would increase the risk that their outstanding payables to the Company may not be paid. This consolidation may also result in larger retailers gaining increased leverage, which may impact the Company’s margins. In addition, increasing market share concentration among one or a few retailers in a particular country or region increases the risk that if any one of them substantially reduces their purchases of the Company’s products, the Company may be unable to find a sufficient number of other retail outlets for the Company’s products to sustain the same level of sales. Any reduction in sales by the Company’s retailers could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company’s business depends on strong brands and related reputations, and if the Company is not able to maintain and enhance the Company’s brands or preserve its strong reputation, including as a result of actions taken by franchisees and licensees, its sales may be adversely affected.
The Company’s brands have worldwide recognition, and the Company’s success depends in large part on its ability to maintain and enhance its brand image and reputation. Maintaining, promoting and enhancing the Company’s brands may require the Company to make substantial investments in areas such as product innovation, product quality, intellectual property protection, marketing and employee training, and these investments may not have the desired impact on the Company’s brand image and reputation. The Company’s business could be adversely impacted if the Company fails to achieve any of these objectives or if the reputation or image of any of the Company’s brands is tarnished or receives negative publicity. In particular, Topgolf’s ability to generate customer loyalty and attract and retain additional franchisees, licensees and commercial partners depends, to a large extent, on the strength of its brand and reputation. Any incident that erodes Topgolf’s public image or brand integrity, including as a result of actions by franchisees and licensees, could significantly impair the value of its brand and Topgolf’s ability to generate revenue.
In addition, adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against the Company could damage its reputation and brand image, undermine consumer confidence in the Company and reduce long‐term demand for its products, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to its operations. Also, as the Company seeks to grow its presence in existing, and expand into new, geographic or product markets, consumers in these markets may not accept the Company’s brand image and may not be willing to pay a premium to purchase the Company’s products as compared to other brands. The Company anticipates that as it continues to grow its presence in existing markets and expand into new markets, further developing the Company’s brands may become increasingly difficult and expensive. If the Company is unable to maintain
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or further develop the image of the Company’s brands, it could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, there has been a marked increase in the use of social media platforms and other forms of internet-based communications that provide individuals and businesses with access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. The availability of information on social media platforms is virtually immediate, as is its potential impact to affected individuals and businesses. Many social media platforms immediately publish the content posted by their subscribers and participants, often without filters or checks on the accuracy of the content posted. Accordingly, the use of social media vehicles by the Company, and in particular within the Topgolf business and its customers, Associates, franchisees, licensees or other third parties could increase costs, lead to litigation or result in negative publicity that could damage the Company’s and Topgolf’s brand or reputation and have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.
International political instability and terrorist activities may decrease demand for the Company’s products and disrupt its business.
Terrorist activities and armed conflicts, including any escalation of hostility arising out of the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine, could have an adverse effect on the United States or worldwide economy and could cause decreased demand for the Company’s products as consumers’ attention and interests are diverted from golf and become focused on issues relating to these events. If such events disrupt domestic or international air, ground or sea shipments, or the operation of the Company’s manufacturing facilities, the Company’s ability to obtain the materials and components necessary to manufacture its products and to deliver customer orders would be harmed, which would have a significant adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Such events can also negatively impact tourism, which could adversely affect the Company’s sales to retailers at resorts and other vacation destinations. In addition, the occurrence of political instability and/or terrorist activities generally restricts travel to and from the affected areas, making it more difficult in general to manage the Company’s international operations. In particular, escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine and any military incursion by Russia into Ukraine could adversely impact macroeconomic conditions, give rise to regional instability and result in heightened economic sanctions from the U.S. and the international community in a manner that adversely affects our business.
The Company’s business could be harmed by the occurrence of natural disasters or other emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic or other pandemic diseases.
The occurrence of a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, tsunami, fire, flood or hurricane, or the further outbreak of a pandemic disease, such as COVID-19 or a variant thereof, could significantly adversely affect the Company’s business. A natural disaster or a pandemic disease could significantly adversely affect both the demand for the Company’s products as well as the supply of the components and materials used to make the Company’s products. Demand for golf products also could be negatively affected as consumers in the affected regions restrict their recreational activities and as tourism to those areas declines. If the Company’s suppliers experienced a significant disruption in their business as a result of a natural disaster or other emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic or a further outbreak, the Company’s ability to obtain the necessary components to make its products could be significantly adversely affected. In addition, the occurrence of a natural disaster or the outbreak of a pandemic disease generally restricts travel to and from the affected areas, making it more difficult in general to manage the Company’s operations. In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, travel and tourism has been restricted or limited around the world, resulting in various business disruptions.
The Company’s business and operating results are subject to seasonal fluctuations, which could result in fluctuations in its operating results and stock price.
The Company’s business is subject to both seasonal and non-seasonal fluctuations. In the golf equipment businesses, the Company’s first-quarter sales generally represent the Company’s sell-in to the golf retail channel of its golf club products for the new golf season. The Company’s second and third-quarter sales generally represent reorder business for golf clubs. Sales of golf clubs during the second and third quarters are significantly affected not only by the sell-through of the Company’s products that were sold into the channel during the first quarter but also by the sell-through of products by the Company’s competitors. Retailers are sometimes reluctant to reorder the Company’s products in significant quantities when they already have excess inventory of products of the Company or its competitors. The Company’s sales of golf balls are generally associated with the level of rounds played in the areas where the Company’s products are sold. Therefore, golf ball sales tend to be greater in the second and third quarters, when the weather is good in most of the Company’s key
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regions and the number of rounds played increase. Golf ball sales are also stimulated by product introductions as the retail channel takes on initial supplies. Like those of golf clubs, reorders of golf balls depend on the rate of sell-through. The Company’s golf-related sales during the fourth quarter are generally significantly less than those of the other quarters because in many of the Company’s key regions fewer people are playing golf during that time of year due to cold weather. Furthermore, the Company generally announces its new golf product line in the fourth quarter to allow retailers to plan for the new golf season. Such early announcements of new products could cause golfers, and therefore the Company’s customers, to defer purchasing additional golf equipment until the Company’s new products are available. Such deferments could have a material adverse effect on sales of the Company’s current products or result in closeout sales at reduced prices.
In addition, due to the seasonality of the Company’s business, the Company’s business can be significantly adversely affected by unusual or severe weather conditions and by severe weather conditions caused by climate change. Unfavorable weather conditions generally result in fewer golf rounds played, which generally results in reduced demand for all golf products, and in particular, golf balls. Furthermore, catastrophic storms can negatively affect golf rounds played both during the storms and afterward, as storm damaged golf courses are repaired and golfers focus on repairing the damage to their homes, businesses and communities. With respect to the Topgolf business, historically Topgolf venues have increased guest traffic and spending during spring and summer months, as compared to months experiencing adverse weather conditions.Consequently, sustained adverse weather conditions could materially affect the Company’s sales across its different business lines.
The Company’s expanding apparel business is expected to experience stronger revenue during different times of the year than the Company’s golf-related business. A portion of the sales of the Company’s apparel products is dependent in part on the weather and likely to decline in years in which weather conditions do not stimulate demand for the Company’s apparel products.Periods of unseasonably warm weather in the fall or winter or unseasonably cold weather in the spring and summer could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Unintended inventory accumulation by customers resulting from unseasonable weather in one season generally negatively affects orders in future seasons, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. In particular, the Company’s Jack Wolfskin business focuses primarily on outerwear and consequently experiences stronger sales for such products during the cold-weather months and the corresponding prior sell-in periods. A significant portion of the Jack Wolfskin business is highly dependent on cold-weather seasons and patterns to generate consumer demand for cold-weather apparel. Consumer demand for Jack Wolfskin-branded cold-weather products may be negatively affected to the extent global weather patterns trend warmer, reducing typical patterns of cold-weather events or increasing weather volatility, which could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company’s Topgolf business is similarly expected to experience stronger revenue at different times of the year as a result of both seasonal and non-seasonal fluctuations.Historically, Topgolf’s venues experience nominally higher second and third quarter revenue associated with the spring and summer. First and fourth quarters have historically had lower revenue at venues as compared to the other quarters due to cooler temperatures. Seasonality is likely to continue to be a factor in the quarterly results related to the Topgolf segment and, as a result, factors affecting peak seasons at Topgolf’s venues, such as adverse weather, could have a disproportionate effect on operating results. Topgolf’s operating results also fluctuate significantly quarter to quarter and year to year due to non-seasonal factors. For example, poor results of operations at one or a limited number of venues could significantly affect overall profitability. Additionally, the timing of new venue openings and the timing of Toptracer Range installations may result in significant fluctuations in quarterly performance. Due to the substantial up-front financial requirements to open new venues, the investment risk related to any single venue is much larger than that associated with many other entertainment venues. Topgolf typically incurs a majority of pre-opening costs for a new Company-operated venue within three months of the venue opening.
Changes in equipment standards under applicable Rules of Golf could adversely affect the Company’s business.
The Company seeks to have its new golf club and golf ball products satisfy the standards published by the USGA and The R&A in the Rules of Golf because these standards are generally followed by golfers, both professional and amateur, within their respective jurisdictions. The USGA publishes rules that are generally followed in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and The R&A publishes rules that are generally followed in most other countries throughout the world. However, the Rules of Golf as published by The R&A and the USGA are virtually the same and are intended to be so pursuant to a Joint Statement of Principles issued in 2001.
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In the future, existing USGA and/or R&A standards may be altered in ways that adversely affect the sales of the Company’s current or future products. If a change in rules were adopted and caused one or more of the Company’s current or future products to be nonconforming, the Company’s sales of such products would be adversely affected. For example, the USGA and The R&A published the Distance Insights Project Report discussing the impact of hitting distances on the game of golf. The USGA and The R&A will be exploring this topic further and it is possible that they may ultimately propose new rules that could affect the golf industry and the Company. Additionally, the USGA and The R&A will be gathering input from stakeholders and manufacturers in the golf community through 2021 and the Company is an active participant.Based on the study and the compiled input, it is possible that the USGA and/or The R&A may propose rule changes that could potentially have an adverse impact on the Company’s products.
The Company’s sales and business could be materially and adversely affected if professional athletes, celebrities and other endorsers do not endorse or use the Company’s products.
The Company establishes relationships with professional athletes, celebrities and other endorsers in order to evaluate and promote Callaway Golf, Odyssey, OGIO and TravisMathew branded products and its Topgolf business. The Company has entered into endorsement arrangements with members of the various professional tours, including the Champions Tour, the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, the PGA European Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, and other celebrities. While most endorsers fulfill their contractual obligations, some have been known to stop using a sponsor’s products despite contractual commitments. If certain of the Company’s endorsers were to stop using the Company’s products contrary to their endorsement agreements, or if any such endorser is or becomes the subject of negative publicity, the Company’s business could be adversely affected in a material way by the negative publicity or lack of endorsement.
The Company believes that professional usage of its golf clubs and golf balls contributes to retail sales. The Company therefore spends a significant amount of money to secure professional usage of its products. Many other companies, however, also aggressively seek the patronage of these professionals and offer many inducements, including significant cash incentives and specially designed products. There is a great deal of competition to secure the representation of tour professionals. As a result, it is expensive to attract and retain such tour professionals. The inducements offered by other companies could result in a decrease in usage of the Company’s products by professional golfers or limit the Company’s ability to attract other tour professionals. A decline in the level of professional usage of the Company’s products, or a significant increase in the cost to attract or retain endorsers, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s sales and business.
Any significant changes in U.S. trade or other policies that restrict imports or increase import tariffs could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations.
A significant amount of the Company’s products are manufactured in Mexico, China, Vietnam and Bangladesh and other regions outside of the United States. In recent years, the U.S. government has implemented substantial changes to U.S. trade policies, including import restrictions, increased import tariffs and changes in U.S. participation in multilateral trade agreements, such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to replace the former North American Free Trade Agreement. The U.S. government has assessed supplemental tariffs on certain goods imported from China, resulting in China's assessment of retaliatory tariffs on certain imports of U.S. goods into China. In addition, the United States has assessed or proposed supplemental tariffs and quantitative restrictions on U.S. imports of certain products from other countries as well.U.S. trade policy continues to evolve in this regard. Such changes could prevent or make it difficult or more expensive for the Company to obtain the components needed for new products, which could affect the Company’s sales. The recent increase in import tariffs impacted the Company's business in 2020 and 2021, and it could continue to impact the Company's business in 2022. Further tariff increases could require the Company to increase its prices, which likely would decrease customer demand for its products. Retaliatory tariff and trade measures imposed by other countries could affect the Company’s ability to export products and therefore adversely affect its sales. Any significant changes in current U.S. trade or other policies that restrict imports or increase import tariffs could have a material adverse effect upon the Company’s results of operations.
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The Company's current senior management team and other key executives are critical to the Company's success, and the loss of, and failure to adequately replace, any such individual could significantly harm the Company's business.
The Company's ability to maintain its competitive position is dependent to a large degree on the efforts and skills of the senior officers of the Company. The Company's executives are experienced and highly qualified with strong reputations in their industries, and the Company believes that its management team enables it to pursue the Company's strategic goals. The success of the Company's business is dependent upon the management and leadership skills of its senior management team and other key personnel. Competition for these individuals' talents is intense, and the Company may not be able to attract and retain a sufficient number of qualified personnel in the future. The loss of one or more of these senior officers could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its ability to achieve its strategic goals.
Risks Related to Operations, Manufacturing, and Technology
The Company has significant international operations and is exposed to risks associated with doing business globally
The Company sells and distributes its products directly in many key international markets in Europe, Asia, North America and elsewhere around the world. The Company also operates various international venues through the Topgolf business.These activities have resulted and will continue to result in investments in inventory, accounts receivable, employees, corporate infrastructure and facilities. In addition, there are a limited number of suppliers of golf club components in the United States, and the Company is dependent on suppliers and vendors located outside of the United States. The operation of foreign distribution in the Company’s international markets, as well as the management of relationships with international suppliers and vendors, will continue to require the dedication of management and other Company resources. The Company manufactures most of its products outside of the United States.
With respect to the Topgolf business, as of December 31, 2021, Topgolf had three company-operated venues and three franchised venues located outside the United States.In addition, Topgolf had over 300 licensees operating over 7,500 Toptracer Range bays outside the United States. Topgolf also uses third-party manufacturers in Taiwan and China to produce the RFID-enabled golf balls and golf clubs used in its venues, and sources certain of the components used in the Toptracer business line from third-party suppliers located in Germany, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
As a result of this international business, the Company is exposed to increased risks inherent in conducting business outside of the United States. These risks include the following:
•Adverse changes in foreign currency exchange rates can have a significant effect upon the Company's results of operations, financial condition and cash flows;
•Increased difficulty in protecting the Company’s intellectual property rights and trade secrets;
•Unexpected government action or changes in legal or regulatory requirements;
•Social, economic or political instability;
•The effects of any anti-American sentiments on the Company’s brands or sales of the Company’s products;
•Increased difficulty in ensuring compliance by employees, agents and contractors with the Company’s policies as well as with the laws of multiple jurisdictions, including but not limited to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), local international environmental, health and safety laws, and increasingly complex regulations relating to the conduct of international commerce, including import/export laws and regulations, economic sanctions laws and regulations and trade controls;
•changes in international labor costs and other costs of doing business internationally;
•Increased difficulty in controlling and monitoring foreign operations from the United States, including increased difficulty in identifying and recruiting qualified personnel for its foreign operations; and
•Increased exposure to interruptions in air carrier or ship services.
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Any significant adverse change in these and other circumstances or conditions relating to international operations could have a significant adverse effect on the Company’s operations, financial performance and condition.
The Company has significant international sales and purchases, and unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates could have a significant negative impact on the Company’s results of operations.
A significant portion of the Company’s purchases and sales is international. In 2021, more than half of the Company's sales occurred outside of the United States. As a result, the Company conducts transactions in various currencies worldwide. The Company expects its international business, and the number of transactions that it conducts in foreign currencies, to continue to expand. Conducting business in such currencies exposes the Company to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar.
The Company’s financial results are reported in U.S. dollars, and as a result, transactions conducted in foreign currencies must be translated into U.S. dollars for reporting purposes based upon the applicable foreign currency exchange rates. Fluctuations in these foreign currency exchange rates therefore may positively or negatively affect the Company’s reported financial results and can significantly affect period-over-period comparisons.
The effect of the translation of foreign currencies on the Company’s financial results can be significant. The Company therefore engages in certain hedging activities to mitigate the annual impact of the translation of foreign currencies on the Company’s financial results. The Company’s hedging activities can reduce, but will not eliminate, the effects of foreign currency fluctuations. The extent to which the Company’s hedging activities mitigate the effects of foreign currency translation varies based upon many factors, including the amount of transactions being hedged. Other factors that could affect the effectiveness of the Company’s hedging activities include accuracy of sales forecasts, volatility of currency markets and the availability of hedging instruments. Since the hedging activities are designed to reduce volatility, they not only reduce the negative impact of a stronger U.S. dollar but also reduce the positive impact of a weaker U.S. dollar. The Company’s future financial results could be significantly affected by the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to the foreign currencies in which the Company conducts business.
Foreign currency fluctuations can also affect the prices at which products are sold in the Company’s international markets. The Company therefore adjusts its pricing based in part upon fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Significant unanticipated changes in foreign currency exchange rates make it more difficult for the Company to manage pricing in its international markets. If the Company is unable to adjust its pricing in a timely manner to counteract the effects of foreign currency fluctuations, the Company’s pricing may not be competitive in the marketplace and the Company’s financial results in its international markets could be adversely affected.
Any difficulties from strategic acquisitions that the Company pursues or consummates, including its recent acquisition of Topgolf, could adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company may acquire companies, businesses and products that complement or augment its existing business. For example, in 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of Topgolf. The Company may not be able to integrate this business or any other business that it may acquire in the future successfully or operate such acquired business profitably. Integrating any newly acquired business, including Topgolf, is typically expensive and time-consuming. Integration efforts often take a significant amount of time, place a significant strain on managerial, operational and financial resources and could prove to be more difficult or expensive than predicted. The diversion of management’s attention and any delay or difficulties encountered in connection with any such acquisitions could result in the disruption of on-going business or inconsistencies in standards and controls that could negatively affect the Company’s ability to maintain third-party relationships. Moreover, the Company may need to raise additional funds through public or private debt or equity financing, or issue additional shares, to continue operating the Topgolf business, which may result in dilution for stockholders or the incurrence of indebtedness.
As part of the Company’s efforts to acquire companies, businesses or products or to enter into other significant transactions, including Topgolf, the Company conducts business, legal and financial due diligence with the goal of identifying and evaluating material risks involved in the transaction. Despite the Company’s efforts, the Company ultimately may be unsuccessful in ascertaining or evaluating all such risks and, as a result, might not realize the intended advantages of the transaction. If the Company fails to realize the expected benefits from previous acquisitions or other acquisitions it may consummate in the future, whether as a result of unidentified risks, integration difficulties, complexities associated with managing the combined business, performance shortfalls at one or both of the companies as a result of the diversion of management’s attention caused by completing the transaction and integrating the companies’ operations,
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COVID-19-related disruptions, litigation with current or former employees and other events, the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
If the Company inaccurately forecasts demand for its products, it may manufacture either insufficient or excess quantities, which, in either case, could adversely affect its financial performance.
The Company plans its manufacturing capacity based upon the forecasted demand for its products. Forecasting the demand for the Company's products is very difficult given the manufacturing lead time and the amount of specification involved. For example, the Company must forecast well in advance not only how many drivers it will sell, but also (1) the quantity of each driver model, (2) the quantity of the different lofts in each driver model, and (3) for each driver model and loft, the number of left handed and right handed versions. Forecasting demand for specific soft goods and apparel products can also be challenging due to changing consumer preferences and competitive pressures and longer supply lead times. The nature of the Company’s business makes it difficult to adjust quickly its manufacturing capacity if actual demand for its products exceeds or is less than forecasted demand. If actual demand for its products exceeds the forecasted demand, the Company may not be able to produce sufficient quantities of new products in time to fulfill actual demand, which could limit the Company’s sales and adversely affect its financial performance. On the other hand, if actual demand is less than the forecasted demand for its products, the Company could produce excess quantities, resulting in excess inventories and related obsolescence charges that could adversely affect the Company’s financial performance.
The Company’s expanding international operations could be harmed if it fails to successfully transition its business processes on a global scale.
As the Company expands its global footprint, its business could be harmed if it fails to successfully transition its business processes on a global scale.This expansion to a global scale requires significant investment of capital and human resources, the re-engineering of many business processes, and the attention of many managers and other employees who would otherwise be focused on other aspects of our business. If the Company’s globalization efforts fail to produce planned operational efficiencies, or the transition is not managed effectively, the Company may experience excess inventories, inventory shortage, late deliveries, lost sales, or increased costs. Any business disruption arising from the Company’s expanding international operations, or its failure to realize operational efficiencies, could harm its business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company may not be able to obtain and maintain licenses and permits necessary to operate its Topgolf business and its venues in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and other requirements, which could adversely affect its business, results of operations and financial condition.
The development, construction and operation of Topgolf’s venues depend, to a significant extent, on the selection of suitable sites, which are subject to zoning, land use, environmental, traffic and other regulations and requirements. Topgolf is also subject to licensing and regulation by federal, state, local and foreign authorities relating to, among other things, alcoholic beverage control, amusement, health, sanitation, stormwater and wastewater management, protection of endangered and threatened plant, wildlife and species, wetlands protection, safety and fire standards. Typically, licenses, permits and approvals under such laws and regulations must be renewed annually and may be revoked, suspended or denied renewal for cause at any time if governmental authorities determine that Topgolf’s conduct violates applicable regulations. In some jurisdictions, the loss of a license for cause with respect to one location may lead to the loss of licenses at all locations in that jurisdiction and could make it more difficult to obtain additional licenses.
With respect to the sale of alcoholic beverages, each of Topgolf’s venues is required to obtain a license to sell alcoholic beverages on the premises from a state authority and, in certain locations, county and municipal authorities. Certain jurisdictions, however, have only a fixed number of liquor licenses available. As a result, in order to obtain a license in one of these jurisdictions, Topgolf is required to purchase that license from another business, which it may not be able to do on acceptable terms or at all. Alcoholic beverage control regulations impact numerous aspects of the daily operations of each venue, including the minimum age of patrons and Associates, hours of operation, advertising, wholesale purchasing, other relationships with alcohol manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors, inventory control and the handling, storage and dispensing of alcoholic beverages. Any failure by one of Topgolf’s venues to comply with these regulations, or any failure of a franchisee or licensee to comply with similar regulations to which its business is subject, could result in fines or the loss or suspension of the liquor license for that venue or business, and potentially the loss or suspension of other licenses in that jurisdiction.
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Difficulties or failure in obtaining a liquor license or any other licenses, permits or approvals, or in continuing to qualify for, or being able to renew, any existing licenses, permits or approvals, could adversely affect existing venues, or Topgolf’s ability to develop or construct venues, and delay or result in Topgolf’s decision to cancel the opening of new venues, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition. Similarly, the inability of any franchisee or licensee to maintain or obtain the licenses, permits and approvals required to develop, construct or operate one or more of their locations would also reduce franchise and licensing revenues, impair growth prospects and adversely affect Topgolf’s business, results of operation and financial condition.
The Company depends on single source or a limited number of suppliers for some of the components of its products, and the loss of any of these suppliers could harm its business.
The Company is dependent on a limited number of suppliers for its clubheads and shafts, some of which are single sourced. Furthermore, some of the Company’s products require specially developed manufacturing techniques and processes which make it difficult to identify and utilize alternative suppliers quickly. In addition, many of the Company’s suppliers may not be well capitalized and prolonged unfavorable economic conditions could increase the risk that they will go out of business. If current suppliers are unable to deliver clubheads, shafts or other components, or if the Company is required to transition to other suppliers, the Company could experience significant production delays or disruption to its business. The Company also depends on a single or a limited number of suppliers for the materials it uses to make its golf balls. Many of these materials are customized for the Company. Any delay or interruption in such supplies could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s golf ball business. If the Company experiences any such delays or interruptions, the Company may not be able to find adequate alternative suppliers at a reasonable cost or without significant disruption to its business.
A significant disruption in the operations of the Company’s golf club assembly and golf ball manufacturing and assembly facilities could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s sales, profitability and results of operations.
A significant disruption at any of the Company’s golf club or golf ball manufacturing facilities or distribution centers in the United States or in regions outside the United States could materially and adversely affect the Company’s sales, profitability and results of operations. The Company’s manufacturing facilities and distribution centers are highly automated, which means that their operations are complicated and may be subject to a number of risks related to computer viruses, the proper operation of software and hardware, electronic or power interruptions, and other system failures. Risks associated with upgrading or expanding these facilities may significantly disrupt or increase the cost of the Company’s operations, which may have an immediate, or in some cases prolonged, impact on the Company’s margins. For example, in 2019 the Company substantially completed a significant expansion and technical upgrade to its golf ball manufacturing facility in Chicopee, Massachusetts.Difficulties in implementing new or upgraded technology or operational systems, including at its Chicopee facility, could disrupt the Company’s operations and could materially and adversely affect the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
A disruption in the service or a significant increase in the cost of the Company’s primary delivery and shipping services for its products and component parts or a significant disruption at shipping ports could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.
The Company uses United Parcel Service (“UPS”) for substantially all ground shipments of products to its U.S. customers. The Company uses air carriers and ocean shipping services for most of its international shipments of products. Furthermore, many of the components the Company uses to build its golf clubs, including clubheads and shafts, are shipped to the Company via air carrier and ship services. During the year ended December 31, 2021, international shipping to the United States was disrupted and delayed due to congestion in west coast ports. If there is any continued or additional significant interruption in service by such providers or at airports or shipping ports, the Company may be unable to engage alternative suppliers or to receive or ship goods through alternate sites in order to deliver its products or components in a timely and cost-efficient manner. As a result, the Company could experience manufacturing delays, increased manufacturing and shipping costs and lost sales as a result of missed delivery deadlines and product demand cycles. Any significant interruption in UPS services, air carrier services, ship services or at airports or shipping ports could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. Furthermore, if the cost of delivery or shipping services were to increase significantly and the additional costs could not be covered by product pricing, the Company’s operating results could be materially adversely affected.
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Instances of food-borne illness and outbreaks of disease could negatively impact Topgolf’s business.
Incidents or reports of food-borne or water-borne illness or other food safety issues, food contamination or tampering, Associate hygiene and cleanliness failures or improper Associate conduct at venues could lead to product liability or other claims or poor health inspection scores. Such incidents or reports could negatively affect Topgolf’s brand and reputation as well as its business, revenues and profits regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether Topgolf is held to be responsible. Similar incidents or reports occurring at franchisees’ or licensees’ businesses or other businesses unrelated to Topgolf could likewise create negative publicity, which could negatively impact consumer behavior towards Topgolf.
There can be no guarantee that Topgolf’s internal policies and training will be fully effective in preventing all food-borne illnesses at its venues. In addition, because Topgolf does not control the day-to-day operations of franchisees and licensees, there can be no guarantee that franchisees and licensees will implement appropriate internal policies and training intended to prevent food-borne illnesses, that their employees will follow such policies and training or that such policies and training will be effective even if complied with. Furthermore, Topgolf’s reliance, and the reliance by any franchisees or licensees, on third-party food processors, distributors and suppliers makes it difficult to monitor food safety compliance and may increase the risk that food-borne illness would affect multiple locations rather than a single venue. Some food-borne illness incidents could be caused by third-party food suppliers and transporters outside of Topgolf’s control. New illnesses resistant to Topgolf’s current precautions may develop in the future, or diseases with long incubation periods could arise, that could give rise to claims or allegations on a retroactive basis. One or more instances of food-borne illness in one of the Company-operated or franchised venues, or poor health inspection scores, if highly publicized, could negatively affect revenues at all of Topgolf’s venues by changing consumers’ perceptions of Topgolf’s venues and the food that it offers, negatively impacting demand for menu offerings and reducing guest visits at venues. This risk is particularly great with respect to franchised venues given Topgolf’s limited oversight, and exists even if it were later determined that the illness was wrongly attributed to a company- or a franchisee-operated venue. There is also a risk that instances of food-borne illness at a licensee’s businesses could be improperly attributed to Topgolf. Additionally, even if food-borne illnesses were not identified at or otherwise attributed to a Topgolf venue, Topgolf’s revenue could be adversely affected if instances of food-borne illnesses at other businesses were highly publicized. A number of companies have experienced incidents related to food-borne illnesses that have had material adverse effects on their business, operations and financial condition, and there can be no assurance that Topgolf could avoid a similar impact if such an incident were to occur at one or more of venues.
Guest complaints, litigation on behalf of guests or Associates or other proceedings may adversely affect Topgolf’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
Topgolf may be adversely affected by legal or governmental proceedings brought by or on behalf of guests, Associates, suppliers, commercial partners, franchisees, licensees or others through private actions, class actions, administrative proceedings, regulatory actions or other litigation. The outcome of such proceedings, particularly class actions and regulatory actions, is difficult to assess or quantify. In recent years, a number of companies in Topgolf’s industry and adjacent industries have been subject to lawsuits, including class action lawsuits, alleging violations of federal and state law regarding workplace and employment matters, discrimination and similar matters, and a number of these lawsuits have resulted in the payment of substantial damages by the defendants. Topgolf could also face potential liability if it is found to have misclassified certain Associates as exempt from the overtime requirements of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state labor laws, or if it is found to have failed to provide or continue health insurance or benefits to Associates in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act or the PPACA of 2010. Lastly, Topgolf faces potential liability if it is found to have failed to comply with data privacy laws relating to the collection of data about Associates/employees, such as use of biometric information under state biometric information statutes. Topgolf has had, from time to time, such lawsuits pending, and there can be no guarantee that Topgolf will not be named in any such lawsuit in the future or that Topgolf will not be required to pay substantial expenses and/or damages at the conclusion of such future lawsuits.
In addition, from time to time, guests file complaints or lawsuits against Topgolf alleging that it is responsible for some illness or injury they suffered at or after a visit to a venue, and Topgolf may face greater risk of such complaints or lawsuits in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. From time to time, animal activist and other third-party special interest groups may bring claims before government agencies or lawsuits against Topgolf relating to the impact of its venues. Topgolf is also subject to a variety of other claims in the ordinary course of business, including personal injury, lease and contract claims.
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Topgolf is also subject to “dram shop” statutes in certain states in which its venues are located. These statutes generally provide a person injured by an intoxicated person the right to recover damages from an establishment that wrongfully served alcoholic beverages to the intoxicated individual. Topgolf has been in the past, and may be in the future, the subject of lawsuits that allege violations of these statutes. Recent litigation under dram shop statutes has resulted in significant judgments and settlements against other businesses and establishments similar to Topgolf’s venues. Because these cases often seek punitive damages, which may not be covered by insurance, such litigation if successful could have an adverse effect on Topgolf’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
Regardless of whether any claims against Topgolf are valid or whether Topgolf is liable, claims may be expensive to defend, generate negative publicity, divert time and money away from core operations and hurt financial performance. Similarly, claims brought against franchisees and licensees may generate negative publicity that could harm Topgolf’s brand and reputation. Although Topgolf maintains what it believes to be adequate levels of insurance to cover any liabilities it may face, insurance may not be available at all or in sufficient amounts with respect to these or other matters. Any negative publicity concerning such claims, whether involving Topgolf or franchisees or licensees, or any judgment or other liability significantly in excess of Topgolf’s insurance coverage or not covered by insurance, could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition.
The costs and availability of finished products, product components and raw materials could affect the Company’s operating results.
The costs and availability of the finished products, product components and raw materials needed in the Company’s products can be volatile as a result of numerous factors, including general, domestic, and international economic conditions; labor costs; production levels; competition; consumer demand; import duties; tariffs; and currency exchange rates. This volatility can significantly affect the availability and cost of these items for us which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The materials and components used by the Company and its suppliers involve raw materials, including synthetic rubber, thermoplastics, zinc stearate, zinc oxide and lime stone for the manufacturing of the Company’s golf balls, titanium alloys carbon fiber and steel for the assembly of the Company’s golf clubs, and various fabrics used by suppliers in the Company’s apparel business. Significant price fluctuations or shortages in such raw materials or components, including the costs to transport such materials or components, the uncertainty of currency fluctuations against the U.S. dollar, increases in labor rates, trade duties or tariffs, and/or the introduction of new and expensive raw materials, could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.In addition, prolonged periods of inflationary pressure on some or all input costs may result in increased costs to produce the Company’s products that could have an adverse effect on profits from sales of the Company’s products, or require the Company to increase prices for its products that could adversely affect consumer demand for its products.
Many of the Company’s products are manufactured outside of the main sales markets in which the Company operates, which requires these products to be transported by third parties, sometimes over large geographical distances. Shortages in ocean, land or air shipment capacity and volatile fuel costs can result in rapidly changing transportation costs or an inability to transport products in a timely manner. Similarly, disruption to shipping and transportation channels due to labor disputes could cause the Company to rely more heavily on alternative modes of transportation to achieve timely delivery to customers, resulting in significantly higher freight costs. Because the Company prices its products prior to shipment, and as changes in transportation and other costs may be difficult to predict, the Company may not be able to pass all or any portion of these higher costs on to its customers or adjust its pricing structure in a timely manner in order to remain competitive, either of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Topgolf venues business is susceptible to the availability and cost of food commodities and other supplies, some of which are available from a limited number of suppliers, which subjects Topgolf to possible risks of shortages, interruptions and price fluctuations.
The profitability of the venues business line depends in part on Topgolf’s ability to anticipate and react to changes in product costs. The price and availability of food commodities and other supplies may be affected by a number of factors beyond Topgolf’s control, including changes in general economic conditions, seasonal economic fluctuations, increased competition, general inflation, shortages or supply interruptions due to weather, disease (including the ongoing COVID-19
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pandemic) or other factors, food safety concerns, product recalls, fluctuations in the U.S. dollar and changes in government regulations. These and other events could increase commodity prices or cause shortages that could affect the cost and quality of the items that Topgolf buys or require Topgolf to raise prices or limit menu options. The profitability of the venues business line may also be adversely affected by increases in the price of utilities, such as natural gas, electric, and water, whether as a result of inflation, shortages, interruptions in supply or otherwise.
While Topgolf has historically been able to partially offset inflation and other changes in the costs of core operating resources used in the venues business line by gradually increasing menu prices, coupled with more efficient purchasing practices, productivity improvements and greater economies of scale, there can be no assurance that Topgolf or franchisees will be able to continue to do so in the future. From time to time, competitive or macroeconomic conditions could limit menu pricing flexibility, and there can be no assurance that increased menu prices will be fully absorbed by guests without any resulting change to their visit frequencies or purchasing patterns that may offset such increases. If Topgolf or its franchisees are unable to increase prices in response to higher food commodity and other supplies costs, or if such price increases decrease guest traffic or purchasing patterns, Topgolf’s operating results could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, there can be no assurance that Topgolf will generate same venue sales growth in an amount sufficient to offset inflationary or other cost pressures.
Topgolf has entered into a long-term contract with a single distributor, which Topgolf refers to as its “broadline” distributor, which provides for the purchasing, warehousing and distributing of a substantial majority of Topgolf’s food, non-alcoholic beverage and other supplies. Topgolf also contracts directly with the suppliers of certain food and non-alcoholic beverage products, usually with a single supplier for each such product. These agreements, however, are typically for the purpose of establishing an agreed-upon price for the relevant product and do not require the supplier to provide Topgolf’s requirements, or any particular quantity, of such product. If Topgolf’s broadline distributor or any of its other suppliers or substitute suppliers do not perform adequately or otherwise fail to deliver products or supplies to venues, if Topgolf were to lose its relationship with its broadline distributor or any single-source suppliers for which it has not approved a substitute supplier, or if any substitute suppliers also fail to perform, Topgolf may be unable to find satisfactory replacements in a short period of time, on acceptable terms, or at all, which could increase costs, cause shortages of food and other items at venues and cause Topgolf to remove certain items from its menu, any of which could adversely affect its business, results of operations and financial condition.
Other than forward purchase contracts for certain food items, Topgolf currently does not engage in futures contracts or other financial risk management strategies with respect to potential price fluctuations in the cost of food commodities and other supplies. Furthermore, these arrangements generally are relatively short in duration and may provide only limited protection from price changes. In addition, the use of these arrangements may limit Topgolf’s ability to benefit from favorable price movements.
In addition, the RFID-enabled golf balls and golf clubs that are used in Topgolf’s venues are produced by third-party manufacturers in Taiwan and China. As a result, natural disasters and other adverse events or conditions affecting these countries (including, without limitation, adverse weather conditions, political instability, civil unrest, economic instability, outbreaks of disease, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, or other public health emergencies and the impact of public fears regarding any of the foregoing) could halt or disrupt production, impair the movement of finished products out of these countries, damage or destroy the tooling and other equipment necessary to manufacture these products and otherwise cause Topgolf to incur additional costs and expenses, any of which could also have a material adverse effect on its results of operations and financial condition. The location of these manufacturers outside the United States also exposes Topgolf to the various international risks.
The Company may be subject to product warranty claims that require the replacement or repair of products sold. Such warranty claims could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and relationships with its customers.
The Company manufactures and/or distributes a variety of products and has a stated two-year warranty policy for its golf clubs and certain Jack Wolfskin gear, as well as a limited lifetime warranty for its OGIO line of products. From time to time, such products may contain manufacturing defects or design flaws that are not detected prior to sale, particularly in the case of new product introductions or upon design changes to existing products. The failure to identify and correct manufacturing defects and product design issues prior to the sale of those products could result in product warranty claims that result in costs to replace or repair any such defective products. Because many of the Company’s products are sold to retailers for broad consumer distribution and/or to customers who buy in large quantities, there could be significant costs
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associated with such product warranty claims, including the potential for customer dissatisfaction that may adversely affect the Company’s reputation and relationships with its customers, which may result in lost or reduced sales.
The Company’s growth initiatives require significant capital investments and there can be no assurance that the Company will realize a positive return on these investments.
Initiatives to upgrade the Company’s business processes and invest in technological improvements to the Company’s manufacturing and assembly facilities involve many risks which could result in, among other things, business interruptions and increased costs, any of which may result in the Company’s inability to realize returns on its capital investment.Expansion of business processes or facilities, including the significant expansion and technical upgrade to the Company’s golf ball manufacturing facility in Chicopee, Massachusetts, requires significant capital investment.If the Company has insufficient sales or is unable to realize the full potential of its capital investment, it may not realize a positive return on its investment, which could impact the Company’s margins and have a significant adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Some of Topgolf’s products and services contain open source software, which may pose particular risks to its proprietary software, technologies, products, and services in a manner that could harm its business.
The Topgolf business uses open source software in its products and services and anticipates using open source software in the future. Some open source software licenses require those who distribute open source software as part of their own software products to publicly disclose all or part of the source code to such software product or to make available any modifications or derivative works of the open source code on unfavorable terms or at no cost. This could allow competitors to create similar technologies with less development effort and in less time and could lead to a loss of sales of Topgolf’s products and services. The terms of many open source licenses to which Topgolf is subject have not been interpreted by U.S. or foreign courts, and there is a risk that open source software licenses could be construed in a manner that imposes unanticipated conditions or restrictions on Topgolf’s ability to provide or distribute products or services. Additionally, Topgolf could face claims from third parties claiming ownership of, or demanding release of, works that it developed using open source software, which could include Topgolf’s proprietary source code, or otherwise seeking to enforce the terms of, or alleging breach of, the applicable open source license. These claims could result in litigation and could require Topgolf to make its proprietary software source code freely available, purchase a costly license, or cease offering the implicated products or services unless and until it can re-engineer them to avoid infringement. This re-engineering process could require Topgolf to expend significant additional research and development resources, and there can be no guarantee that it will be successful.
Additionally, the use of certain open source software can lead to greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide warranties or controls on the origin of software. There is typically no support available for open source software, and there can be no assurance that the authors of such open source software will implement or push updates to address security risks or will not abandon further development and maintenance. Many of the risks associated with the use of open source software, such as the lack of warranties or assurances of title or performance, cannot be eliminated, and could, if not properly addressed, negatively affect Topgolf’s business. Topgolf has processes to help alleviate these risks, including a review process for screening requests from developers for the use of open source software, but Topgolf cannot be sure that all open source software is identified or submitted for approval prior to use in its products and services. Any of these risks could be difficult to eliminate or manage, and, if not addressed, could adversely affect Topgolf’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Failure to adequately enforce the Company’s intellectual property rights could adversely affect its reputation and sales.
The golf club industry, in general, has been characterized by widespread imitation of popular club designs. The Company has an active program of monitoring, investigating and enforcing its proprietary rights against companies and individuals who market or manufacture counterfeits and “knockoff” products. The Company asserts its rights against infringers of its copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade dress. However, these efforts may not be successful in reducing sales of golf products by these infringers. Additionally, other golf club manufacturers may be able to produce successful golf clubs which imitate the Company’s designs without infringing any of the Company’s copyrights, patents, trademarks or trade dress.
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With respect to the Company’s apparel business, counterfeits are known to exist in the industry, including in the premium outdoor apparel segment within which Jack Wolfskin operates. The failure to prevent or limit such infringers or imitators could adversely affect the Company’s reputation and sales.
With respect to the Topgolf business, the ability of the Company to expand the Topgolf business lines and establish and maintain its competitive position in new and existing markets depends in part on its ability to further build brand recognition using its trademarks, service marks, proprietary products and technologies and other intellectual property rights, as well as its ability to maintain, protect and enforce such rights. Topgolf relies upon a combination of intellectual property rights, such as trademarks, trade dress, domain names, copyrights, trade secrets and patents, in addition to technical measures and confidentiality and license agreements with Associates, contractors, consultants and other third parties with whom Topgolf has relationships, to establish, maintain, protect and enforce its brand, proprietary information, technologies and processes and other intellectual property rights. The failure to enforce any such intellectual property rights may limit Topgolf’s ability to achieve and maintain market recognition and its competitive position may be harmed, each of which could adversely affect the Company’s reputation and sales.
The Company may become subject to intellectual property claims or lawsuits that could cause it to incur significant costs or pay significant damages or that could prohibit it from selling its products.
The Company’s competitors in the golf equipment and apparel industry also seek to obtain patent, trademark, copyright or other protection of their proprietary rights and designs for golf clubs, golf balls and other products. From time to time, third parties have claimed or may claim in the future that the Company’s products infringe upon their proprietary rights. The Company evaluates any such claims and, where appropriate, has obtained or sought to obtain licenses or other business arrangements. To date, there have been no significant interruptions in the Company’s business as a result of any claims of infringement. However, in the future, intellectual property claims could force the Company to alter its existing products or withdraw them from the market or could delay the introduction of new products.
Various patents have been issued to the Company’s competitors in the golf industry and these competitors may assert that the Company’s golf products infringe their patent or other proprietary rights. If the Company’s golf products are found to infringe third-party intellectual property rights, the Company may be unable to obtain a license to use such technology, and it could incur substantial costs to redesign its products, withdraw them from the market, and/or to defend legal actions.
With respect to the Topgolf business, intellectual property laws and procedures and restrictions provide only limited protection and any of Topgolf’s intellectual property rights may be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, infringed or misappropriated. If the Company fails to protect such intellectual property rights adequately, it may lose an important advantage in the markets in which Topgolf competes. However, these efforts may not be successful or may be ineffective, and any of its intellectual property rights may be challenged, which could result in them being narrowed in scope or declared invalid or unenforceable. Other parties may also independently develop technologies that are substantially similar or superior to Topgolf’s. Topgolf also may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims that third parties may bring against Topgolf, to determine the ownership of what Topgolf regards as its intellectual property. There can be no assurance that Topgolf’s intellectual property rights will be sufficient to protect against others offering products, services, or technologies that are substantially similar or superior to Topgolf’s and that compete with its business. If third parties misappropriate, infringe or otherwise violate Topgolf’s intellectual property, the value of Topgolf’s technologies, image, brand and the goodwill associated therewith may be diminished, Topgolf’s brand may fail to achieve and maintain market recognition, and its competitive position may be harmed, any of which could have a material adverse effect on its business, including revenue.
The Company’s brands may be damaged by the actions of its franchisees and licensees.
The Company licenses its trademarks to third-party licensees who produce, market and sell their products bearing the Company’s trademarks. The Company chooses its licensees carefully and imposes upon such licensees various restrictions on the products, and on the manner, on which such trademarks may be used. In addition, the Company requires its licensees to abide by certain standards of conduct and the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they do business. However, if a licensee fails to adhere to these requirements, the Company’s brands could be damaged. The Company’s brands could also be damaged if a licensee becomes insolvent or by any negative publicity concerning a licensee or if the licensee does not maintain good relationships with its customers or consumers, many of which are also the Company’s customers and consumers.
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In addition, Topgolf’s franchisees and licensees are independent third parties that the Company or Topgolf does not control. Although franchisees are contractually obligated to operate their venues in accordance with specified standards, the Company does not oversee their daily operations. Consequently, the quality of franchised venues may be diminished by any number of factors beyond the Company’s control. For example, franchisees may not hire and train qualified managers and other Associates, and may otherwise fail to operate their venues in a manner consistent with the requisite standards and requirements. Similarly, though agreements with Toptracer Range licensees generally require licensees to comply with certain operational requirements, the Company exercises even less control and oversight over the operations of these third parties. If franchisees and licensees do not operate in accordance with the Company’s expectations, or if one or more franchisees or licensees were to be the subject of unfavorable publicity, the Company’s and Topgolf’s image and reputation could suffer materially.
Sales of the Company’s products by unauthorized retailers or distributors could adversely affect the Company’s authorized distribution channels and harm the Company’s reputation.
Some of the Company’s products find their way to unauthorized outlets or distribution channels. This “gray market” for the Company’s products can undermine authorized retailers and foreign wholesale distributors who promote and support the Company’s products, and can injure the Company’s image in the minds of its customers and consumers. On the other hand, stopping such commerce could result in a potential decrease in sales to those customers who are selling the Company’s products to unauthorized distributors or an increase in sales returns over historical levels. While the Company has taken some lawful steps to limit commerce of its products in the “gray market” in both the United States and abroad, it has not stopped such commerce.
The Company relies on research and development, technical innovation and high‐quality products to successfully compete.
Technical innovation and quality control in the design and manufacturing process is essential to the Company’s commercial success.Research and development plays a key role in the Company’s technical innovation and competitive advantage. The Company relies upon experts in various fields to develop and test cutting edge performance products, including Artificial Intelligence. While the Company believes it is at the forefront of golf equipment innovation, if the Company fails to continue to introduce technical innovation in its products, or is unable to effectively utilize new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, consumer demand for its products could decline, and if the Company experiences problems with the quality of its products, the Company may incur substantial brand damage and expense to remedy the problems, any of which could materially adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company relies on complex information systems for management of its manufacturing, distribution, sales and other functions. If the Company’s information systems fail to perform these functions adequately or if the Company experiences an interruption in their operation, including a breach in cyber security, its business and results of operations could suffer.
All of the Company’s major operations, including manufacturing, distribution, sales and accounting, are dependent upon the Company’s complex information systems. The Company’s information systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from:
•Earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane and other natural disasters;
•Power loss, computer systems failure, Internet and telecommunications or data network failure; and
•Hackers, computer viruses, software bugs or glitches.
Any damage or significant disruption in the operation of such systems, the failure of the Company’s or the Company's IT vendors' information systems to perform as expected, the failure to successfully integrate the information technology systems of the businesses that the Company has recently acquired or any security breach to the information systems (including financial or credit/payment frauds) would disrupt the Company’s business, which may result in decreased sales, increased overhead costs, excess inventory and product shortages and otherwise adversely affect the Company’s reputation, operations, financial performance and condition.
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Cyber-attacks, unauthorized access to, or accidental disclosure of, consumer personally-identifiable information including payment card information, that the Company or the Company's vendors collects through its websites or stores on its servers may result in significant expense and negatively impact the Company's reputation and business.
There is heightened concern and awareness over the security of personal information transmitted over the Internet, consumer identity theft and user privacy. While the Company has implemented security measures, the Company’s computer systems and those of its third party vendors of IT and data security systems and services, may nevertheless be susceptible to electronic or physical computer break-ins, viruses, fraud, and other disruptions and security compromises involving the loss or unauthorized access of confidential information because technologies used to obtain unauthorized access to or sabotage systems are constantly evolving, change frequently, and generally are not recognized until they are launched against a target. Any perceived or actual unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure of personally-identifiable information, whether through a compromise of the Company’s or its third party vendors’ networks by an unauthorized party, employee theft, misuse or error or otherwise, could harm the Company’s reputation, impair the Company’s ability to attract website visitors, require us to notify payment brands if payment card information is accessed or compromised, compel us to comply with federal and/or state breach notification laws and foreign equivalents, subject us to costly mandatory corrective action, or subject the Company to claims or litigation arising from damages suffered by consumers, all of which could adversely affect the Company’s operations, financial performance and condition.
The Company’s Topgolf business is subject to risks associated with leasing property subject to long-term, non-cancelable leases.
Topgolf typically does not own any real property. Payments under non-cancelable leases account for a significant portion of operating expenses and Topgolf expects to lease new venues to be opened in the future. Historically, Topgolf’s leases typically provide for escalating rent provisions over the initial term and any extensions. Topgolf generally cannot cancel these leases without substantial economic penalty. If an existing or future venue is not profitable (including as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), and Topgolf decides to close it, Topgolf may nonetheless be committed to perform its obligation under the applicable lease, including, among other things, paying all or a portion of the base rent for the remainder of the lease term, unless Topgolf is able to negotiate a termination agreement with the applicable landlord, which it cannot guarantee that it will be able to do without incurring significant additional payment and other obligations or at all.
Risks Related to Regulations
The Company, including Topgolf and its franchisees and licensees, are subject to many federal, state, local and foreign laws, as well as other statutory and regulatory requirements, with which compliance is both costly and complex. Failure by the Company or Topgolf and its franchisees or licensees to comply with, or changes in these laws or requirements, could have an adverse impact on its business.
The Company is subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations, as well as other statutory and regulatory requirements.In particular, the Topgolf business is subject to extensive regulations, including, among others:
•nutritional content labeling and disclosure requirements;
•food safety regulations;
•employment regulations;
•the PPACA;
•the ADA and similar state laws;
•data privacy and cybersecurity laws;
•environmental, health and human safety laws and regulations, including COVID Orders;
•laws and regulations related to franchising and licensing operations;
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•FCPA and other similar anti-bribery and anti-kickback laws; and
•laws regarding sweepstakes and promotional contests.
The Company is also subject to U.S. financial services regulations, a myriad of consumer protection laws, including economic sanctions, laws and regulations, anticorruption laws, escheat regulations and data privacy and security regulations. Changes to legal rules and regulations, or interpretation or enforcement of them, could increase the Company’s cost of doing business, affect its competitive abilities, and increase the difficulty of compliance. Failure to comply with regulations may have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, including the limitation, suspension or termination of services provided to, or by, third parties, and the imposition of penalties or fines.
Many of Topgolf’s franchisees and licensees are also subject to these or similar laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which they operate. The impact of current laws and regulations, the effect of future changes in laws or regulations that impose additional requirements and the consequences of litigation relating to current or future laws and regulations, uncertainty around future changes in laws made by new regulatory administrations or Topgolf’s, its franchisees’ and its licensees’ inability to respond effectively to significant regulatory or public policy issues, could increase compliance and other costs of doing business and, therefore, have an adverse effect on Topgolf’s results of operations or the results of operations of franchisees and licensees. Failure to comply with the laws and regulatory requirements of applicable federal, state, local and foreign authorities could result in, among other things, revocation of required licenses, administrative enforcement actions, fines and civil and criminal liability. In addition, certain laws, including the ADA, could require Topgolf to expend significant funds to make modifications to its venues if it fails to comply with applicable standards. Compliance with all of these laws and regulations, including any future changes in these laws or requirements, can be costly and can increase exposure to litigation or governmental investigations or proceedings.
Regulations related to “conflict minerals” require the Company to incur additional expenses and could limit the supply and increase the cost of certain metals used in manufacturing the Company’s products.
The Commission's rules require disclosure related to sourcing of specified minerals, known as conflict minerals, that are necessary to the functionality or production of products manufactured or contracted to be manufactured by public companies. The rules require companies to, under specified circumstances, undertake due diligence, disclose and report whether or not such minerals originated from the Democratic Republic of Congo or an adjoining country. The Company’s products may contain some of the specified minerals. As a result, the Company incurs additional expenses in connection with complying with the rules, including with respect to any due diligence that is required under the rules. In addition, the Commission's implementation of the rules could adversely affect the sourcing, supply and pricing of materials used in the Company’s products. There may only be a limited number of suppliers offering “conflict free” conflict minerals, and the Company cannot be certain that it will be able to obtain necessary “conflict free” minerals from such suppliers in sufficient quantities or at competitive prices. Because the Company’s supply chain is complex, the Company may also not be able to sufficiently verify the origins of the relevant minerals used in the Company’s products through the due diligence procedures that the Company implements, which may harm the Company’s reputation.
The Company could be adversely affected by any violations of economic sanctions laws and regulations, the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act, and other foreign anti-bribery laws.
The FCPA generally prohibits companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Other countries in which the Company operates also have anti-bribery laws, some of which prohibit improper payments to government and non-government persons and entities, and others (e.g., the FCPA and the U.K. Bribery Act) extend their application to activities outside of their country of origin. Economic and trade sanctions laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Department of State, and foreign jurisdictions impose requirements on the Company’s operations and may prohibit or restrict transactions in certain countries and with certain designated persons. The Company’s policies mandate compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and sanctions laws.In certain regions of the world, strict compliance with anti-bribery laws may conflict with local customs and practices. In addition, the Company may conduct business in certain regions through intermediaries over whom the Company has less direct control, such as subcontractors, agents, and partners (such as joint venture partners). Although the Company has implemented policies, procedures, and, in certain cases, contractual arrangements designed to facilitate compliance with applicable economic and trade sanctions and anti-bribery laws, the Company’s officers, directors, employees, associates, subcontractors, agents, and
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partners may take actions in violation of the Company’s policies, procedures, contractual arrangements, economic sanctions and anti-bribery laws. Any such violation, even if prohibited by the Company’s policies, could subject the Company and such persons to criminal and/or substantial civil penalties or other sanctions, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, cash flows, and reputation.
The Company is subject to environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, which could subject the Company to liabilities, increase its costs or restrict its operations in the future.
The Company’s properties and operations are subject to a number of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in each of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates. These laws and regulations govern, among other things, air emissions, water discharges, handling and disposal of solid and hazardous substances and wastes, soil and groundwater contamination and employee health and safety. The Company’s failure to comply with such environmental, health and safety laws and regulations could result in substantial civil or criminal fines or penalties or enforcement actions, including regulatory or judicial orders enjoining or curtailing operations or requiring remedial or corrective measures, installation of pollution control equipment or other actions.The Company, and in particular the Topgolf business as an operator and/or owner of the properties on which the venues are situated, may also be subject to liability for environmental investigations and cleanups, including at properties that the Company currently or previously owned or operated, even if such contamination was not caused or known by the Company, and the Company may face claims alleging harm to health or property or natural resource damages arising out of contamination or exposure to hazardous substances. Liability under environmental laws has been interpreted to be joint and several unless the harm is divisible and there is a reasonable basis for allocating the responsibility.
The Company may also be subject to similar liabilities and claims in connection with locations at which hazardous substances, contaminates or wastes the Company has generated have been stored, treated, otherwise managed, or disposed. In addition, Topgolf’s lease agreements typically provide that Topgolf will indemnify the landlord for environmental conditions which may be found on or about the leased property. Accordingly, should unknown contamination be discovered at any of the properties Topgolf owns, operates or leases, or should a release of hazardous material occur at one of these properties, Topgolf could be required to investigate and clean up the release and could also be held responsible to a governmental entity or third parties for property or natural resource damage, personal injury and investigation and clean-up costs incurred by them in connection with the contamination, and these costs and liabilities could be substantial. Topgolf may also be subject to liability under environmental laws as a result of contamination at properties previously owned or operated by Topgolf or its predecessors in interest or for third-party contaminated facilities to which it has sent waste for treatment or disposal. In the past, certain construction activities driven by Topgolf’s development plans at certain sites (such as the removal of excess soil or the de-watering of shallow groundwater to install targets) have exposed, and any similar construction activities Topgolf undertakes at other sites in the future may also expose, soil or water that has been contaminated from historical activities at the site which must be disposed of or otherwise handled or addressed in accordance with applicable environmental laws. With respect to any of the properties Topgolf owns, operates or leases, the presence of contaminants (including as a result of failure to properly dispose of or otherwise handle or address any contaminants exposed by construction activities), or the failure to properly remediate a property, may impair Topgolf’s ability to use, mortgage or sell that property in the future. As a result, any of these events, and the environmental conditions at or related to the Company’s other current or former properties or operations, and/or the costs of complying with current or future environmental, health and safety requirements (which have become more stringent and complex over time), could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in, or any failure to comply with, data privacy laws, regulations, and standards may adversely affect the Company’s business.
Data privacy and data security have become significant issues in the United States, Europe, and in many other jurisdictions in which the Company operates. The regulatory framework for data privacy and security issues worldwide is rapidly evolving and is likely to remain uncertain and continue evolving for the foreseeable future. Federal, state, or foreign government bodies or agencies have in the past adopted, and may in the future adopt additional, laws and regulations affecting data privacy. In the United States, these include rules and regulations promulgated under the authority of federal agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and state attorneys general and legislatures and consumer protection agencies. For example, the FTC Act grants the FTC authority to enforce against unfair or deceptive practices, which the FTC has interpreted to require companies’ practices with respect to personal information comply with the commitments posted in their privacy policies. With respect to the use of personal information for direct marketing
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purposes, the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM Act), establishes specific requirements for commercial email messages and specifies penalties for the transmission of commercial email messages that are intended to deceive the recipient as to source or content, and obligates, among other things, the sender of commercial emails to provide recipients with the ability to opt out of receiving future commercial emails from the sender. Further, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) restricts telemarketing and the use of technologies that enable automatic calling and/or messaging without proper customer consent, and is a particularly highly litigated issue. Many states in the United States have recently enacted statutes and rules governing the ways in which businesses may collect, use, and retain personal information. One such example is the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which came into effect in 2020. In addition, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) was passed in November 2020 and will take effect in January 2023 (with respect to information collected from and after January 2022), and will significantly modify the CCPA, including by creating a new state agency that will be vested with authority to implement and enforce the CCPA and CPRA. Moreover, other states, including Nevada, Virginia and Colorado, have passed and may continue to pass similar privacy-related laws whose restrictions and requirements differ from those of California, which could require us to design, implement and maintain different types of state-based, privacy-related compliance controls and programs simultaneously in multiple states. Similar laws relating to data privacy and security have been proposed at the federal level as well. Such laws have potentially conflicting requirements that could make compliance even more challenging, require us to expend significant resources to come into compliance, and restrict our ability to process certain personal information. Internationally, many jurisdictions in which the Company operates have established or enhanced their own data security and privacy legal framework with which the Company or its customers must comply, including but not limited to, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), which imposes stringent operational requirements, including, for example, requiring expanded disclosures about how personal information is used, limitations on retention of information, mandatory data breach notification obligations, and higher standards for obtaining consent to process personal information. The GDPR provides that EU member states may make their own additional laws and regulations in relation to certain data processing activities. Recent legal developments in the EU have created complexity and uncertainty regarding transfers of personal information from the EU to “third countries,” especially the United States. For example, in 2020, the Court of Justice of the EU invalidated the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework (a mechanism for the transfer of personal information to the EU from the US) and made clear that reliance on standard contractual clauses (another mechanism for the transfer of personal information outside of the EU) alone may not be sufficient in all circumstances. In addition, after the United Kingdom, or U.K., left the EU, the U.K. enacted the U.K. GDPR, which together with the amended U.K. Data Protection Act 2018 retains the GDPR in U.K. national law, but also creates complexity and uncertainty regarding transfers between the U.K. and the EU, which could further limit our ability to use and share personal data and require localized changes to our operating model. In many jurisdictions, enforcement actions and consequences for noncompliance are also rising. In addition to government regulation, privacy advocates and industry groups may propose new and different self-regulatory standards that either legally or contractually apply to the Company. The changing legal and regulatory landscape could in the future further limit our ability to use and share personal information and require changes to our operating model. Any inability or perceived inability to adequately address data privacy and security concerns, even if unfounded, or comply with applicable data privacy and data security laws, regulations, and policies, could result in additional compliance costs, penalties and liability to the Company, damage its reputation and adversely affect its business.
Risks Related to Tax and Financial Matters
Changes in tax laws and unanticipated tax liabilities could adversely affect the Company's effective income tax rate and profitability.
The Company is subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. The Company's effective income tax rate in the future could be adversely affected by a number of factors, including: changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in tax laws, the outcome of income tax audits in various jurisdictions around the world, and any repatriation of non-U.S. earnings for which the Company has not previously provided for U.S. taxes. The Company regularly assesses all of these matters to determine the adequacy of its tax provision.
In addition, new income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, or interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to the Company, any of which could adversely affect the Company’s business operations and financial performance. In particular, the U.S. government may enact significant changes to the taxation of business entities including, among others, a permanent increase in the corporate income tax rate, an increase in the tax rate applicable to the global intangible low-taxed income and elimination of certain exemptions, and
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the imposition of minimum taxes or surtaxes on certain types of income. The Company is currently unable to predict whether such changes will occur and, if so, the ultimate impact on its business. To the extent that such changes have a negative impact on the Company, or its suppliers or customers, including as a result of related uncertainty, these changes may materially and adversely impact the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The Company’s ability to utilize all or a portion of its U.S. deferred tax assets may be subject to limitations.