LIHUE — The Ocean Course Hokuala announced on Tuesday that its Professional Golf Association General Manager Tom Freestone was “enshrined” into the Callaway Golf Staff Professional Hall of Fame.
Freestone, in a surprise ceremony in March at Callaway Golf’s corporate headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif., was presented with the highest honor that the manufacturer can bestow on a staff member.
“Simply put, I am filled with a tremendous gratitude,” Freestone said in the release. “Callaway has done great things across their storied history in the sport. Their decision to ‘grow the family’ with my inclusion into their Hall of Fame was a tremendous honor that I will forever cherish.”
A 13-year Callaway Golf Staff Professional, Freestone was was honored for his long-standing commitment to the brand, offering world-class instruction, quality club fittings, hosting championship events, and many other redeeming qualities.
Following the surprise ceremony where Freestone was surrounded by industry peers and family members, the inductees were treated to a round of golf and deep dive into the brand, including learning about the company’s history, success across the amateur and professional levels, pushing the limits of accuracy (dispersion ratios, dimple patterns, balanced cores, etc.) and upcoming AI technology.
“We had the wonderful experience of meeting Randy Rubin, the director, Strategic Partnerships, Callaway Golf, Joel Rump, senior director, Sales, Training and Staff Relations, Corey Newman, senior manager, Custom Fittings and Training, and many others,” Freestone said. “These guys are the best at what they do. They design, fit and tweak equipment for the world’s best golfers. Personally interacting with them and learning how they hone their skills was gratifying.”
Callaway Golf’s long-standing relationship with Troon started when Dana Garmany, Troon founder and now board member, purchased the management company’s first rental set of clubs for Troon North. This laid a strong global foundation for how relationships can be created between manufacturers and staff professionals.
“We work in a customer-driven industry,” Freestone said. “When a guest’s club fitting goes well, that deepens our relationship with them. When the guest is happy, that makes us happy.”
The Ocean Course Hokuala operates as an ohana, or family, literally and figuratively. To this day, generations of family members proudly work together at the club on Kauai. Furthermore, the entire teaching staff is aligned with Callaway Golf. The manufacturer operates in a similar way.
“Callaway Golf has grown as an ohana, too,” Freestone said. “Chip Brewer, CEO, Topgolf Callaway Brands, came from AdamsGolf. Roger Cleveland, the highly respected engineer and club designer who founded Cleveland Golf in the 1970s, also joined Callaway Golf. I was honored to join this elite group of visionaries that I have a lot of respect for.”
More recently, Freestone earned the Low PGA Member award following his four-day finish in the 2025 Mid-Pacific Open on Oahu.
Under Freestone’s leadership, the Ocean Course Hokuala’s teaching staff offers game-improvement offerings for keiki through seniors, including programming from the Aloha Section PGA, First Tee Hawaii, Operations36, Indigo Golf Partnerds, Troon and more.
The club is also equipped year-round with a Callaway Golf fitting cart and Trackman, allowing any guest to receive a custom club fitting at a moment’s notice.
For more information, visit the Ocean Course Hokuala website at www.golfhokuala.com.
Source: The Garden Island