Callaway golf club, ball sales fall

Callaway Golf Co., the maker of Big Bertha drivers, reported a wider fourth-quarter loss as sales of wood clubs and golf balls fell.

The loss was $16.2 million, or 25 cents a share, compared with $10.2 million, or 15 cents, a year earlier, Carlsbad-based Callaway said.

Sales of $174.4 million beat the average $164 million estimate among eight analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Gains in sales of accessories and putters couldn’t offset declines in the wood club and golf ball units.

The company sold $32.3 million in woods, a decrease of 18% from the previous year’s $39.3 million. Golf ball sales fell 20% to $38.1 million.

Callaway forecast 2008 sales of $1.15 billion to $1.17 billion, with earnings of $1.08 to $1.18 a share.

Callaway shares gained $1.24, or 7.4%, to $17.99.