When the conversation turns to design, Roger Cleveland's face comes to life. His eyes sparkle and his words flow just a little more quickly, easily and fluently. "I see things – shapes, lines, contours, shadows – that other people don't," he says, his hands and arms taking on a life of their own as he reinforces his point.

Roger Cleveland's passion is designing golf clubs. Always has been, ever since the days when he would handcraft drivers from blocks of persimmon in his private workshop. Today, as Chief of Golf Club Design for Callaway Golf, he is as accomplished using the latest 3D modeling software and computerized simulations to fine-tune his designs as he was sanding and polishing. The tools of the trade may be different, but the basic principles of shape, contour and aesthetics are as valuable today as they were when Cleveland started his career in the 1960s.

Golf, Athlete, Sports