As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 20, 1998
                                         Registration No. 333-______
===============================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549
                                  ____________

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                  ____________

                             CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                              2285 Rutherford Road
                        Carlsbad, California 92008-8815
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                    California                        95-3797580
          (State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer
          incorporation or organization)              Identification No.)

                       1998 EMPLOYEE STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                             1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                       1995 EMPLOYEE STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)
                                 _____________
                                        
                              Donald H. Dye, Esq.
                     President and Chief Executive Officer
                              2285 Rutherford Road
                        Carlsbad, California 92008-8815
                                 (760) 931-1771
                     (Name, address, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)
                                 _____________

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE



- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                    Proposed                 Proposed
                                                     Maximum                  Maximum
      Title of              Amount                  Offering                 Aggregate                Amount of
    Securities              to be                   Price Per                Offering               Registration
 to be Registered         Registered (1)            Share (2)                Price (2)                   Fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                         
   Common Stock,
  $.01 par value
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Callaway Golf          500,000 shares              $11.97                 $5,985,000                 $1,766
     Company
    1998 Stock
  Incentive Plan                                              
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                               
   Newly reserved        3,000,000 shares           $11.97             $35,910,000        $10,594
     under the                                                               
    1996 Stock
   Option Plan                                                                  
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Newly reserved        1,600,000 shares           $11.97             $19,152,000        $ 5,650
     under the                                                               
   1995 Employee                                                             
   Stock Incentive                                                           
       Plan                                                                  
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Total:             5,100,000 shares                              $61,047,000        $18,010
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


(1)  Pursuant to Rule 416, this Registration Statement shall cover, in addition
     to the number of shares of Common Stock stated above, such indeterminate
     number of shares of Common Stock as may be issued upon exercise of options
     granted under such plan as a result of adjustment provisions thereunder.

(2)  Estimated solely for purposes of determining the registration fee pursuant
     to Rule 457(h), based on the average of the high and low prices of Callaway
     Golf Company Common Stock as reported on August 13, 1998 on the New York
     Stock Exchange, in respect of options to be granted under the plan.

================================================================================

                                       2

 
                                  INTRODUCTION
                                  ------------
                                        
          This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is filed by Callaway Golf
Company (the "Company") relating to 500,000 shares of the Company's common
stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), issuable to employees of
the Company under the Callaway Golf Company 1998 Stock Incentive Plan, 3,000,000
additional shares of the Company's Common Stock issuable under the Callaway Golf
Company 1996 Stock Option Plan and 1,600,000 additional shares of the Company's
Common Stock issuable under the Callaway Golf Company 1995 Employee Stock
Incentive Plan.

                                     PART I
                     INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS
                     --------------------------------------
                                        
ITEM 1.  PLAN INFORMATION

          The Registrant will send or give the documents containing information
specified in this Item 1 to employees, officers, directors or others as
specified by Rule 428(b)(1).  In accordance with the rules and regulations of
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") and the instructions
to Form S-8, the Registrant is not filing such documents with the Commission
either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus
supplements pursuant to Rule 424.

ITEM 2.  REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND EMPLOYEE PLAN ANNUAL INFORMATION

          The Registrant will send or give the documents containing information
specified in this Item 2 to employees, officers, directors or others as
specified by Rule 428(b)(1).  In accordance with the rules and regulations of
the Commission and the instructions to Form S-8, the Registrant is not filing
such documents with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement
or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424.

                                    PART II
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
               --------------------------------------------------

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

          The following documents, which previously have been filed by the
Company with the Commission, are incorporated herein by reference and made a
part hereof:

          (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1997;

          (b) All other reports filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a)
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), since the end of the latest fiscal year covered by the Annual Report
referred to in (a) above;

          (c) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 33-53732),
including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
description;

          (d) The description of the Company's Rights contained in the Company's
Registration Statement on Form 8-A on June 27, 1995, including any amendment or
report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

          All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 14 and
15(d) of the Exchange Act, subsequent to the date of this Registration Statement
and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment hereto that indicates that
all securities offered hereunder have been sold or that deregisters all
securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

                                       3

 
          For purposes of this Registration Statement, any statement contained
in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference
shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement
contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is
deemed to be incorporated herein by reference modifies or supersedes such
statement in such document.  Any statement so modified or superseded shall not
be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this
Registration Statement.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

          Seema L. Nene, Esq., who has rendered an opinion as to the validity of
the Common Stock being registered by this Registration Statement, is an employee
of the Company.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

          Under Section 317 of the California General Corporation Law (the
"CGCL"), the Company is, in certain circumstances, permitted to indemnify its
directors and officers against certain expenses (including attorneys' fees),
judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred
in connection with threatened, pending or completed civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative actions or proceedings (other than an action by
or in the right of the Company), by reason of the fact that such persons were or
are directors or officers of the Company, if such persons acted in good faith
and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the
Company, and with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no
reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful.  In addition, the
Company is in certain circumstances permitted to indemnify its directors and
officers who were or are parties or were threatened to be made parties to any
threatened, pending or completed action by or in the right of the Company to
procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such persons are or
were directors or officers of the Company, against expenses actually and
reasonably incurred by such persons in connection with the defense or settlement
of the action, if such persons acted in good faith and in a manner they believed
to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

          As permitted by the CGCL, the Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation of the Company provide that the Company is authorized to provide
indemnification of its officers and directors for breach of duty to the Company
and its shareholders through Bylaw provisions or through agreements with the
directors or officers, or both, in excess of the indemnification otherwise
permitted by Section 317 of the CGCL, subject to the limits on such excess
indemnification set forth in Section 204 of the CGCL.

          Under Section 204(a)(10) of the CGCL, the personal liability of a
director for monetary damages in an action brought by or in the right of the
corporation for breach of the director's duty to the corporation may be
eliminated, except for the liability of a director resulting from acts or
omissions involving intentional misconduct or a knowing and culpable violation
of the law, acts or omissions that a director believes to be contrary to the
best interests of the corporation or its shareholders or that involve the
absence of good faith, any transaction from which a director derived an improper
personal benefit, acts or omissions showing a reckless disregard for the
director's duty, acts or omissions constituting an unexcused pattern of
inattention to the director's duty, or the making of an illegal distribution to
shareholders or an illegal loan or guaranty.

          As permitted by the CGCL, the Company's Amended and Restated Articles
of Incorporation provide that the liability of directors for monetary damages
shall be eliminated to the fullest extent permissible under California law.

          The Company's Bylaws provide that the Company shall indemnify and hold
harmless any person who is or was a director or officer of the Company, or is or
was serving at the request of the Board of 

                                       4

 
Directors of the Company as a director or officer of another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or other persons serving
the Company subject to limitations imposed by applicable law, from and against
any expenses, judgments, fines, settlements, and other amounts actually and
reasonably incurred in connection with any threatened, pending or completed
action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. The Company's Bylaws further
provide that the Company shall advance to such persons expenses incurred in
defending any proceeding prior to the final disposition thereof to the fullest
extent and in the manner permitted by the law.

          The Company's Bylaws provide that indemnification provided for in the
Bylaws shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the
indemnified party may be entitled and that the Company may purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of an agent of the Company against any liability asserted
against him or her or incurred by him or her in any such capacity or arising out
of his or her status as such, whether or not the Company would have the power to
indemnify him or her against such liabilities under such Bylaws.

          The Company has entered into Indemnification Agreements with its
outside directors. These Indemnification Agreements require the Company to
indemnify each outside director if he or she is or was a party or other
participant in any suit or proceeding individually or in the right of the
Company or any subsidiary of the Company, by reason of (a) the fact that such
outside director is or was a director of the Company or any subsidiary, (b) any
action or inaction on the part of such outside director while a director of the
Company or any subsidiary, and/or (c) the fact that such outside director is or
was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or
agent of another corporation or other enterprise.  The indemnification extends
to all expenses, liabilities, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by the outside director in connection with such
action, suit or proceeding if the outside director acted in good faith and in a
manner he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Company
and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause
to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.  The Indemnification Agreements
require that, to the extent that the outside director has been successful on the
merits or otherwise in defense of any such action, suit or proceeding, the
Company indemnify such outside director against expenses actually and reasonably
incurred by him or her in connection therewith.  The Company must further
advance, within 30 days of a written request, all expenses incurred by the
outside director in connection with the investigation, defense, settlement or
appeal of any such action or proceeding; provided, however, that the outside
director must repay such amounts advanced if it is ultimately determined that he
or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company.  Under the
Indemnification Agreements, the outside directors are permitted to petition the
court to seek recovery of amounts due under the Indemnification Agreements and
to recover the expenses of seeking such recovery if he or she is successful.

The Indemnification Agreements also provide that the Company will indemnify the
outside directors to the fullest extent permitted by law.  Absent the
Indemnification Agreements, indemnification that might be made available to
outside directors could be changed by amendments to the Company's Amended and
Restated Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws.  Benefits under the
Indemnification Agreements are not available, however, to indemnify an outside
director (a) with respect to proceedings or claims initiated by the outside
director that are not by way of defense (unless authorized by the Board of
Directors); (b) with respect to liability for transactions from which the
outside director derived an improper personal benefit; (c) if the outside
director is determined to have committed acts of active and deliberate
dishonesty; (d) for expenses or liabilities that have been paid to the outside
director under an insurance policy maintained by the Company or otherwise by any
other means; or (e) for an accounting of profits realized from the purchase and
sale of securities within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

          Not applicable.

                                       5

 
ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

Exhibit No.  Description
- -----------  -----------

4.1          Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company (filed as an
             exhibit to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 
             (No. 33-85692), and incorporated herein by this reference)
    
4.2          Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation of the
             Company effective February 10, 1995 (filed as an exhibit to the
             Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
             31, 1994, and incorporated herein by this reference )

4.3          Bylaws of the Company, as amended May 10, 1996
           
4.4          Certificate of Determination of Rights, Preferences, Privileges and
             Restrictions of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
             (filed as an exhibit to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
             for the quarter ended June 30, 1995, and incorporated herein by
             this reference)
           
4.5          Rights Agreement by and between the Company and Chemical Mellon
             Shareholder Services, as Rights Agent, dated as of June 21, 1995
             (filed as an exhibit to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
             for the quarter ended June 30, 1995, and incorporated herein by
             this reference)

4.6          Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan (filed as the
             Prospectus in the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No.
             33-77024), and incorporated herein by this reference)
           
4.7          Callaway Golf Company 1998 Stock Incentive Plan effective February
             18, 1998 (filed as an exhibit to the Company's Quarterly Report
             filed on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1998, and
             incorporated herein by this reference )

4.8          Callaway Golf Company 1996 Stock Option Plan (as amended and
             restated through April 23, 1998) (filed as an exhibit to the
             Company's Quarterly Report filed on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
             June 30, 1998, and incorporated herein by this reference)

4.9          Callaway Golf Company 1995 Employee Stock Incentive Plan (as
             amended and restated through April 22, 1998)
           
5            Opinion of Seema L. Nene, Esq., Corporate Counsel to the Company,
             as to the legality of the securities being registered

23.1   1     Consent of Independent Accountants
           
23.2   2     Consent of Seema L. Nene, Esq. (contained in Exhibit 5 hereto)
           
24           Power of Attorney (contained on signature page hereto)

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

           (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

               (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement;

                                       6

 
          (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act of 1933;

          (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-
effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent
a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement;

          (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the plan of
distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any
material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement.

     (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933 each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

     (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

          (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

          (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by a final adjudication of such issue.

                                       7

 
                                   SIGNATURES
                                   ----------
                                        
          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Carlsbad, State of California, on August 19,
1998.

                                      CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY
                   
                   
                                      By:  /s/ DONALD H. DYE
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          Donald H. Dye
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer


                                      By:  /s/ DAVID A. RANE
                                          -------------------------------------
                                          David A. Rane
                                          Executive Vice President,
                                          Administration and Planning, and 
                                          Chief Financial Officer
                                                     
           
                                 POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                 -----------------
                                          
          Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints
DONALD H. DYE, DAVID A. RANE AND STEVEN C. McCRACKEN his or her true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, with full powers of
substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place
and stead, at any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, each acting alone, with full powers and authority to do and perform each
and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises, as full to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming that all said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, each acting alone, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue hereof.

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.



             Signature                               Title                                 Date
             ---------                               -----                                 ----
                                                                              
 
Principal Executive Officers
and Directors:
                                      
/s/ ELY CALLAWAY                          Founder, Chairman and Chief               August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------         of Advertising, Press &   
Ely Callaway                                    Public Relations
 
/s/ DONALD H. DYE                                President and                      August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------         Chief Executive Officer 
Donald H. Dye                         
 
Principal Financial and
Accounting Officer:
                                      
/s/ DAVID A. RANE                          Executive Vice President,                August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------       Administration and Planning, 
David A. Rane                             and Chief Financial Officer
 
 
 

                                       8

 
 
                                                                               
Other Directors:
 
/s/ WILLIAM C. BAKER                                Director                        August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------
William C. Baker
 
/s/ VERNON E. JORDAN, JR.                           Director                        August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------
Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.
 
/s/ BRUCE A. PARKER                                 Director                        August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------
Bruce A. Parker
 
/s/ FREDERICK R. PORT                               Director                        August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------
Frederick R. Port
 
/s/ RICHARD ROSENFIELD                              Director                        August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------
Richard Rosenfield
 
/s/ WILLIAM A. SCHREYER                             Director                        August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------
William A. Schreyer
 
/s/ CHARLES J. YASH                                 Director                        August 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------
Charles J. Yash


                                       9

 
                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS
                               -----------------
                                        
                                        
Exhibit No.  Description
- -----------  -----------

  4.1        Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company.*
       
  4.2        Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation of the
             Company.*
       
  4.3        Bylaws of the Company (as amended through May 10, 1996).*
       
  4.4        Certificate of Determination of Rights, Preferences, Privileges and
             Restrictions of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.*
       
  4.5        Rights Agreement by and between the Company and Chemical Mellon
             Shareholder Services, as Rights Agent, dated as of June 21, 1995.*
       
  4.6        Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan.*
       
  4.7        Callaway Golf Company 1998 Stock Incentive Plan effective February
             18, 1998.*
       
  4.8        Callaway Golf Company 1996 Stock Option Plan (as amended and
             restated through April 23, 1998).*
       
  4.9        Callaway Golf Company 1995 Employee Stock Incentive Plan (as
             amended and restated through April 22, 1998).
       
  5          Opinion of Seema L. Nene, Esq., Corporate Counsel to the Company,
             as to the legality of the securities being registered.
       
  23.1       Consent of Independent Accountants.
       
  23.2       Consent of Seema L. Nene, Esq. (contained in Exhibit 5 hereto).
       
  24.1       Power of Attorney (contained on signature page hereof).

  *  Incorporated by reference.

                                       10