Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816 · Clubs

Driver

Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816

2015–presentNotable

The story

The Alpha 816 was the third generation of Callaway's Gravity Core driver line, built for players who wanted the Alpha's tour-grade adjustability and low, deep CG without stepping up to the low-spin Double Black Diamond variant. It kept the sliding internal Gravity Core weight and added Dual Distance Chambers behind an R*MOTO face designed to keep ball speed high across the face, wrapped in a compact, rounded, matte-black head. Reviewers repeatedly cited it among the best-sounding and best-feeling drivers of 2015-16, a deliberate departure from the metallic 'ping' of earlier Alphas.

Standing

Notable

Praised in contemporaneous reviews (Plugged In Golf, Golf Monthly, Golfalot) as a standout for feel and adjustability in a strong 2015-16 field, but there is no evidence of sustained collector demand or used-market premium beyond normal depreciation for a two-generation-old Callaway driver.

Who it's for

Good-to-low handicap players who want workability and premium feel from an adjustable driver and are willing to spend fitting time on the Gravity Core weight positions; a high-handicapper prioritizing straight-line forgiveness would be better served by a mainstream game-improvement driver from the same era.

Notable

Third generation of Callaway's Alpha line, following the 813 and 815 Alphas, built around the sliding internal Gravity Core weight system.
Paired with a Double Black Diamond (DBD) sibling aimed at lower spin/better players; the standard 816 was tuned toward more forgiveness and slightly higher launch.
R*MOTO face technology and Dual Distance Chambers were marketed as new for 2015 to boost ball speed and adjust spin/shot shape.
Reviewers (Golf Monthly) singled it out for sound and feel among 2015's driver crop, describing a muted, non-metallic impact tone.

In its era

Released in 2015 alongside the lower-spin Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond, competing against TaylorMade's AeroBurner/M1, Titleist 915D2, and Ping G30; succeeded within Callaway's own line by the Great Big Bertha and Epic/Epic Sub Zero drivers.

Specifications

Category: Driver
Years: 2015–present
: 9, 10.5

Forgiveness

6/10

The R*MOTO face keeps ball speed high on center-ish mis-hits and the Gravity Core adds some off-center stability, but testers found notably steep carry drop-off on low-face and toe strikes compared to true game-improvement heads of the same year — forgiving for a better-player's adjustable driver, not a max-forgiveness club.

Calibrated across the whole catalog — a tour blade scores low here on purpose; it means control, not ease.

On the used market

Private-party/eBay pricing for the related 816 DBD graded used units runs roughly $130-$165 depending on condition and shaft; the standard 816 typically sits at or below that band given lower demand than the DBD tour variant.