Nike Is Getting Out Of The Golf Club Business

Nike apparently is getting out of the golf club business. From their website:

NIKE FOCUSES GOLF INNOVATION ON FOOTWEAR AND APPAREL, TRANSITIONS OUT OF EQUIPMENT

NIKE, Inc. announced today that it will accelerate innovation in its Golf footwear and apparel business and will partner with more of the world’s best golfers. With this new focus, Nike Golf will transition out of equipment — including clubs, balls and bags.

Nike got into the golf equipment business to cash in on the popularity of Tiger Woods. I therefore wonder if their announcement means that they know something about Tiger that the rest of us merely suspect. If he is not coming back, the move makes total sense. Sell off the inventory, shut down the research labs and call it a day.

A few more random thoughts:

1. I have never met a Nike club fan. In fact, I’m racking my brains to think of an amateur I know who has Nike irons in their bag. I’ve seen a couple of drivers, but I am the only person I know with a set of Nike Irons. I got mine when I played in the Pro-Am at The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
2. I know a lot of players who like the Nike balls.
3. I wonder what clubs Rory will turn to.
4. No one cares who else plays Nike clubs. In fact, no one really cares which pros play which clubs. The top twenty bloggers probably have more influence on club purchases than the top twenty golf pros.
5. Nike getting out of the equipment business could be good for the financial stability of the rest of the industry.
6. I’ve heard lots of talk about UnderArmour getting into the equipment business. I think that this makes UnderArmour clubs much less likely.