Save Nike Golf sent a message to Mark Parker President and CEO, Nike, Inc. – email address that said:
Dear Nike,
After hearing the news, I along with everyone that loves Nike Golf Clubs am very disappointed in your decision to get out of the hard goods industry. In recent years you have become one of the Top Players in Golf manufacturing business and you have drawn quite a large following. Leaving the hard goods industry hurts the Golf Industry as a whole.
“Enjoy the Chase” This is what you have been telling everyone that plays golf, not just the people that play Nike Equipment. Golf is not an easy game, and what I think you are trying to tell everyone by “Enjoy the Chase” is have fun getting to the top. You as a company should “Enjoy the Chase” on your quest to get to the top of the Golf industry.
People say that the golf industry is on the decline, I don’t necessarily believe that. With Golf added back into the Olympics, I think that it opens the door to a whole new customer base that will become interested in the sport. You should be trying to take advantage of the situation, not leaving.
You are relatively new to the golf industry compared to Callaway, Taylormade and Titleist, but you are doing things that these companies won’t do. They don’t take risks! Titleist has been releasing the same ball for the past few years; they just say it’s the new version. You actually release new balls. Experimenting with the dimples is what the game of golf needs; we need someone that will take risks. We need someone that will not release a boring all black driver. The market is changing, and your company was the only company trying to take advantage and change the products and truly make them unique.
You have built and amazing fan base in the hard goods industry. Some of the most loyal people I have ever seen. On Golf WRX there is a Nike Golf 2016 thread of Nike Golf Enthusiasts talking just about your golf equipment. It has 11,222 replies and there is a 2017 thread of everyone talking about next year’s equipment that is currently locked due to the news but has 717 replies of everyone that was excited about the future products. When you released the limited edition Rory proto balls last year, someone wanted the so much that they paid over $200 on eBay to get a dozen of them. That says a lot about what your products mean to people.
The manufacturers close-out of the Vapor Fly woods line was the best thing you as a company could have done. They have been sold out everywhere I look. This gives people the opportunity to put a Nike Driver in their bag to try out for not that much money.
You can’t stop now! You have come so far in recent years to just throw it all away. I know it’s the smallest section in your company, but let’s face it your numbers are close to the others in the golf business. Callaway had $843 million in sales in 2015 and you had $706 million, they have been around longer, but they don’t take the risks that you do.
I and everyone that loves Golf do not want you to get out of the business. We need you to help in growing it, not just give up because it’s getting hard.
I urge you to reconsider your recent decision to end your golf equipment department because you make amazing products that are game changing. By leaving the Golf Equipment industry, you’re taking the easy rout. Nothing worth doing is easy, the reason people play golf is because it’s a challenge and you’re never the best at it!
I hope you have read this and please reconsider your recent decision! I will leave you with this quote:
“Giving up is the easiest thing you could ever do, but holding it all together when everyone expects you to crumble that, is True Strength.”
Thank you for hopefully reading this. I love Nike Golf Clubs and I know many people that will have a very hard time finding a new club manufacturer. Don’t throw out everything that you have worked for in the past few years!
Sincerely,
Everyone Who Loves Nike Golf
