Nike Golf Limited Edition Lunar Controls for the 2011 Majors

As 2011 is coming to a close, it’s fun to look back on all of the great products Nike Golf introduced this past year. These included the 20XI ball, the VR Pro Combo and VR Pro Cavity irons, the VR Pro Limited Edition Forged Driver and the Lunar Control golf shoe. Of all of the products Nike Golf released in 2011, in my opinion none was cooler than the Limited Edition Lunar Controls for the 2011 Majors.

For each of the 2011 men’s major championships, Nike Golf created a special limited edition version of the Lunar Control Golf shoe for their athletes. All but one of these (the PGA Championship version) were available for retail purchase at nikestore.com during their respective championship weeks. You can take a look at the limited edition versions in the galleries below, and you can read my post about each one by clicking the link below each gallery.

What the NGN staff would like to know is which version you like best — cast your vote in the poll below the galleries to let us know which is your favorite special edition of the lunar control. And let us know any other thoughts you have on these limited editions in the comments below.

 

MASTERS VERSION:

READ MY POST ABOUT THE LIMITED EDITION MASTERS LUNAR CONTROL >>

 

U.S. OPEN VERSION:

READ ALAN’S POST ABOUT THE LIMITED EDITION U.S. OPEN LUNAR CONTROL >>

 

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP VERSION:

READ MY POST ABOUT THE LIMITED EDITION OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP LUNAR CONTROL >>

 

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP VERSION:

READ MY POST ABOUT THE LIMITED EDITION PGA CHAMPIONSHIP LUNAR CONTROL >>

 

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE LIMITED EDITION LUNAR CONTROL MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP VERSION?

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2011 Nike Golf Holiday Gift Guide: Footwear, Apparel and Accessories Edition

Christmas is less than a week away, and if you’re looking for a last minute gift idea for the golfer in your life, you’ve come to the right place. Nike Golf’s 2011 footwear, apparel and accessory lines have a variety of great gift ideas for the golfer on your gift list. Here are my top picks for Nike Golf holiday footwear, apparel and accessory gifts:

Lunar Control Shoes
This is definitely the “2011 Shoe of the Year” from Nike Golf. In addition to special colorways for collegiate golf teams and a special Manchester United and Inter Milan versions, they released limited edition versions for each of the 2011 men’s major golf championships. Read my review here.

 

 

N98 Polo
This is one of my favorite polos from the 2011 Fall Collection — I don’t own it yet but it’s definitely on my Christmas List.

 

 

 

N-Destrukt Outerwear (Rain Jacket and Pants)
This next generation of the Storm-FIT Elite rain gear is lightweight, 100% waterproof, breathable, and ultra-comfortable thanks to the 4-way stretch fabric.

 

 

 

Modern Tech Pant
This sleek and simple flat-front pant design is timeless and classic, and looks great with any of the polos from the 2011 Fall Collection.

 

 

 

Air Range WP Shoes
I own two pairs of this awesome athletic golf shoe — it has integrated traction (spikes molded into the sole), it’s lightweight, waterproof, and breathable, making it great for warm weather play. Read my review here.

 

 

 

Flat Bill Hat
Anthony Kim created a lot of buzz around this hat when he began wearing it in tournament play earlier this year. It’s now available at retail — I have the black and white versions.

 

 

 

Nike Golf Perforated Reversible Belt
This sturdy, fashionable belt features perforated nappa leather and a heavy-duty  brushed metal buckle. The belt rotates at the base of the buckle to switch between colors —I own the black/brown version and it also comes in white/black.

 

 

 

Zoom Bandon Shoes
This is the ultimate waterproof golf shoe, perfect for rainy rounds, and in my opinion it’s one of Nike Golf’s coolest shoe designs to date. Read my review here.

 

 

 

Tour Knit Cap
Keep your head warm during early morning or winter rounds with this cap that features the VR and 20XI logos on either side.

 

 

 

Dri-FIT ½-Zip Cover Up
This pullover is stylish and super-comfortable — I have the white/dark grey version and it looks great on the course.

 

 

 

Let us know which of the items above are on your wish list this holiday season. And if you haven’t seen it yet, check out our 2011Nike Golf Holiday Gift Guide: Equipment Edition.

Nike TW Free-Inspired Golf Shoes to Hit Retail in Late Spring of 2012

In a press release today, Nike Golf announced that the Nike TW Free-Inspired golf shoe will be available at retail in late Spring 2012. So for those of you have been asking if this shoe will be available at retail, it is now official! We’ll keep you posted, and when we have an exact release date we’ll post it here on NG Nation.

 

DEAL: Zoom Trophy Navy for $69.99

The Nike Zoom Trophy in the Navy colorway is on sale over at the PGA Tour Shop for $69.99, with many sizes still available. I own these shoes with the white saddle and they are a classic and comfortable shoe. This model has been worn on tour by Anthony Kim, John Cook, Carl Pettersson, and even John Daly.

You can read my review of the shoe here.

Tiger Woods Wins the Chevron World Challenge

“I hit two good putts.”

“It feels awesome, whatever it is.”

Tiger is relieved, Tiger is confident, Tiger is a winner…again, for the first time in over 2 years. After trailing Zach Johnson by 1-shot after 54 holes, they battled neck and neck coming down the wire, to have Tiger birdie 17 and 18 to win by 1 shot.

Since his last win at the 2009 Australian Master, Tiger has had 8 Top 10s and 0 wins. At this same event last year, Tiger finished 2nd to Graeme McDowell in a playoff, after hitting 2 clutch shots on 18. This year, Tiger his another great shot on 18. But this time, Zach Johnson missed his birdie putt and Tiger made his.

This was Tiger’s 4th win at this event and his win couldn’t have come at a better time. Personally, I think Tiger will win two majors next year. Seeing his emotion on 17 and 18 was a thing of beauty. He’s back, folks.

TW sported a red polo, with a black vest over it and black trousers. He also wore the white version of the Nike Free-Inspired prototype shoe, which is non-traditional as he typically wears black shoes on Sunday.

With this win, Tiger moves to 20th in the World Golf Rankings

Fellow Nike Golf athlete, Paul Casey, finished 3rd.

Check out the full leaderboard here >>

My Favorite Nike Goods of 2011

Well December is almost here and this marks the near-end of 2011. We’ve seen so many new products come from Nike this year and here are my favorites. Have a look and let me know what yours are.

Nike Storm-FIT Elite Full-Zip Jacket: I got this jacket in the summer and didn’t get a chance to wear it until it cooled down a bit. One rainy day in New York City, I was caught without an umbrella and only had this jacket on. While I only had a few blocks to walk, this jacket immediately passed every test I had. Most rain jackets claim to be the perfect blend of being waterproof and breathable. Unfortunately, they rarely possess these traits. I’m telling you, this jacket has those features and is extremely breathable. This is not only one of the best Nike purchases I made this year, but it is also one of the best purchases I made of anything I bought this year.

Nike Golf Lunar Control: Waterproof, lightweight, and stylish, these shoes provided great traction during a wet season in the Northeast.

Nike Vr Pro Combo Irons: I made the upgrade to the Vr Pro Combos from my original Pro Combos this year and have been hitting the ball so solid with the new irons. Plus they just look great and are extremely workable.

Nike Flat Bill Hat: Nike made an awesome decision to make a stylish flat brim hat. This year we saw AK wear it on tour and it has really grown among the Nike Golf fan community. Get this hat for a unique and stylish look on course.

Nike Air Range WP: Nike entered the street shoe market this year and has made a breathable, style, and waterproof shoe. This is a great shoe for warm weather and dry conditions, plus it looks awesome with both shorts and long pants. Also available in three colorways – all awesome.

Nike Athlete Style: Charl Schwartzel

With all the radical design changes in men’s golf apparel recently, most notably bold patterns, florescent colors, and even flat-billed hats, I think it’s important to remember what golf style is most recognized by. For too long, golf wear was limited to khakis, an oversized polo, and saddle shoes. In fact, that is a tradition that continues to thrive on tour (see: Steve Stricker and Matt Kuchar).

While I think bold will stay big in the next year or two, here’s a foreshadowing photo of Charl Schwartzel demonstrating how to use modern apparel, combine it with performance enhancing technology, and have it look like traditional golf wear. Khakis and a solid polo have never looked better.

I am no fashion expert, but trends are cyclical, and I think within a few years, we may see classic looks coming back into popularity. Keep this photo in mind. This is how it should be done.

 

Nike Notes: Personalization for Vapor X Bag

Quick post on the new Nike Golf Vapor X Bag from NGN New York. By now, you may have read that the Vapor X stand bag weighs a mere four pounds, has Nike Air Max technology, comes in seven colorways, and is one of the sleekest bags out there. But did you know that you can get the Vapor X, along with other Nike bags personalized?

Several vendors, including Golfsmith, allow you to place a logo or name on the bag to complete the true professional look. And as an added bonus, it appears that the personalization (and shipping) is free!

By the way, this post is in no way affiliated with Golfsmith, I just thought it was good news to share.

 

My Experience with the 2012 Nike Apparel Showcase

There was torrential downpour when I got the email last Monday morning that I could go uptown from the financial district to Nike’s NYC offices in Chelsea to take a look at the 2012 goods apparel and footwear. And even despite the rain, I was so fired up to brave the rain for this rare chance to see it all in person.  When I checked into the building, I took the elevator up to the sixth floor, hung a right, which opened up into a lobby of raw space made to look like a Nike Town store. One room was dedicated to all running gear, another area of the lobby was for the new women’s workout line, and sprawling out on the reception desk were numerous marketing material including an awesome, giant-sized Nike Sportswear magazine. While I waited in the lobby area, next to a couple mannequins wearing some of the new men’s and women’s golf line, I noticed a boardroom where a meeting was taking place. Hoping that they wouldn’t notice me drooling at the Vr Pro Limited driver in the staff bag right outside their window, I moved away and sat in an empty area while a film crew was taping a segment on the new line.

After a brief wait and a chat with the receptionist, I was met by Gretchen Wilhelm, PR Specialist for Nike Golf. She had such an inviting presence and automatically made me feel at ease, and most importantly welcome. Into the showcase room we went, where there was a giant boardroom table, and shockingly only me, Gretchen, Patti Harrison, Global Apparel Product and Merchandising Director, and Lee Walker, Global Product Director – Footwear & Equipment. No buyers, no media, just a diehard fan and the three people I’ve long wanted to speak to. Without sounding dramatic, it did feel a little surreal for me since apparel and footwear are my two favorite things about Nike Golf.

The room was separated into different sections (more on that in a bit), with a wall of all the latest golf shoes. Talk about a kid in a candy store. I tried to keep my enthusiasm controlled while I stared at all the new goods that caught my eye. In my head, I was shuffling a million miles an hour through the roledex of all my ideas for Nike Golf.

After some introductions, Patti started going through some of the strategy and innovation behind the men’s apparel line. For 2012, Nike is splitting the apparel into four different categories. There will be the Tour Performance, and TW lines, which we have seen in the past, and new for the year will be the Tour Premium and Sport collections.

While I don’t want to take anything away from the Tour Performance line, in fact, it includes some of my favorite pieces to date, or the TW line, I want to focus on the two new collections. The Tour Premium is reminiscent of the TW Platinum line and incorporates a lot of engineering. We’re talking about stitching enhancements, new sew seams, and fine detailing like colored piping and other accents. The  Tour Premium line also has a slimmer fit and a more modern look. Fans of the old TW Platinum line will definitely like this.

The Sport collection will capture a younger and more creative demographic. There are a lot of new color combinations and they’ve incorporated not only the swoosh logo but the original NIKE block logo. The fabrics still include all the technology that you’d expect from Nike, but a lot are made from blends that are made to look like cotton polos. This whole line, will of course look great with the new Nike Dunk golf shoes. I’m told AK and Paul Casey will wear pieces of this collection on tour, so look out for that.

The Tiger Woods line received an upgrade, more of which you can read about here. Beyond the new design and style features, which you will definitely notice from prior TW collections, are dramatic improvements to the weight and construction of the polos. I can tell you that the new TW polo with its no-sew mesh color is simply the lightest polo around.

The Tour Performance collection continues to impress me every year. The biggest improvements this year are with the pants, including my favorite, the Modern Tech Pant. This is the pant favored most on tour with the Nike Athletes and will come in six colors including: white, light bone, dark grey, black, and my two favorites: bright blue and action red. The pants are slim fit, with a v-notch hem and weigh a mere 5.2 oz. There’s a lot of fine detailing too, including accents in the pocket areas.

The new outerwear line continued to make strides in leading the field in terms of rain wear (Ryder Cup captains take note please). There are a lot of new jackets that frankly, would be perfectly suited on the racks at Paragon Sports or Eastern Mountain Sports. I’m talking about garments that are completely wearable on and off the course.  The new 20XI knit cap has a fleece lining too for winter golfers, although I am still hopeful that Nike will bring a knit cap with a pom back.

The wall of shoes, as I put it, was so massive and impressive, that it was difficult to digest. Lee Walker took me through some of the new improvements and walked me through the new molded spike shoes including the Lunar Prevail and the Lunar Ascend. My favorite shoe in the line is the new 2012 TW which has a new spike that has just been released. I also love what Nike has done with the new colorways for the Lunar Control, and their ability to make the Air Range waterproof.  I am curious to see how the Lunar Prevail and the Lunar Ascend will perform in typically wet and soft northeast conditions. I will let you know what I find out.

As we wrapped up, I realized I had just ate up nearly 2 hours of their time and Gretchen, Lee and Patti, were gracious hosts for every minute of it. This was especially surprising for someone who wasn’t really bringing a budget like a big box store buyer. I left Nike feeling ecstatic and excited, like I had just experienced something I’ve always wanted to do.

Nike Golf Unveils New TW Apparel

Head on over to Golf.com to read about the new lighter performance gear Nike has made for Tiger Woods. Last week, I got the chance to check it out first hand, and I must say it is the lightest golf shirt you will ever see. In fact, the hanger weighed more than the shirt!

Here’s an excerpt:

“For a long time [Tiger] wore traditional product,” said Patti Harrison, the director of global product and marketing for Nike Golf. “We see an opportunity to take him to a new plane. We want to position him as the top of performance, kind of performance plus. We engineered these garments to meet his needs.”