NIKE GOLF ACQUIRES IMPACT GOLF TECHNOLOGIES,
STRENGTHENS GOLF CLUB DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Nike Golf announced that it has acquired Impact Golf Technologies of Fort Worth, Texas. Headed by renowned golf club developer Tom Stites, the companyıs tools and talent will now help Nike Golf design and develop its prototype clubs.

Stites and the entire Impact Golf Technologies team of golf club engineers, designers, machinists and club development specialists have an extensive background in professional design engineering, conceptual golf club prototypes, customisation and support for Tour players, custom manufacturing and product and component testing. Since its founding in 1993, Impact Golf Technologies has provided these services to a number of leading golf manufacturers. It will now concentrate on developing Nike Golf prototype clubs for testing on the PGA Tour in 2001.

"We wonıt settle for anything less than having the most talented people developing the best performance-based products at Nike Golf," said Nike Golf president Bob Wood. "Tom is the best at what he does and we wanted him and his staff on board to boost our golf club expertise and intensify our club development efforts."

Stites brings unique insight to the realm of golf club development, where heıs honed his skills designing clubs for Tour professionals and various manufacturers for the last 15 years. He is one of 12 members of the Golf Digest Technical Advisory Board, holds 11 golf club patents.

"This was a chance for me to help build a golf club brand from the ground up, and those opportunities are rare," Stites said. "In addition, Nikeıs passion for technological innovation matches my own. I think we have the right combination of desire, vision and resources to develop superior clubs for golfers everywhere."

Stites and his staff will remain in Fort Worth. No timeline has been set for a market launch for the clubs.