Nike expands research center

Seven years ago, Nike got serious about the golf business by opening a huge research and design facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

The company continues to be bullish about golf.

It recently expanded the facility, which it calls "The Oven" for the second time in three years. The Oven is now 49,100 square feet, nearly 18,000 square feet bigger than when it opened.

The Nike Oven is dedicated to research and design for the development of performance golf clubs, testing of both clubs and golf balls, as well as working with Nike Tour athletes like Stewart Cink and Tiger Woods.

The most significant component of the expansion is the addition of a 129,000 square-foot short game area that includes three synthetic greens, one natural grass green, bunkers and practice holes. The practice holes and hitting areas are designed for the purpose of providing various distances for short irons so that iron and ball testing is both extensive and constructive for Nike engineers and Nike athletes. The short game area also is enhanced by a water feature that runs through the middle of the short game course.

The other standout enhancement to “The Oven” is Nike Golf’s research building which has almost doubled in size and houses offices and a new large auditorium for meetings and presentations.

“The Oven” is the idea tank where Tom Stites, Nike Golf's Director of Product Creation for Clubs, and his staff of engineers and technicians develop, research and test the innovative technology that has helped Nike Golf to become one of the fastest growing companies in the history of the golf industry. Rock Ishii, Nike Golf's Product Director for golf balls and his staff of engineers and technicians also utilize the facility as the primary location for ball testing. In conjunction with club testing, the ball team obtains launch parameters, track trajectory and measures actual carry, roll and dispersion.

The Nike Oven features technologically advanced equipment that takes Nike Golf’s research to the next level. This equipment includes a computer controlled mechanic golfer, state-of-the-art putting lab, track man, launch monitors, assembly room, club milling and grinding laboratory as well as other test areas for conducting:

- Numerous proprietary instruments for golf club analysis.

- Shaft testing for flex, frequency, torque and durability.
- Cannon testing for durability and COR compliance.
- COR Pendulum for metal wood COR compliance and performance.
- Mass moment of inertia testing process and center of gravity measurement process.

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