Nike Black Golf Ball Rip-Off
Posted By Protein

There must be something in the air over in the States as this is the third US rip-off of a UK product I've spotted in as many days. Those punks at Nike have ripped off our friends at Golf Refugees with their new range of "one black" golf balls and we've got an exclusive report on it.

As members of the urban golfing elite and founding sponsors of the Shoreditch Golf Club, Protein has naturally dug a little deeper into this story as it smells pretty bad, so I spoke to the head of Golf Refugees to get their side of the story. This is what he said...

"Golf Refugees have always produced unusual golf products and clothing. We thought up the concept of a black golf ball and followed the idea through to a manufactured product.

When you work within a limited budget your product has to do more of it's own marketing, by being distinctive.

So we looked into the technical idea that a black golf ball could fly further than a white golf ball during the summer months because it's black cover would absorb the heat from the sun's rays, and reduce the density of the surrounding air as it flies.

The product was launched in 2002 with a small press campaign and has been sold through Selfridges and other style conscious retailers. It's appeared in many magazines and newspapers including GQ USA.

Nike have never produced a radical golf product before. They originally told the press it was just a publicity stunt for their new "one black" white ball, which has black packaging. But, now they have gone into production with a black golf ball, available in the US in selected stores."

COMMENTS:

Pike, just nick it! Posted By Jeremy

I'm with golf refugees - it's the principle that matters. Just because an organisation has more money it doesn't mean they should be able to do what they like. Nike obviously operate in a moral vacuum. Posted By James