The 5 Best Nike Golf Clubs of All-Time

Louis Pringle

Sep 05, 2023

7 minutes

Nike golf clubs have always been some of the most sought-after products on the market in the world of golf. Whether it was their groundbreaking style or the fact that you wanted to use the same clubs as Tiger Woods, everybody wanted to get their hands on Nike golf clubs.

This remains true to this day. But with Nike halting production of its golf clubs almost a decade ago in 2016, their clubs are starting to become more and more scarce. This is why we wanted to take you on a trip down memory lane and highlight clubs from Nike that we consider iconic.

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1. Nike Vapor Fly Driver (2016)

The Nike Vapor Fly driver is iconic for multiple reasons. First off, we need to mention the bright colours of this driver. Its clubhead features an eye-catching blend of blue and highlighter-like yellow accents. In typical Nike fashion, it’s still one of the most recognizable drivers of all time.

The other reason that makes it so iconic is that it was part of the last line of clubs released by Nike. Along with the Fly Pro, these drivers still serve as reminders of the glory days of the Swoosh when Tiger and Rory McIlroy were on top of the golf world.

But the Vapor Fly is a unique driver itself as it features an uncommon construction for the clubhead. Its sole is uncharacteristic of typical drivers as the region where the sole and the crown would connect is mostly left empty.

This unique design was meant to help players with slower swing speeds as it made the clubhead lighter and easier to handle, but it also allowed them to focus the weight more precisely around the small sole and at the back of the clubhead to maximize forgiveness at impact. It’s not designed to counter a slice off the tee, but it will certainly cater to the needs of most beginner golfers.

2. Nike Sasquatch Fairway Wood (2006)

The Nike Sasquatch fairway wood was released along with its driver counterpart in 2008. Right upon release, all the talk was surrounding the odd shape of the Sumo² driver. The club featured a squared-shaped clubhead, a revolutionary design at the time, which created an instant buzz around its release.

The Sasquatch fairway wood is not so bad either! While it may not feature the iconic square shape of the Sumo², it still featured the yellow and grey accents that made the Sasquatch line so memorable to golfers everywhere.

The Sasquatch fairway wood features a narrow sole designed to make turf interactions easier at impact. While you obviously won’t find this technology on any newly released Nike golf clubs, you can still find modern fairway woods from brands like TaylorMade taking inspiration from this design.

3. Nike VR Pro Blade Irons (2011)

The Nike VR Pro Blade irons are some of the most recognizable clubs in this list. They are the typical Nike blade irons you think of. They feature an incredibly sleek chrome-brushed finish, completed with a slight hint of red to highlight the “R” of the VR.

Typical of blades, the clubhead profile is extremely narrow and tight, making them tiny targets next to the ball at address. This means that good strikes will be rewarded with maximized control and feel for the ball. Basically, these irons are not only good-looking but in the right hands, they’ll perform just as well.

This also means that the irons are not very forgiving, thus not ideal for beginners, but rather perfect for golfers who are able to shape shots with their irons. The control over the ball provided by these iconic irons helped Rory optimize his control over the ball and secure his third and fourth major championships at the 2014 Open & PGA Championships.

These victories by Rory also marked the last time that a golfer with a Nike club deal won a major championship. Surprisingly, it wouldn’t be the last time that a Nike golf club would be featured in the bag of a major champion… but we’ll get back to this.

4. Nike VR Wedges (2008)

The Nike VR Wedges are, to put it simply, winning golf clubs. They are, by far, the winningest wedges of all the wedges produced by Nike in major championships. This is to say that these clubs could deliver in high-pressure moments, even helping Charl Schwartzel capture the green jacket in 2011.

Just like the blades, the VR wedges featured a sleek design that blends simplicity with the brash and bold accents that are typical of Nike golf clubs. VR wedges show a very rounded profile which is a favourite amongst pros and suits the eye of many casual golfers.

The round profile allows golfers of all levels to open and close the clubface to their liking. The versatility of the VR wedges allows golfers to hit all types of wedge shots regardless of lie and ball position on the course.

Much like many of today’s wedges, the VR was offered in a variety of colours and finishes, allowing you to find the perfect club to your liking. Whether you like a raw finish that will rust over time, a subtle black finish, or the classic chrome finish, you’ll find a VR wedge to your liking!

5. Nike Method Putters (2009)

Nike Method putters were the pinnacle of putters for the brand as Nike’s last three majors as a clubmaker were won by golfers using Nike putters. Both Schwartzel, at the 2011 Masters, and McIlroy, at the 2014 Open and PGA Championships, used prototype models of the Method’s 004 and 006, respectively.

Some Nike Method putters can still be found in the bag of some pros. Just look at Justin Suh who was leading the Memorial Tournament after the second round in 2023. At that point, Suh had gained 7.33 strokes on the field because of his quality of play on the greens.

Suh was using a Nike Method Core Mod-4w putter, one of the many putters released in the Method Core line. Suh’s model was a weighted Method Core which is fitted with adjustments weights on the sole of the club, near the heel and the toe, to provide golfers with a better feel for the ball at impact.

Quite honestly, it’s also yours truly favourite as I’ve had a Method Core MC01w in the bag for the past 5 years and I’m not looking to get rid of it any time soon. The look of the putter is still incredible and it’s always a great conversation starter when meeting new golfers on the course!

6. Bonus: Nike Vapor Pro Irons

Finally, we could not conclude this list without including the only Nike golf club that is still frequently seen at the highest level of golf in the world (aside from Suh’s putter).

A Nike Vapor Pro iron was recently in the news as Brooks Koepka won the 2023 PGA Championship using this club as a driving iron option. This is Koepka's fifth major victory using his Vapor Pro 3 iron. Most surprisingly, all of Koepka's major wins came after Nike ceased its production of clubs.

Koepka is not the only one to trust the Vapor Pro iron as Tony Finau has been loyal to the club from his days as a player with a Nike club deal. While he doesn’t have a major to his name (as of writing), all of Finau’s pro wins happened with this club in the bag.

The longevity of the Vapor Pro iron in the bag of some of the best players in the world is a definitive testament to its quality and is certainly a reason why you should strongly consider adding it to your own bag if you manage to get your hands on one!

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In summary, Nike golf clubs left a mark on the sport of golf unlike any other brand before. Even though it hasn’t manufactured a club in nearly a decade, its clubs are just as popular as they were when they were at the top of the game.

Their looks were ahead of their time and their performances are still shining to this day, both in the hands of the best players in the world and on the public courses all around the globe.

Whether it’s eye-catching bright-coloured drivers, uniquely designed woods, or the Swoosh crowing the clubheads of irons, Nike golf clubs are in a class of their own and there will most likely never be another brand like it again in golf.

Until next time,

The Golf Avenue team