Can Wilson Golf Become A Player Again?

Lauren Zumbach of the Chicago Tribune files a pretty lengthy feature on Wilson's Golf to regain the regal place it once held in the golf equipment industry.

They've even got a name for the opening created by Nike's equipment business exit: Nexit.

The company has been mounting a decadelong turnaround push, reinvesting in research and development, shifting focus from entry level to premium products, even developing an upcoming reality show where contestants compete to design a new Wilson driver that will be on store shelves in time for Black Friday.

Clarke said the effort is paying off, if slowly. Parent company Amer Sports doesn't break out numbers on Wilson's golf business, but according to Clarke, it's been profitable for each of the last three years, and revenues in the U.S. have grown 11 percent each of the last six years. Its U.S. market share in irons has risen to roughly 3 percent and roughly 5 percent for golf balls, he said.

"In a business that has had some nicks in the last five years, slow and steady is winning the race, I'd say," Clarke said.

But the company is still a small player in a market where competitors are scrapping over share of a pie that hasn't been getting any bigger, trying to win back golfers despite a brand some still associate with big box sporting goods chains.

"I think their clubs match any from the high-end brands, the name just isn't back up to where people are buying it just yet," said former Cantigny Golf executive director Mike Nass, now a part-time club fitter.

Here is the trailer for their reality show, Driver vs. Driver, which debuts in early October.