Nike is an athletic brand synonymous with sports like basketball, football and baseball. Nike is the company that brought the masses Air Jordan and the iconic silhouette of Michael Jordan dunking with his legs kicked out as he leapt from the free throw line. In recent years, however, Nike has also emerged as a credible purveyor of golf products, offering its customers everything from Tiger Woods apparel to clubs to golf balls, gloves, bags, footwear and more. You name it, Nike has begun to manufacturer it and send it out to pro shops in local courses across the country.

But for those of us that think of the traditional manufacturers when we think of golf - Ping, Titleist, Callaway - it might be a bit difficult to start thinking of the Nike swoosh when you think about a nice afternoon on the course.

First of all, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't look to Nike first when you were picking out golf apparel, ranging from breathable shirts to stylish hats to some of the best footwear in golf today. Where Nike has really left its mark in golf is with drivers. Nike's far and away best and most well-known club is the driver, the splashiest and most attention grabbing of all the clubs. The VR Pro Driver is Nike's state-of-the-art club, which has risen considerably in popularity among golfers. According to Nike's Web site, the driver uses variable compression channel technology, a pear-shaped head, high workability, medium launch and low spin. But that's not to say Nike doesn't make other clubs. If you like the VR Pro Driver, then you should check out the VR Pro fairway woods, the VR and youth irons, as well as Nike's hybrid clubs, wedges and putters.

Nike also makes several different types of golf balls. The 20 XI golf ball series is popular among many players. These balls boast a lighter, low-density RZN core, which distributes weight to the perimeter and increases ball MOI. Many golfers say they notice the difference between these and other types of golf balls right away. Other popular types of golf balls are the Crush, Vapor and Power series. They all have different specs and requirements, and individual golfers should investigate, sample and determine what sort of ball is best for them.

Nike also brings its flare for sports gear to the golf bag, which has arguably more variations than any other piece of modern golf equipment. Nike makes bags of all shapes, sizes and customizations. They make bags for young golfers, female golfers and golfers who want to emblazon their bags with the names and logos of their colleges. Finally, much like bags, Nike offers many different variations of eyewear for modern golfers. Nike's golf sunglasses have all different colors of tinted lenses.