The build shop where master club-maker Mike Taylor hones his craft is full of history. The Nike clubs tucked away in a staff bag next to the grinding wheel act as a gentle reminder to a period of time when the facility had a Swoosh emblazoned on the door. The former home to Nike Golf’s “The Oven” R&D facility saw Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, David Duval walk through the door on numerous occasions. If they were coming for irons and wedges, Taylor was part of the discussion.
When Nike walked away from the hard-goods business at the end of 2016, Taylor and a select group of former Swoosh employees stayed behind and founded Artisan Golf — a boutique wedge and putter brand that’s making waves in the industry. During a recent trip to Artisan’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, GOLF’s chief visuals editor, Christian Hafer, captured the history housed inside the aging build shop, along with creations Taylor made for Woods and McIlroy, among others, over the years.
