Equipment
Golf club counterfeiting: Its scope and dangers
In the past 10 years, the U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group (the Golf Group) has exceeded more than 1 million fake products seized in cooperation with governmental officials.
The Group, which consists of five of the most well-known golf companies in the world and their subsidiaries — Acushnet Company; Callaway-Odyssey; Srixon, Cleveland Golf; Ping; and TaylorMade-adidas Golf — facilitated the confiscation of more than 150,000 golf items in China last year alone.
[quote_box_center]“Our progress in 2014, particularly the fines and prison time handed out, sends a strong message that there are significant and lasting consequences for those who try to dupe golfers with fake products,” said Stephen Gingrich, vice president of global legal enforcement for Srixon/Cleveland Golf.[/quote_box_center]
Jason Rocker, spokesperson for the group, told me that he group has two goals: enforcement (in coordination with Chinese officials) and education about the size and scope of the counterfeiting of golf equipment and its dangers.
Regarding performance issues with counterfeit clubs, Rocker said they run the gantlet from disappointing to dangerous.
“There are some where it’s just a loss of distance…but there are ones where there are safety issues…heads flying off…shafts shattering.”
He also added that as 99 percent of counterfeit clubs are sold via the internet, when you use a credit card to buy said goods, you’re giving your credit card and personal information to criminals.
Rocker warned that counterfeiters are getting more and more sophisticated. The phony clubmakers used to price their goods at 50 percent off retail, however, people got wise that such too-good-to-be-true prices were an indication that the product was a counterfeit good. Counterfeiters now price just low enough that it’s enticing, but doesn’t raise red flags.
And if you think you can tell whether a club is real or fake from a picture on a website, remember this: Counterfeiters use pictures of authentic clubs online in many cases. Thus, the buyer never sees the purchased product until it’s delivered. Further, there is absolutely no consistency of product or quality control in any counterfeit operation.
If you’re wondering how this all goes down, Rocker explained it to me. A counterfeiter will set up a manufacturing operation, oftentimes out of a garage. They turn out as many items as they can as quickly as they can. They set up a website, do some basic SEO and make as much money as they can then shut it down.
Rocker offered this piece of takeaway advice:
“Our message is continually: Make sure you’re buying from authorized retailers to ensure you’re getting an authentic product.”
More information about the dangers of counterfeit golf clubs and products, and how to avoid them, can be found at www.keepgolfreal.com.
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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jgolf
Mar 2, 2015 at 6:29 pm
There are counterfeit clubs being sold on the internet?? Say it ain’t so! I understand your point, but do you even realize how many “authentic” clubs end up on the internet from the members/readers of this site alone LoL???
devilsadvocate
Feb 28, 2015 at 9:52 pm
Honestly it appears this article was concocted and distributed for publication by this “group” jmho
graymulligan
Feb 28, 2015 at 11:29 am
So…there are counterfeit clubs…and there is a scope to this issue. Not much of an article.
Birdeez
Feb 27, 2015 at 11:02 pm
Lame article. Short and sweet.counterfeit exists…. Is that all? That wasn’t an article, the should’ve been a bullet point. Counterfeit is used to get golfers to buy new and buy retail. Used and from authorized dealers online is only way to buy. Stop paying these inflated prices
Joe
Feb 27, 2015 at 7:27 pm
This seems awfully similar to a Jimmy Roberts story from last year….
RadioActive
Feb 27, 2015 at 4:44 pm
Anyone who purchases a lot of clubs online has been had whether they know it or will admit it is another story
Al
Mar 1, 2015 at 9:49 am
Unless they’re reselling them at a tidy profit on Craigslist.
Jay
Feb 27, 2015 at 2:22 pm
“The Group, which consists of five of the most well-known golf companies in the world and their subsidiaries — Acushnet Company (1); Callaway-Odyssey(2); Srixon(3), Cleveland Golf(4); Ping(5); and TaylorMade-adidas Golf(6)— wonder which of the 6 they are saying is not well known??
Brian
Feb 27, 2015 at 2:51 pm
Cleveland/Srixon is one company
Jay
Feb 27, 2015 at 4:43 pm
Ahh – separated by a comma – not a semicolon – pesky punctuation
Jafar
Feb 27, 2015 at 2:19 pm
The golf group should include some Shaft Makers also.
Shafts seem a lil easier to fake and are just as costly as some clubs.