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 A full set of the latest top-of-the-line Callaway clubs for $350—sound too good to be true? It is. Chances are you can find a similar deal on the Internet that seems legitimate, one that’s even backed with a photo of the clubs themselves. But the industry’s top manufacturers are warning potential buyers not to be fooled by fakes. They can hurt your game without saving you money. Last month, the Chinese owners of two online businesses were convicted in a Shanghai court of selling more than 8,000 fake clubs, balls, bags and apparel worth nearly half a million dollars. In September, four raids on other counterfeit operations in China led to the seizure of more than 80,000 fake golf products. The problem is growing. Last year there was a 33 percent jump in the production of counterfeit golf clubs, and a 37 percent increase in 2009, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It can be difficult to spot a fake, say manufacturers. Logos look real and the clubs seem to have the proper feel. But that’s where the similarities end. Get the fake clubs on the course, and the shaft may break off or shatter, or the head can fly off in mid-swing. At best, you lose distance. At worst, you sacrifice safety. “These clubs are not just knockoffs,” says Jason Rocker, spokesman for the Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeit Working Group. “They’re fakes.” Rocker warns golfers to think twice about buying golf-related items from websites that ship from China; about 90 percent of counterfeit golf equipment and accessories are made there. Most of the counterfeiters sell their bogus wares online. The only way to ensure you’re getting the real thing is to buy from an authorized retailer or the manufacturer itself, says Rocker. To combat the growing problem and educate the public, TaylorMade-adidas Golf and Ashworth, Ping, Callaway-Odyssey, Cleveland Golf and the Acushnet Co. (whose brands include Titleist, FootJoy and Scotty Cameron), formed the Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeit Working Group. Founded in 2004 to protect the integrity of their brands and the game of golf, the group works with Chinese and U.S. law enforcement to identify counterfeiters and to educate the public on the proliferation of imitation golf products. It estimates there are about two million fake clubs released on the market worldwide every year. “Counterfeit golf is a multimillion-dollar business,” says Rocker, who says there are no figures available that put a dollar amount on the financial loss to manufacturers. “The problem is significant, and that’s why the group is taking significant steps to fight it.” For more information about counterfeit golf products, visit www.keepgolfreal.com. |
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Wouldn't it be nice to bring the manufacturing back to the good ol USA ? Problem solved.
| Comment at 11/10/2011 |
