Counterfeit Golf Clubs

[Hammer 4]

Saw on the GC that Jimmy Roberts did a piece on counterfeit clubs and how they are sold, usually on the interwebs. Most of these clubs, if not all are made in China, and according to the folks at Titleist, and other makers, it cost them mucho bucks. Some of the manufacture reps said that the counterfeits clubs look so good that they often have to cut the drivers, ect open to verify that they are in fact not originals. If you guys/gals get a chance to see the show, it's pretty interesting, unless you happen to have bought a counterfeit club.

Which brings me to my question...have any of you ever bought a counterfeit club..?

[thehook840]

I got one by accident one time.   A couple of years ago I found a Cobra Driver (the white one) a special edition limited number production.  Everyone said this was the hottest driver out there (remember several years ago)  I found one on line in Japan, which should have flipped up red flags all over the place.  Anyway I got it for a fair price and it looked just like the ones in the pro shop I sometimes go to.  Anyway, it turned out to be some Japan knock off or counterfeit.  I will say that because of it being a fake or something but I never hit a driver so straight or far as I did that one.  At various times I let at least 20 guys hit with it and they all were shocked how much farther their drives went and how straight they hit it.  I'm guessing the materials were somehow not to spec or something,  I even had my wife hit it one time when she was playing with my regular foursome and she out drove one of the guys and she hit from the white tees that day.  I kept the driver cause I didn't know how to return it to Japan, but I never used it in a tourn.  It broke the second season I used it and was thrown out with the trash, I let a couple of instructors look at it but they couldn't figure out why it was so long and straight.  Just saying sometimes counterfeit is kind of good, if you don't mind playing outside the box and pulling one over on your buddies.

[Dave40]

I saw the show on the GC.  Since I like to purchase used clubs, it makes me hesitant to do so unless it is from Cally preowned or TM preowned.

[flopster]

I watched the Jimmy Roberts show about counterfeits and I think the most obvious thing we have to be aware of is if it sounds too good to be true then it isn't, I would never buy a club off the web that was significantly cheaper than a retailer it is just asking to get burned. Also the manufactures have a list of certified distributors that you can be comfortable purchasing from.

[Grndslmhttr3]

I wonder if Golfsmith will continue to have a pre-owned section since a lot of these fakes are so good that it's incredibly difficult to distinguish them from the real ones.

[Valleygolfer]

I watched it also. It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I have all but given up on buying clubs anywhere except reputable retailers. I bought my driver from a pro, my wedges from a retail store and my irons from another pro. No sense in taking any chances anymore with online sales.

[Hammer 4]

I saw the show on the GC.  Since I like to purchase used clubs, it makes me hesitant to do so unless it is from Cally preowned or TM preowned.

There are a few online/e-bay sites like 3ballsgolf, 2ndswing that only sell the real thing. Oh, and Global Golf too.. All in the USA. I would never buy from outside this country online.

[Alohaed]

TGW is another reliable U.S. site. I've been buying from them for well over 10 years, probably 14.

[John333]

I work in a pro shop and our head pro does all the club work...I had somebody bring a Ping PW in for a regrip, and he ended up showing be about 6 tiny things that were wrong with it that told him it was counterfeit. Interesting, and it's amazing how close they can get to the real thing. At least I know how to spot counterfeit Ping irons now, though.