With golf’s reputation rising amid rising costs, the demand for cut-price tools is hovering and it appears fraudulent producers have recognized this as the right alternative to upscale the manufacturing of counterfeit golf golf equipment. There are an estimated two million counterfeit golf equipment in circulation and the concept of securing a ‘discount’ among the many finest used golf drivers or finest used golf irons by way of websites reminiscent of Ebay and Fb is leaving many golfers shortchanged upon discovering out they’ve bought pretend tools. This under no circumstances a brand new downside among the many finest price range golf golf equipment, nevertheless recognizing fakes has change into more and more harder with higher supplies, paints and a spotlight to element being employed to create counterfeit golf golf equipment that look even nearer to the true deal.
To assist golfers spot a pretend from the real article, we spoke to Andrew Masterson from the U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group in addition to Luke Peterken from pre-owned retailer Replay Golf (opens in new tab) to find out the six fundamental issues golfers needs to be searching for when buying golf gear on-line.
Counterfeit Ping grip and driver shaft
(Picture credit score: Future)
1. Efficiency
The obvious technique to establish a counterfeit golf membership will likely be within the efficiency of the product. Main producers spend tens of millions of {dollars} yearly on the design and know-how of the very best golf drivers and different golf equipment to have it carry out to very excessive requirements – one thing a counterfeit group cannot compete with. There’s all the time a distinction within the base degree supplies used to make the product. Counterfeit shafts could be a security hazard, as a consequence of not being secure and robust sufficient to assist some golf swings, they’ve been recognized to splinter and snap within the palms of golfers. The dearth of hollowing on numerous iron heads are some key clues to counterfeit golf equipment poor design and ensuing efficiency and the swing weights will usually be a great distance out from producers’ requirements.
Actual iron head on the left vs counterfeit iron head on the proper
(Picture credit score: Maintain Golf Actual)
2. Aesthetics
Regardless of counterfeit organisations getting higher at replicating a few of the golf equipment we love, they’re very not often equivalent. Just a few indicators to look out for could be the colour of the paint synonymous with that mannequin of membership. The font of the emblem and different markings on the membership are sometimes a giveaway. Manufacturers will usually create their very own particular font that gained’t be obtainable to the likes of these producing the fakes and so that is normally very apparent in a aspect by aspect comparability. The shaft bands and detailing are sometimes miss-aligned and are normally in a barely completely different shade of colour that’s used on the true membership. The picture beneath highlights these variations with the true product on the left and counterfeit membership on the proper.
Comparability of actual Ping G15 Driver (left) and counterfeit driver (proper)
(Picture credit score: Future)
3. Value
Because the saying goes: ‘if it appears too good to be true, it most likely is’. With the worth of golf golf equipment on the rise alongside the price of dwelling, it might probably usually be tempting to scout the web for the very best price range golf drivers. It’s all the time necessary to achieve an understanding of the retail worth by way of the producer’s web site and if they don’t show that info, look on the location of a licensed retailer or seek the advice of your native PGA Skilled. In case you are taking a look at tools on-line and it’s considerably cheaper than the RRP with acknowledged retailers, there’s a robust likelihood it’s counterfeit.
4. Product Itemizing
Counterfeit organisations will usually use blurry or out of focus photographs of merchandise, making it arduous to select key element on the fakes. There are nonetheless instances of fraudulent web sites utilizing inventory photographs of the product taken from approved sellers, then persevering with to ship pretend merchandise which once more highlights the purpose to solely buy from acknowledged sellers. It’s actually higher to spend a bit of additional for the security and safety of buying the official product.
5. Delivery Info / IP Tackle
Regardless of parts of golf golf equipment being made in China, all producers will assemble and ship their merchandise principally from the U.S. In case your golf equipment are shipped from a Chinese language handle they are going to nearly actually be counterfeit golf equipment. One other key issue to establish fraudulent web sites is the IP handle. Maintain a watch out for extra letters or numbers on the finish of the corporate identify within the net handle, as counterfeit organizations will usually attempt to make theirs as much like the producer’s as attainable.
6. The One to Look Out For
Scotty Cameron putters are sometimes seen because the benchmark for the very best putters within the golf trade and the product they produce is extremely wanted, which results in massive numbers of fakes available on the market. Scotty Cameron produces a Circle T vary, that are putters produced for tour gamers solely, nevertheless massive numbers of them find yourself in circulation on-line and are sometimes bought for upwards of $5,000 which subsequently attracts counterfeit teams to attempt to copy these putters to maximise income. Nevertheless regardless of these pretend Scotty Cameron putters trying aesthetically much like the true product, the superb milling, really feel and efficiency of cast stainless-steel can’t be replicated on a budget.Â
Counterfeit Scotty Cameron Putters
(Picture credit score: Maintain Golf Actual)
What’s Being Achieved About Counterfeit Golf equipment?
The U.S. Golf Producers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group (The Golf Group) is a direct results of main tools producers recognizing there’s a downside and dealing collectively to resolve it. Fashioned in 2004, the group is made up of six of the most important golf producers on the earth: Acushnet Firm (Titleist, FootJoy, Vokey Design and Scotty Cameron), Callaway-Odyssey, Srixon, Cleveland Golf and XXIO; Ping, PXG and TaylorMade.Â
“The group works each nationally and internationally with regulation enforcement and authorities companies to conduct investigations and raid actions to grab counterfeit merchandise,” Masterson informed us.Â
“We’re happy to report that now we have continued to extend our enforcement capabilities over the previous few years. The Group carried out six legal raids in 2023. Moreover, prior to now 12 months alone, we had been capable of take down over 1000 web sites promoting pretend golf tools, including to our complete of almost 3 million counterfeit golf merchandise seized over the previous 9 years.”
Luke Peterken from Replay Golf can testify to how arduous it may be recognizing counterfeit product. “We now have had a handful of counterfeit golf equipment try and be traded into our retailer, with many purchasers unaware they had been even in possession of faux golf equipment.”Â
He remembers one occasion the place a pretend putter was so life like he needed to examine the serial code with the producer, throughout which it confirmed his preliminary suspicion that the membership was not real – one other easy technique to examine in case you are uncertain about any product you might have your eye on, though not all manufactures can confirm product by way of this course of.Â
“Counterfeit items is one thing we take significantly and we’re proud to say now we have by no means taken in, or bought a counterfeit membership since we opened the shop. Our workforce of PGA Professionals are properly educated in searching for reproduction tools having been across the recreation for a very long time and have had in depth coaching on fashions relationship again over the previous 15 years,” Peterken added.
