Equipment

Golf club counterfeiting: Its scope and dangers

Published

11 years ago

Feb 27, 2015

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.

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

11 Comments

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???

Reply Report comment
devilsadvocate

Feb 28, 2015 at 9:52 pm

Honestly it appears this article was concocted and distributed for publication by this “group” jmho

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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.

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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

Reply Report comment
Joe

Feb 27, 2015 at 7:27 pm

This seems awfully similar to a Jimmy Roberts story from last year….

Reply Report comment
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

Reply Report comment
- Al
  
  Mar 1, 2015 at 9:49 am
  
  Unless they’re reselling them at a tidy profit on Craigslist.
  
  Reply Report comment
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??

Reply Report comment
- Brian
  
  Feb 27, 2015 at 2:51 pm
  
  Cleveland/Srixon is one company
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jay
    
    Feb 27, 2015 at 4:43 pm
    
    Ahh – separated by a comma – not a semicolon – pesky punctuation
    
    Reply Report comment
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.

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Equipment

Putters that never made it: Check out some of the best tour builds that didn’t make the cut

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

Alistair Cameron

Arguably, the best perk of being a professional golfer on the PGA Tour is the ability to request or even just be handed pretty much any club you could think of. It happens more often than you think, usually with putters around the practice green from one event to the next. Come Wednesday, the Tour bags lining the edge of the putting surface become resting places for fallen flatsticks that never made the cut.

So let’s take a look at some of the best we’ve seen out on Tour this year that never made it to the competition. (You may notice none of Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Scotty Cameron putters made this list. There are too many.)

Let’s start with this custom Damascus Milled Odyssey Rossie made for Ryo Hisatsune. Featuring a single line and the short-slant hossel, we’ve seen plenty of Number 7 and jailbird heads featuring the Damascus Milled insert, but this is the first and only one we’ve spotted in a Rossie. Hisatsune primarily putts with an Odyssey Black Series iX #9, but we have seen him recently with a TaylorMade TP Collection SOTO, so there could be potential that the Damascus Milled Rossie could end up in the bag.

Everyone wants to be Cameron Young right now. We’ve had Justin Thomas and Tom Hoge both game the Scotty Cameron 9.5R prototype. Well, for the PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka nearly joined that list after requesting the same style of putter, with the full-length alignment line. But the Scotty Cameron reps took the request a step further and made one specially for Koepka with a Teryllium insert, similar to one in his previous Newport 2 gamers. The reason why this one didn’t go into play, though? Because it was too heavy.

Harry Hall was the third-best putter on Tour last year, so when Bettinardi made him a custom proto, you know it was going to be good. The custom BB28 blade features VDF face milling, a custom-welded single-bend shaft, and the owner’s initials – HH – on the sole of the putter. Hall, who usually games an Odyssey O-Works #7 W, has dabbled with a TaylorMade Spider Tour X already this year. Maybe there’s a chance this Bettinardi might make his bag.

Honestly, this one doesn’t need a description. It’s Kieth Mitchell’s custom Scotty Cameron Napa. One Scotty Cameron face stamp, two Scotty Dogs, two Scotty Cameron 7-Point Crowns and one Circle T. That is all. Oh, except for the Cashmere Cameron headcover.

Finally, and just for fun, how about we pour one out for this TaylorMade Spider Tour X made for Scottie Scheffler in its new torched finish. It’s unlikely we’ll see a putter change anytime soon from the best golfer in the world. In fact, he hit just two putts with it on the Harbour Town practice before going back to his trusty gamer.

Whats in the Bag

Patrick Reed WITB 2026 (May)

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2 weeks ago

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GolfWRX Staff

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Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat 1.5 Tour Prototype

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

See more photos of Patrick Reed’s clubs here.

Equipment

Which of Tiger’s major winning irons are your favorite? – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

In our forums, our members have been discussing their favorite major winning irons used by Tiger Woods. WRXer ‘golferdude54’ kicks off the thread saying:

“Mizuno MP 14/29. Titleist 681T. Nike Forged Blades. TaylorMade P7TW.

Among these irons that helped Tiger win 15 majors, which is your favorite in terms of looks?”

And our members have been naming their favorites and why in response.

Here are a couple of posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

SwingBlade: “I prefer the early blades he played and the more recent TM TW’s especially because after Tiger had his major behavioral setbacks, part of Nikes support payback was making Tiger play a Nike putter and cease using his beloved uniquely customized Scotty putter.”
ProjectX: “This (Nike Forged Blades) and there’s not even a close second.”

Entire Thread: “Which of Tiger’s major winning irons are your favorite? – GolfWRXers discuss”