Counterfeits, Beware! Titleist, Scotty Cameron etc...

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By Chris92009

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  • 28 Replies
  1. Steve N

    Steve N
    Sarasota, FL

    Thanks Chris!

    This is huge problem. As a Team Titleist member, I feel we have a responsibility to be on the lookout and report any knock off clubs we see. Being educated is critical.
  2. Bomber3

    Bomber3
    Lake St Louis, MO

    Military
    Great subject that more people need to be aware of. Just because it has a brand name and looks the same, doesn't mean that it is.
  3. aholtmeyer

    aholtmeyer
    Dallas

    I used to be the type to look for the cheapest clubs just because I didn't take the game too seriously and never thought of counterfeit clubs being a thing. In the last couple years, I have started taking my game more seriously and that has led me to Titleist. I also never buy clubs now unless it's directly from an authorized retailer listed on this site.
  4. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    I ALWAYS purchase thru a Titleist dealer after being fitted. All my clubs have been shipped directly from Titleist. Never been burned. Never purchased anything off eBay. Lack of trust. Thanks Pal, great info, and by the way, be seeing you soon.
  5. Brian D

    Brian D
    Norton, MA

    Chuck Z said:

    I ALWAYS purchase thru a Titleist dealer after being fitted. All my clubs have been shipped directly from Titleist. Never been burned. Never purchased anything off eBay. Lack of trust. Thanks Pal, great info, and by the way, be seeing you soon.

    Chuck, You are SPOT on. The best way is to keep your purchasing through trusted authorized Titleist dealer. Even better if you have the benefit of a custom fitting, ensuring you bring the tools that are best for your game to the course.

    Trusting a product not only to be original, but trusting your equipment to perform as expected is what Titleist brings to their loyal community.

    I hope for anyone who reads this thread takes advantage of all the issues an expert such as Chris has seen.

    All the best to all, and enjoy your summer season..For those of you who live in the New England area, that may make a bit more sense....we have not seen Spring this year....
  6. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    Here is an example of a Scotty Cameron Headcover...
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  7. David M

    David M
    Lexington, SC

    Thanks for the reminder. There is a whole industry around fake Scotty's and head covers. I also refer to the Cameron Collector for pics/tips on potentially fake items. There are some thorough threads there on how to spot, etc.
  8. Devon M

    Devon M

    Great post! I have just recently started to switch my clubs over to Titleist, and I think it is super important to get them from a legit dealer. Titleist has a big name, and is more likely to have fakes than some other companies. This is why I will only buy from my pro shop, or an authorized dealer.
  9. Scott D

    Scott D
    Lethbridge,

    Great topic! A friend of mine bought a set of counterfeit clubs, ( another brand ). Well this great deal he got on these clubs came back to bite him. We were playing on a hot muggy day after the first three holes my friend my friend looks at his hands and sees that the hands are black as black can be, the grips started to melt. My friend is mad and complains to the rep from the company and learns that the clubs were counterfeit and lost the money from this great deal. My friend learned a valuable and costly lesson and now only buys his clubs from the Proshop.
  10. Doug E

    Doug E
    Urbana, MD

    How about giving us some thoughts on how to spot a counterfeit Titleist club, be it a driver, fairway, iron or putter.

    I once questioned a club many years ago and was told to smell the grip. If it was really rubbery smelling it was likely a fake. It turned out to be just that. But, that was a long time ago. Is this still something to check? What else? What about serial numbers? Wrong fonts? What are the tell-tale signs on Titleist fakes being seen these days?
  11. Joe D

    Joe D
    Minooka, IL

    Great read Chris.
    Thanks for the information.

    The counterfeiting of golf clubs has been going on for along time,and they keep upping there game.
    But with proper education on the subject,we can stop it.
    Buy your clubs from approved authorized dealer's .
    I never bought clubs from ebay,or online ,need to hit them and be fitted.
  12. Mike C

    Mike C
    Dallas, TX

    Great comments and information Chris. Based on some of the items I see out for sale, I believe there is a lot more counterfeit products floating around out there than people would believe. Always stick with an authorized Titleist dealer and you won't be burned.
  13. Speedy

    Speedy
    East Coast, NH

    Great post! Thanks for sharing Chris
  14. Cath D.

    Cath D.
    Carlsbad, CA

    Hi Chris, Great post! We get calls all the time from players that purchase on online sites or other selling venues and the one thing that seems to surprise them the most is that counterfeiters will copy legitimate serial numbers onto fake clubs so you ultimately must trust the seller. If it is a Scotty Cameron putter and the seller says its brand new and he will sell it to you for $100 because he is quitting golf, or wants to get rid of it, you may not be getting a deal. If you do feel that you purchased a "counterfeit", report it at; www.titleist.com/.../report-counterfeit-product
    Love to hear other thoughts.....
  15. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    Cathi, Titleist Club Concierge said:

    Hi Chris, Great post! We get calls all the time from players that purchase on online sites or other selling venues and the one thing that seems to surprise them the most is that counterfeiters will copy legitimate serial numbers onto fake clubs so you ultimately must trust the seller. If it is a Scotty Cameron putter and the seller says its brand new and he will sell it to you for $100 because he is quitting golf, or wants to get rid of it, you may not be getting a deal. If you do feel that you purchased a "counterfeit", report it at; www.titleist.com/.../report-counterfeit-product
    Love to hear other thoughts.....

    Great point! We all have heard the saying.... "If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is!"
  16. Kevin B

    Kevin B
    Rancho Mirage CA

    Don't do it. All of us Team Titleist members can be the ambassadors leading the way and help close this down. I just went to Ebay and was SHOCKED at how many Scotty's are up for sale! All refurbished or "NEW.

    Cathi and Chris's make great points. And how do you know...once you click purchase they have your money and you REALLY DON'T KNOW DO YOU!

    I'd be sick handing out ANY money to a Fraudster.

    Save the money...do it right and get it from your authorized Titleist dealer, retailer and fitter.

    THEN YOU KNOW!
  17. Dino J

    Dino J
    Burnaby, BC

    Cathi, Titleist Club Concierge said:

    Hi Chris, Great post! We get calls all the time from players that purchase on online sites or other selling venues and the one thing that seems to surprise them the most is that counterfeiters will copy legitimate serial numbers onto fake clubs so you ultimately must trust the seller. If it is a Scotty Cameron putter and the seller says its brand new and he will sell it to you for $100 because he is quitting golf, or wants to get rid of it, you may not be getting a deal. If you do feel that you purchased a "counterfeit", report it at; www.titleist.com/.../report-counterfeit-product
    Love to hear other thoughts.....

    Hi Cathi ... thanks for the info. A question that comes to mind for me is that I live in a very "Pacific oriented" city ... meaning a very culturally diverse community with residents coming from all over the world, with a heavy concentration from Asia.

    As a result, we often see players selling clubs at the local range or trading them in to some retailers, that are deemed to be clubs that were manufactured for a foreign market but would otherwise be unavailable to us. Can we use the link above to inquire about a product's authenticity?
  18. Kevin B

    Kevin B
    Rancho Mirage CA

    Wonderful. I'm about to purchase a BRAND NEW Scotty and am going to get fitted and will order from my Titleist fitter Jim Pooler.

    With the number on sale on Ebay I can only imagine the frauds that are taking place. I will have a certificate as well from Scotty Cameron...not that I'll ever sell it. I have a thing about not selling my putters as I care for them and all look brand new.

    Great post and Thank you for the web sites!
  19. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    Here is a sample of a Scotty Cameron...really close but still fake!
    Post Image
  20. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    Can you tell if this is real or fake?

    Note: I see according to the sole ENGRAVINGS ! That it is not 350 G yet instead 3506. Clearly a fake...but tough to spot, beware.

    BTW, this was on Ebay at one point with lots of bids!
    Post Image
    Post Image
    Post Image
  21. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    If you have any pointers on how to catch fake Titleist Equipment please share...
  22. Dino J

    Dino J
    Burnaby, BC

    Chris92009 said:

    If you have any pointers on how to catch fake Titleist Equipment please share...

    Hey Chris ... some of the things that I see are players coming to course or range with equipment like a set of Miz Irons that are specifically Japanese market only, or some Titleist clubs that are supposed to be Japan market only too.

    I know that a few years back, the T-MB's were rolled out in to the Japanese/Asian market first ... then were eventually released elsewhere. So, that would have raised a red flag when you don't see a product that you are familiar with but is branded Titleist.

    I see so many Scotty Cameron putters in bags here and for sale at the occasional golf "flea market" too ... kind of makes one wonder about the potential for counterfeit clubs. As for me, I treat situations like this as "caveat emptor" -- Buyer beware. That is why I have ordered all of my equipment through my fitter.

  23. Chris Hatem

    Chris Hatem
    Boston

    Chris92009 said:

    If you have any pointers on how to catch fake Titleist Equipment please share...

    Maybe someone from Titleist could confirm but it was my impression that the final assembly of all Titleist clubs happens in Carlsbad, CA. In the case that a component of a club was manufactured overseas, then it would be shipped (head only) to the USA where it would be assembled. From this you can infer that if the club is assembled (grip, shaft, head) and it is being shipped from overseas - then it was not assembled at a Titleist facility (i.e. fake). The only caveat I could see here is that it is possible my comment would only apply to Titleist US model clubs. Bottom line: buy from authorized Titleist accounts.
  24. Cath D.

    Cath D.
    Carlsbad, CA

    Chris92009

    If you have any pointers on how to catch fake Titleist Equipment please share...

    Hi Chris, For clubs sold in the US, yes, the OEM component, such as Mitsubishi shafts, could be built at their plants all over the world, then they are brought to Carlsbad for Q & A and the club is built in Carlsbad.

    For putters, Scotty controls that process from beginning to end and they are built here.
  25. harry h

    harry h
    Lasvegas, NV

    I too being a titleist loyalist only buy from titleist cerf. Dealers I see sometimes on local Craig's list (vegas) titleist clubs mostly Scotty putters way too cheap to be the real thing never contact any I only go where titleist is sold by dealers .
  26. Dr O

    Dr O

    Great info. I'm a firm believer in "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." If you want quality equipment buy from quality people, i.e. Your local pro or Titleist retailer
  27. Chris P

    Chris P
    Katy, TX

    Great Post Chris! I see posts on E-bay quite often of some very bad fakes along with a few that are close but just not quite right. I always make sure to buy from an authorized dealer as many of us do.
  28. Dr. Kovatchian

    Dr. Kovatchian
    Carlsbad

    Do your Research!!! Even buying used products from Large Golf Retailers can be testy...Always do the look and feel test...If it does not feel right walk away.
    I have seen some really good fakes out there...be informed about your purchases.

    Shake the Fakes!
    Dr. Kovatchian

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