Have you ever stumbled across a deal that you thought was too good to be true? How many times does that good deal turn out to be a really bad deal because what you thought you were buying wasn’t actually that product at all? Over the past few years, I have seen my fair share of “good deals” and 9 times out of 10, the products that were being sold were actually fake knock-offs of the real product.
This problem has become even more apparent recently in the golf industry. We have seen our fair share of “knock-off” products brought in by our customers, who bought it off eBay or some other no-name online store, now looking to us to replace or help fix a defect. We have seen everything from fake drivers, to knock-off putters, to duplicated shoes and the latest imitation is now golf balls. So buyer beware, every good deal is not what you think it is.
Recently, a customer brought into our store a dozen Titleist Pro-V1 golf balls. He had bought them at a “discount big box store” that will remain nameless. Let’s call it “red”. Have you ever walked into a big box store and see a product that made you wonder, “How did that product end up here?”? That same thought has crossed my mind a number of times with many different products, including golf merchandise. Our customer reasonably thought this too when he saw Titleist Pro-V1 golf balls on the shelf at “red”. The idea of that product being there was so weird to him that he decided to buy the golf balls and bring them in to show us. As soon as he pulled them out of the bag, we knew something was up. There was no way that this was an actual dozen of Titleist Pro-V1 golf balls, and here are a few tell tale reasons why:
1. The Packaging
Fake Box
Real Box
The first big glaring issue is the color of the packaging. The fake Pro-V1 box has a much lighter color of orange than the real one does .
Fake Hologram
Real Hologram
Secondly, take a close look at the hologram on the box. While they tried to get it, it really isn’t that close.
Fake Address
Real Address
The third point difference would be the address printed on the box. You can see the address on the fake has the same PO Box number and city information, but “Made In U.S.A.” is not correct. All Titleist Pro-V1 golf balls state that they are “Made At Titleist Ball Plant #, USA”.
Real-left, Fake-right
The other thing to note, though not a truly significant difference, is the size and feel of the box. You can see from above that the “real” dozen box is actually slightly taller than the “fake” one. Also, the lid of the “fake” seemed to stick a little when you tried to take it off the box. Anyone who is familiar with the Pro-V1 box will notice this immediately. The “real” dozen box has a top that just glides right off with very minimal effort.
2. The Ball Itself
There are a number of differences between the balls themselves. While they may look the same, there are some major differences.
Fake-left, Real-right
First thing is that the “fake” Pro-V1 has a brighter, pure white color, while this is a subtle difference, it is noticeable.
Fake-left, Real-right
Secondly, the dimples on the “real” Pro-V1 are much larger then they were on the “fake”.
Third, the actual feel of the ball is different. While they weighed the same when put on a scale, there is definitely a structural mass difference. You could feel it when you held it. The “real” Titleist Pro-V1 is a 4-layer golf ball. The “fake” one we had here almost felt as if it were hallow. There was a huge difference in the way these two balls felt.
Seam
Forth, and probably the most telling sign, was this seam that was visually present on the ball. While not every ball in the “fake” dozen had this seam, the majority of them did and it was pretty obvious to see.
Fifth, different engraving. The “real” Titleist Pro-V1 golf balls have a very tiny a and z engraved in the side of the covers. The “fake” ball had this detail as well, however it was not consistent with the engravings normally found on the true Pro-V1. On some of the “fake” golf balls, you couldn’t even find the engraving.
In conclusion, we know there are a lot of fake, imitation products floating around in the market place. Over the years, we’ve seen fake clubs too, some extremely obvious, like our Pro-V1 example here. But unfortunately, others are not so obvious. If you have any doubt that the product that you are shopping for may not be authentic, our advice would be not to buy it. Also, if a product shows up in a store that you normally wouldn’t see it in, such as a big box discount store, you should definitely be cautious. And if you do buy it, keep two things in mind; either be aware of the store’s return policy if you want to receive a full refund or exchange, or be prepared when it doesn’t perform the way you thought it would. The best way that you can guarantee yourself to get quality, authentic product is straight from a manufacturer who is only to buy its products from authorized dealers. Every manufacturer will have a network of people authorized to sell their products, so search them out. Or just check discountgolfworld.com as we are an authorized dealer for every product that we sell.
Posted in Buyers Guide, Equipment, Golf Balls, Product Review
