The Thrifty Golfer

 Discount Golf Club Clones

Okay, so the question has been nagging at you ever since you first contemplated breaking down and buying your own set of clubs: do I continue to practice the smart discount-seeking habits that have made me a Fortune 500 company mover and shaker or do I investigate golf club clones?
A site that appears trustworthy and informative, DiamondTour.com, offers a “golf club clone FAQ” page that promises straight answers. In a reassuring, seductive tone, the FAQ pages tells you that golf club clones look the same, feel the same, and will do the same wonderful things for your stroke that pro line clubs will do. The testimonials page takes up an entire screen with golfers from California to Wisconsin swearing their strokes picked up 10-15 yards once they acclimated to their clones.

Many may miss the two questionable claims buried on this FAQ page: the hint that clones can be custom built with the implication that pro lines cannot, and the assertion that clones are so much cheaper because pro line companies “have large ad campaigns, high-cost sponsorships, and excessive marketing budgets; clone companies do not need to inflate club prices to cover those expenditures.”

Hopefully, the serious golfer will investigate further. If only clones can be customized, i.e., fit for your particular height, weight and wrist-to-floor measurement, then why the plethora of sites such as www.prolinecustomgolf.com which has custom fitting forms on their home page allowing you to enter your measurements and order in a matter of moments? Sonny’s Custom Clubs (www.sccgolfinc.com) offers a fully developed and attractive site with an intriguing company history, clearly specified staff (the national sales manager’s name and contact info is easily discernible), and a wealth of choices.

The cost argument is debatable as well. DiamondTour offers a variety of clone golf sets—a complete set of clubs with bag—in the $129.99 to $299.95 price range. However, www.golfsmith.comoffers a “hi-caliber 20 piece complete golf package” for $299.99, and a set of clubs with steel shafts for $199.99 and $319.99 respectively. Pro Line Custom Golf Clubs prominently displays a “sale items” icon on its homepage, and The World of Golf at www.theworldofgolf.com offers a Tiger Shark Hammerhead set for $299.95.

Why, then, rush toward clones when making such an important purchase? The best suggestion: go to www.humangolf.com and read “Clone Golf Clubs: Are They Good Enough? A Real World Answer” by HumanGolf publisher, Eldon Sarte (also read the comments). Mr. Sarte deserves to have the last word, given his expertise, but it does not take a genius to see that while the graphite set you dream of may be temporarily out of reach, clones do not have to be the only option.