This week I finally swung a golf club again. Back when we moved out from Omaha, we were a bit short on room on the truck -- so the golf clubs stayed behind. I've played once since we left for China in August 2006. No driving range, no putting green. Cold turkey. So, we went to the driving range because the weather was nice, and also to try out the golf clubs Courtney bought in China.
We stopped in Shenzhen last spring at this gigantic mall where you could buy every kind of pirated goods under the sun -- North Face, soccer jerseys and -- what we were after -- golf clubs. Understand, Courtney is scary at bargaining, so the starting price for a set of Calloway X-20 irons and woods was somewhere around $500. By the time we were done, we walked out with a new set of clubs for a little less than $100. When we made the purchase, and I'm not making this up -- a ceiling tile in the ceiling moved to the side and a guy handed the set down to the dude helping us. A few years ago, I'd read stories about how workers in golf club factories in China will steal the molds and produce cheap knock offs themselves. I was expecting a broken club or two when we hit the range this week, but they held up remarkably well, even if they're probably made with a hybrid of recycled aluminum cans, copper wiring and old newspapers. 
Courtney was smoking the driver and we left with no damaged clubs. All-in-all a good day.
[ Psst...Wanna buy some golf clubs? -- Sports Illustrated ]
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2 comments:
I have the exact same bootleg clubs. And while I don't have a spectacular bargaining story (mine arrived in a semi load of similar products as a gift from a generous importer/exporter), I can vouch for their overall quality. Haven't broken one in more than a year of play. I've never been able make consistent shots with the driver (it sounds a little tinny), but my swing leaves me in no position to complain about build quality.
Courtney needs to teach me her bargaining skills.
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