Are custom built clone golf clubs any good?

Custom built clone golf club , you say? Ok, I know you are very curious about this subject as I was for a long time. You see so many people out there playing clones (copies of major name brand clubs) instead of the "real McCoy" clubs. You already know that a custom built clone golf club is cheaper right? Why else would anyone forsake the big name. Well, some of these clones are more than just cheaper, they are sometimes a fraction of the big name clubs. The big question then is: will the extra $ spent on the major name clubs be worth it to my game? I'm sorry to say that there is no simple answer because there are so many different golf clone makers out there that  what it all boils down to is:
WHO IS MAKING THE STICKS, the actual custom built clone golf club.

I have read numerous articles in the big golf magazines that basically do their darndest to steer you away from clones. They give all kinds of horror stories of inferior products breaking and underperforming. Why do they do this? Are they lying about custom built clone golf club ?
You must understand that the big name manufacturers pay big dollars to advertise in these magazines. They are the bread and butter of everything they do. Without the big name manufacturer support, the magazines die a quick death. So, you must have an independent opinion that you can trust on any given maker of golf club clones. I'm sorry to say that there is no better method to determining whether or not to buy clones. If you go to the clone-maker, he of course will say his clubs are every bit as good as the big name brand.

I do not have all the answers for you on this page, however, I do have a very good personal experience in playing clone golf clubs that I purchased in person at a manufacturing facility and so am prepared to recommend them. I used to be the Fedex delivery person in Portland Oregon for a company called Pinemeadow custom built clone golf club builder for a couple years. I had a delivery or pickup from those folks most every day and over time developed a friendly relationship with them that included behind-the-scenes (they didn't know) tours of their facility (delivery people get to go just about anywhere inside companies). I ended up buying and using their clubs for years as I was developing my game. These club clones performed well above my expectations and are still in play to this day as hand-me-downs.
I have since played many good clubs and am now absolutely convinced that for the money, their clones were the top value for my skill level in my golf game.

Although I wouldn't say that the advanced player should consider Pinemeadow clubs I am prepared to fully recommend this company for the beginning to intermediate golfer who has a limited budget for purchasing new clubs. The difference in playability from big name clubs is insignificant with a good maker. The beginning golfer should save his $ for more rounds or lessons instead of brand name clubs.

Also, if given a choice, the beginner should most definitely choose a new set of golf clubs with the newest technologies and have them fitted for their body and game vs. buying older clubs, in my opinion. Pinemeadow has this capability even if buying over the net.I have copied an article below from their website that gives you more info on their clones. Check out their website as it is loaded with other articles on buying golf clubs. Look for the tab that says "golf club 101".
 

custom built clone golf club vs BRANDS

In the SUV market we have the Ford Explorer, Jeep Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner, GMC Envoy, Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Aviator, Buick Rainier, Lexus GX, and on and on. Each of these companies takes from each other and "clones" or "knocks-off" each others' design concepts. They all do this legally, ethically and with great vigor for their style of a custom built clone golf club . It is a game of leap frog.

While we sometimes find it hard to distinguish one SUV from another, we know they are not exact copies of each other and that these companies are not trying to confuse the consumer into thinking so. But we also know the SUV makers copy the same features, performance characteristics, and customer benefits from each other in a marketplace of continuing innovation. Well, so do we, but we do it in golf.

The most popular name brand companies in golf today are Callaway, Ping, Titliest, TaylorMade and Cobra, with several others typically coming in and out of favor. These companies (and us) are just like the auto makers — leap frogging each other with innovative new product concepts, materials and fashion statements. When talking generically about golf clubs, most consumers describe products in terms of general product families, just like when auto consumers say that Honda looks has a "Mercedes look", or that Mercedes "looks like a Land Rover". Well, it is the same thing in golf.

A custom built clone golf club is similar to the concept of a PC Clone (at least that is how we think of it). In the mid-1980's PC Clones were introduced into the personal computer market. Some of them, like Compaq, eventually became Brand Names. But the goal of Clones, in golf, computers and cars is to provide all of the performance features of a big name brand with a better value to the consumer.

A custom built clone golf club is not to be confused with the branded products they may seek to flatter, but they are made from essentially the same materials and design principles, use many of the same shaft and grip suppliers, and perform similar to (or often better than) the name brands.

The important point is we buy our heads, shafts, and grips from the same small community of golf manufacturing suppliers. We provide performance but offer you a BETTER VALUE. To prove it, see what our other customers say about us.

IS A custom built clone golf club ILLEGAL?

Illegal knockoffs and counterfeits have been a significant problem in the golf industry. The Name Brands talk about illegal clubs ripping them off, but counterfeiters also rip us off and you too, the consumer. No one should buy products from an illegal counterfeiter. An illegal knockoff and/or counterfeit is a product that violates the legal trade dress rights, trademarks, patents or copyrights of another company. Historical examples of trade dress violators were the makers of the "king snake" which was an illegal knockoff of Cobra's King Cobra, the Tommy Mann Bummer, the Big Burser — you see the point.

An illegal knockoff rips off the violated company because it confuses the consumer and in some cases seeks to fool the consumer into thinking their product is actually the Name Brand Company's product. It rips us off because we play by the rules and lose business to shady operators who fool consumers into thinking they are buying a legitimate product. It rips you off if you buy their products because you have then violated the law and are holding illegal goods. That could very well negatively affect your game — and, we at Pinemeadow Golf do not want that to happen.

Pinemeadow golf is very careful to not violate the valid rights of other companies. However, we do examine carefully the claims of companies and work hard to get into your hands the best products at the best price for your custom built clone golf club .

Pinemeadow Golf