March 15, 2005 – It started in earnest in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s when golf club prices flirted with the $300 watermark. Today, with many fairway woods and drivers falling in the $400-$500 price range and iron sets costing as much as $2,000, golf club theft and the blackmarkets it has spawned have spiraled out of control.

Local law enforcement reports and police-beat blotters from Naples, Florida to Waukesha County, Wisconsin contain records of bags and clubs being smashed-and-grabbed from cars, pilfered from open or unlocked garages and swiped from bag-drop areas and golf carts at public, resort and private, restricted-access courses. Law enforcement officials in New Orleans recently announced the bust of a statewide crime ring in which thousands of golf clubs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were stolen from country clubs and sold on eBay

Traveling golfers also beware: Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) data points to the proliferation of golf club and bag theft at America’s airports, not only by airport-based thieves, but by TSA employees, as well. According to data recently released by TSA, over 28,000 claims were filed against it between 2002-2004 from 207 airports across the U.S. The stolen property totaled over $36 million in losses.

The Numbers: The majority of golfers are victims

Shockingly, recent surveys show that seven of 10 golfers either have had their clubs stolen or know of someone who has experienced club theft. Moreover, the Insurance Institute of America estimates that more than $120 million in claims are made against stolen golf equipment annually. This is a conservative estimate given that many golfers don’t report stolen clubs and bags for fear of their premiums being increased.

According to several insurance adjustors, they usually receive about two or three reports of stolen golf equipment a week over the course of a year. With the onset of golf season each year, this number can rise as high as two or three a day. The disturbing trend has even made its way into the ranks of professional golf, where dozens of PGA and LPGA Tour players have been victims of club and bag theft -- at various Tour events, no less.

The Solution: Burton Golf’s Club-Lok

Fully integrated with Burton’s functional and fashionable Sherpa bag, Club-Lok is simple to use and has been proven to be a highly effective solution to club and bag theft in a number of golf-rich markets. An easy-to-operate, lever-based locking system requires only seconds to simultaneously lock all 14 clubs. A rugged, retractable steel cable allows the bag to be secured to bag-drop racks, golf carts and automobile trunks and hatches. A convenient, keyless combination lock on the bag’s upper-front side anchors the entire system.

For more information about Club-Lok, call 800.633.4630, visit www.clublok.com or www.burtongolf.com , or email info@burtongolf.com.