PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Chinese law enforcement officials seized a record amount of counterfeit golf clubs, components and accessories during a series of raids in Shanghai and Shenzhen at the end of December, said officials with the U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group. The group is comprised of many of golf's top equipment makers, including the Acushnet Co., Callaway Golf, Cleveland Golf, Nike Golf, Ping Golf and TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

In the raids, which targeted both factory and retail outlets, officials seized thousands of counterfeit golf products, including clubs, bags, balls, gloves and clothing.

In Shanghai, a joint enforcement action involving officials from the Department for Administration of Industry and Commerce (AIC) and police officers from the Public Security Bureau (PSB) raided two retailers of counterfeit golf clubs and equipment. The raid netted hundreds of counterfeit golf clubs including well known brands including Callaway, Cleveland, Nike, Odyssey, Ping, TaylorMade and Titleist.

In Shenzhen, petitioning by the U.S. Golf Industry Group to the local Shenzhen government led to a two-day operation involving raids against an assembly factory of counterfeit golf clubs and retailers of counterfeit golf equipment located in Shenzhen's infamous Lowu shopping mall -- a notorious center for counterfeit products.

The raids organized by the Shenzhen Government Anti-Counterfeiting office of the Chinese government consisted of enforcement officers drawn from the PSB, AIC and Technical Standard Bureau. This was the first time that a joint task force was used in the Shenzhen operation against counterfeit golf products. More than 1,000 counterfeit golf clubs and accessories, valued at more than $500,000, were seized.