The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

18 economist sunsuntribune recreation saturday march 6 2004 if you or your children have trouble breathing zabet would like you to consult your doctor or call the asthma society of canada at asihma 18007873880 to find our more about asthma and its treatments mil breathe a little easier this message brought to you as a community service of the economistsuntribune knockoff golf clubs made to fit unionvijje renovations with over 20 years residential experience additions basements bathrooms kitchens cabinetry decks cabanas hot tubs 4167793325 call for a free consultation specializing in basement renovations more reasons to read 1 markham economist sun stouffville tribune e invite our ioyai readers t enjoy a reissaimci sausagebacon extra by mike hayakawa staff writer the irons and woods can have a strong resemblance to golf clubs with more prestigious names like ping ben hogan and callaway they can be custom fitted to match the physical specifications of the individual who swings them on the links just as important they are priced in a range that most would consider affordable known in golfing circles as knockoffs these custommade imitations are considered a viable option for those who set foot on the fairways theres a lot of people who have knockoff clubs and theyre well known said dave turner a user of knockoffs for the past 10 years introduced to the game 15 years ago the brother andre catholic high school physical education head was like a lot of other golfers who started out with a set of traditional manu factured clubs but mr turner felt uncomfort able using them the biggest problem he said was that they didnt conform to his 6footl inch stature to remedy the situa tion he searched for a set that best suited his height hearing from friends about custommade imitations he found a supplier and had a set made 10 years ago that resem bled pings three years ago he had another set made up similar totitlelists the clubs are built to my height and the grips are based on my hands the clubs feel com fortable to me mr turner said and they felt easier to hit theyre more forgiving he added his first set of knockoffs cost about onethird less than the manufactured model those who construct knock- offs confirm their prices are lower a set of taylormades go for around 1200 and i can sell cus tombuilt imitations for around 600 said don druery a 56- yearold queensville resident who builds clubs under the trade name drutech the heads are staff photobill roberts don druery shows off one of his drutech knockoff drivers at his york region home business the same shape and design but the clubs are sold under a differ ent name beginning his business in 1999 after taking an intensive seven- day cpgaapproved club manu facturing course in calgary mr druery said the demand for knockoffs is strong business tends to gather momentum once golfing season begins and continues into september theres another surge of business in october and nov ember and up until christmas advertising by word of mouth mr druerys clientele ts com prised of men women and even young teens customers come from as far away as kitchener orillia and belleville and include those who shoot in the 120 to 130s to those with tiny handicaps sporting a 15 handicap him self mr turner thinks knockoffs are more suitable for the average golfer or beginner mr druery doesnt sell clubs right off a rack for starters he will spend about 90 minutes analyzing an individuals requirements working out of a modified garage mr druery has a digital analyser valued at around 4000 scales that measures shafts and grips a machine that measures swing weight a loft and lie machine valued at around 900 and a putting adjuster that costs around 1200 thats in addition to the basic necessities such as a cut ting machine vice and glue while there are some advan tages to using knockoffs risks must also be considered espe cially quality control you have to trust the person who puts the components together mr turner said youve got your shaft head fer rule and grip the person putting these things together has to know what theyre doing for that reason the manufac turers of brandname clubs cast a jaundiced eye toward those who produce knockoffs its an ongoing problem said keith campbell a spokesperson for concord- based topflight canada to contact mr druery call 905-478- 4863 or email drutechquimetnet for more information on clubmaking visit wwwgolfsmithcom valid only at 7220 kennedy rd markham please present this coupon before ordering limited 1 coupon per customer per visit no cash value play festival comes to unionville one of the largest student drama fes tivals in the world is making a stop in unionville pierre elliott trudeau high school is hosting part of the 58th annual sears ontario drama festival over the course of two nights tuesday and wednesday the school will see the performances from five schools in the festivals toronto district pierre elliott trudeau students per form the calendar effect wednesday finalists from the district festivals move on to the regional showcase which reduces the competitors to 15 for the ontario showcase in ottawa admission to all pierre elliott trudeau shows can be had with a 6 pass curtain time is 7 pm the school is at 90 bur oak avenue off kennedy road north of 16th avenue for more information and to pur chase tickets call 9058872216 ext 524 vicky tarn