You can find some of the best prices on golf clubs on the Internet. The sheer size of cyberspace - billions and billions of pages are out there - makes for stiff competition for onlineretailers. To compensate and to put out their brick-and-mortar competition, online retailers then have to sell their wares at rock bottom prices. For you, that could mean steals and deals on golf clubs, golf bags, balls, clothing, and everything else you need to complete your game.

On the other hand, the Internet is a notorious hang out for crooks and criminals looking to filch some of your money. You've probably experience bogus e-mail called spam just by sending your friends and loved ones e-mail. Sure, spam is annoying, but there are far more dangerous things lurking on the Web. We're not just talking about viruses and worms either.

There are scam artists who set up fake auction ads or entire sites with the sole purpose of milking you of your hard-earned cash. Once you send it in to them, you can kiss it good bye. You'll be waiting at your mailbox until you're old and gray and you still won't receive your package. That's where the old adage "too good to be true" comes into play if you see the best prices on golf clubs.

Still, there are too many legitimate sellers out there on the Web to pass up on because of a few rotten apples. Instead, follow safe Internet buying practices to prevent yourself from getting scammed.

First and foremost, never provide any personal information to someone over e-mail. Only provide it on a Web site if the site is secure. You can tell a site is secure by checking the Web address for a "https" instead of a "http." The extra "s" stands for secure. Also, some sites will appear with a little key symbol in the browser to let you know it's safe.

Also, check out any retailer on the Web before you purchase from them. See if they have a phone number and a real address. You can even go so far as to research on a comparison site like MySimon.com or on the Better Business Bureau's site. This may seem like a little bit of effort, but in the long run, you'll be paid back by the best prices on golf clubs.