So the MGS ball lab has tested the Kirkland Performance + ball and the results are…not great. I’m no ball snob, but generally speaking I’ve always found something felt a little off about these balls when I hit the lost ones I find, so the quality issues make sense to me.
That brings me to the question of why Costco has their Kirkland golf stuff flying off the shelves so fast? I’ll admit the gloves seem decent for the price, but now this year with the putter and upcoming wedge set I just don’t get it. The putter especially isn’t a cheap putter and the wedges don’t seem like they’ll be either.
What do you think? Any Kirkland golf fanatics out there who can share what I’m missing?
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That’s a story that has really come full circle since they were the ones who set off the craze initially 
The ball testing they are doing is interesting - and this one looks like a big red flag. I’ve learned a decent amount about manufacturing at this point, through my prior career and working with golf companies, and access to a quality facility is crucial. A lot of independent ball companies that have popped up don’t have the influence or volume to work with the top suppliers. As such, quality control suffers. It’s one of the reasons Snell has had so much success, and that their ball testing went well with MGS - Dean Snell knows his way around that industry.
Why is Kirkland so popular? I have no idea. It could be the novelty/humor of a basic brand translating over to golf. I’ve seen things catch fire in the golf industry that make me scratch my head!
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Simple: price and trust. At $12 per dozen, it is hard to believe they are being compared and reviewed in the same category as $48 balks. The Kirkland brand has built up a lot of goodwill among Costco members for producing solid products with great value. The extension into golf seems like a natural.
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Exactly what Kevin said. I am confident that the people buying the new Kirkland ball do it because of cost. Two years ago I wouldn’t have known a difference in ball performance and I am just now starting to grasp it. Since only about 20% of golfers score better than 90, I am assuming the other 80% are the ones who are looking for value, because, lets face it, golf balls are expensive if you’re losing them at $4-$5 a piece. At $2-$3 a piece, this is a price that keeps the average golfer in the game, to include the equipment. And as Kevin said, they stand behind their product, so if you don’t like it they give you your money back, no questions asked.
Side note:
I wonder if you brought an empty box back and said they get lost too easy, if they would give you your money back?!
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Yup that’s exactly it. Other products are good quality since usually just a private label of a big brand and not much different than the real thing.
Golf balls are so proprietary it’s not like they’re just relabelling a ProV as Kirkland and all will be fine. Titleist has no need to do a private label
The Kirkland brand is supposed to be as good as the brand it copies and in some cases I think it is. There are some great Kirkland products at great prices that people swear by. The original 4 piece ball was darn good. The current 3 pc ball is great for the cost, but it doesn’t come close to the 4 piece IMO. For me it’s noticeably shorter hitting off the driver, but it does work well otherwise. I question the putter and wedges that are coming. I’m sure they’re good, but I’m surprised Costco isn’t just sticking with making consumables like balls and gloves.
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From my understanding Kirkland had initial success because their ball was actually pretty good. Their inventory went away for a few years, and they assumed the same success when the balls were back. But they switched manufacturing plants and had quality issues last year. Not sure where the latest batch is made, but looks like they still aren’t as good as the original
The Ball Lab is, IMO, one of the most valuable things MGS has done. The golf ball is maybe the most overlooked piece of equipment golfers use - and it’s maybe the most important.
Identifying which balls and brands are low quality or inconsistent is such great information. The Kirkland ball lab basically proves you get what you pay for at the lower costs. While the Snell lab shows there is true value in looking elsewhere from the ProV1.
It’s 100% must-read for me and invaluable.
Just look at what happened with Callaway. Last year they got ROASTED when MGS looked into the Chrome Soft. Terrible, terrible golf balls in terms of quality and consistency. Callaway comes out and says they’re spending millions to improve their balls. Then this year’s ball lab report on them is still bad. I love it. Companies need to be held accountable for their products.
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I am intrigued by the wedges they’re releasing. They at least LOOK good. Excited to see some in hand reviews of them.
I just wish Costco would realize there are left handed golfers. I can’t try their stuff if they won’t make it for me.
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I have a box sitting in my garage… they were $25 so I picked some up with the large quantities of Diet Coke and toilet paper… I don’t game them regularly but will likely play them this fall as I’m recovering my game, especially with leaves on the ground.
I’m not their target market, but am even considering the wedges… $160 for a decently built wedge is a pretty decent deal… I could also probably just grab Tommy armour wedges though! (Or 2 sub70 built for me). Ok, I’ve talked myself out of the wedges.
The original balls were apparently fantastic… they’ve missed with the newer balls (the cover issues last year was a train wreck) but they obviously see a market opportunity.
Costco has a proven track record of quality house brand products at great prices. Bourbon, granola bars, frozen pizza… It will be interesting to see if they can get to a competitive level quality wise.
Allegedly a four piece ball is coming soon.
$30 for two dozen 4 piece balls is an interesting value proposition… at that price point it might be worth figuring out how to test them for quality… buy 10 dozen and return the half that fail an at home quality test!
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I salt bathed a dozen of the 4 piece Ksigs a while back. Only 4 passed. Its popular because golfers are always looking for the “just good as but cheaper” deal. Its how MGS built their following. Funny didn’t the 3 piece do well in their last ball test?
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The brand gained a lot of clout when people started hearing their golf balls were as good as the Pro V1. Anyone familiar with Kirkland knows they put out great products, but the golf industry is a tough nut to crack. I don’t think a lot of casual golfers out there realize that the new Kirkland balls are different than the original ball that received high marks from MGS.
The original 4 piece ball was a complete fluke as (at least the story I heard) a premium Korean ball manufacturer (Nassau) had a very large (but set) stock of balls to get rid of and Kirkland stepped in. Once that was depleted, the OEMs who use that manufacturer for other balls more or less threatened to make them elsewhere as Kirkland was undercutting them so badly, so no more Nassau 4-piece. Kirkland went to China for their current ball (and also tried to recreate the 4-piece, but the quality was so awful that they all got recalled), but it is nowhere close to the same standard.
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Price, plain and simple. No serious golfer I have ever played with or communicated with would play with the balls or clubs.
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Ive got their balls in my garage… if they work, they work!
If they made xxl gloves, I’d play those too!
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I still don’t get why budget conscious golfers don’t buy used balls. I get my used Srixon Z-stars (a premium ball) for less than $1 CAD per ball, and I guarantee they’ll perform better than most of these super cheap balls.
The gloves are the only thing that get my recommendation, although if I didn’t have a ton of gloves stocked up already, I’d probably go with MG.
I just saw they have a “new and improved” three piece ball out and a new four piece on the way. Still manufactured in China, so I don’t have high hopes, but I’ll be willing to try them (or hopefully find a few in the weeds at my course to try. I get plenty of regular Kirklands that way).