Kirkland (Costco) Golf Balls

[ColdNoMore]

Costco Tight-Lipped About Its Mysterious Golf Balls (https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/costco-tight-lipped-wildly-popular-133927878.html)

Costco Tight-Lipped About Its Mysterious Golf Balls

Next time you run to Costco for paper towels, baby formula or coffee pods, you might consider dropping another item in your cart: golf balls. That is, if you can find them.

As reported by Forbes this week, Costco's Kirkland Signature golf balls have become a hot commodity at the wholesale club. The first run of the four-piece, urethane-covered balls, which retail for about $30 for a 24 pack (or about $15 per dozen), already have sold out, though the store says more balls should be available by Dec. 20. Yep, just in time for Christmas.

What's the appeal? The affordability, for one, but the balls also appear to perform, with some golfers comparing them to premium priced Tour models (most of which typically retail in the $40-$48/dozen range).

"I am a 7 handicap," a reviewer named Dmun wrote on the Costco site, "and find the distance, control and short game feel are exceptional." Said Tim W: "I've played 2 rounds with these, and they are far better than any other ball I've played. Long distance off the tee and lots of spin with short irons and wedges." Added MrGolf55: "Only problem I see is people are selling these balls on Craig's list and ebay for twice the price."

Costco has been reluctant to discuss the balls and why they can't keep them in stock. When reached by GOLF.com Wednesday, a Costco media relations representative said the company "cannot comment on the Kirkland Signature golf ball at this time." There is a note on the Costco site from company president and CEO Craig Jelinek that reads, "All Kirkland Signature products must be equal to or better than the national brands and must offer a savings to our members."

With that mission in mind perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that the "K-Sig," as some devotees call the ball, would perform well in comparison to big-name brands. But at a price that's about a third of some competitive models, you have to wonder how Costco has done it.

At least part of the answer could lie in another case study: Snell Golf. Like Costco, Snell is a successful newcomer to the ball market that offers a Tour quality multilayer model at a value price (six dozen of Snell's well received My Tour Ball balls cost $157.99, which equates to about $26/dozen). The Massachusetts-based ball maker is able to cut prices relative to national brands by selling direct to customers online and not spending on advertising, marketing or Tour player contracts. Obviously Costco is also cutting costs by buying and selling in bulk, and not supporting the product with any advertising.

But where did the design come from and how does a big box store without any material engineers or resident ball engineers create a Tour model that actually performs? They buy it -- in this case from a ball manufacturer in South Korea called Nassau Golf Co LTD. Though we haven't been able to reach anyone at Nassau, the Costco site (which states clearly that product details come directly from the manufacturer) describes the four-piece construction as consisting of a large, soft core, speed boosting outer core, super fast mantle, and soft urethane cover. The design as described aligns perfectly with what could be considered a generic Tour ball construction that, if properly manufactured, should perform well.

Of course there's only one sure-fire way to know if the K-Sig is right for your game: Wait until they're back on the shelves and go pick up a box for yourself.


Hmmmmm....... :D

[bagboy]

I wonder if they are USGA conforming? For 99% of golfers, neither a golf ball or any golf club is going to make any difference in scoring. Golfers, like bowlers try to buy a better game in a local pro shop, but it just doesn't work.

[Mikeod]

They are on the approved list of the USGA. Some testing has been done by players and labs. The consensus is that the ball is right up there with the ProV and other top urethane cover balls. I bought a pack when they first came out and they work well for me. I agree with those who are saying the Ksig is a threat to the mid level balls, since cost conscious golfers now have a tour quality ball that costs less than the mid level ones.

[fred53]

Yeah, yeah, yeah....these sort of claims have been around for 50+ years. Haven't seen a professional yet who willingly gave up a Titleist top notch ball for another brand unless paid to do so. As for most folks...no offense, but 90 percent of you wouldn't be able to detect the difference in a mid level and tour ball.

[retiredguy123]

In my opinion, golf equipment is one of the biggest scams around. If you want to play better, you just need to practice, practice, practice.

[Jim 9922]

Those new Kirkland balls must be more accurate than all others. We have yet to find a stray one in our yard!:thumbup:

[ColdNoMore]

Those new Kirkland balls must be more accurate than all others. We have yet to find a stray one in our yard!:thumbup:

OK, now that was funny. :D

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I wonder if they are USGA conforming? For 99% of golfers, neither a golf ball or any golf club is going to make any difference in scoring. Golfers, like bowlers try to buy a better game in a local pro shop, but it just doesn't work.

Actually, I play with some medium high handicap players. They asked me why my ball stops and theirs doesn't. I asked what kind of ball they play and they all play low spin distance balls. One of them tried a higher spinning ball and his ball stopped much sooner than the distance ball that he normally played.

People should realized that they're only going to get a few more yards by playing a distance ball. And the shorter you hit it, the less the difference is going to be between a low spinning ball and a high spinning ball. But, if you are a reasonably decent chipper you'll probably shoot lower scores with the higher spinning ball.

I went through the same thing with my son who plays in the mid eighties. When he was down here he told me that he plays the cheapest balls he can find because he can't tell the difference. Once I had him hit a few short shots with one of my balls, he figured out why the balls he was playing were not good for his game. I gave him a couple dozen good balls for Christmas.

it may only affect two or three shots per round, but a decent ball will help you shoot lower scores than a $500 driver that helps you to hit it ten yards further.

[fred53]

Actually, I play with some medium high handicap players. They asked me why my ball stops and theirs doesn't. I asked what kind of ball they play and they all play low spin distance balls. One of them tried a higher spinning ball and his ball stopped much sooner than the distance ball that he normally played.

People should realized that they're only going to get a few more yards by playing a distance ball. And the shorter you hit it, the less the difference is going to be between a low spinning ball and a high spinning ball. But, if you are a reasonably decent chipper you'll probably shoot lower scores with the higher spinning ball.

I went through the same thing with my son who plays in the mid eighties. When he was down here he told me that he plays the cheapest balls he can find because he can't tell the difference. Once I had him hit a few short shots with one of my balls, he figured out why the balls he was playing were not good for his game. I gave him a couple dozen good balls for Christmas.

it may only affect two or three shots per round, but a decent ball will help you shoot lower scores than a $500 driver that helps you to hit it ten yards further.

will not lower your score unless you know how to utilize it's benefits. Most golfers will not benefit from them. Most can't spin a ball intentionally. Most can't figure out how to chip properly. Most can't read a green to save their lives. They do it for fun and that's the way it should be. If I give them ten different balls to hit they'll hit it ten different ways.

If they want to score lower then they need to practice properly and know why their swing does or does not do when they hit it right....or wrong.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Yeah, yeah, yeah....these sort of claims have been around for 50+ years. Haven't seen a professional yet who willingly gave up a Titleist top notch ball for another brand unless paid to do so. As for most folks...no offense, but 90 percent of you wouldn't be able to detect the difference in a mid level and tour ball.

Tiger Woods has decided to play the Bridgestone ball next season and as far as we know, he has no contract with any company.

Several players that have contracts with companies like Callaway and Taylor Made are still playing the Titleist ball, but many are not. Do you honestly think that Phil Mickelson would play the Callaway ball if he thought that he got better performance out of the Titleist?

[kcrazorbackfan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah....these sort of claims have been around for 50+ years. Haven't seen a professional yet who willingly gave up a Titleist top notch ball for another brand unless paid to do so. As for most folks...no offense, but 90 percent of you wouldn't be able to detect the difference in a mid level and tour ball.

I can't wait to see how Bubba does playing pink or white or lime green golf balls from Volvik. :22yikes:

[retiredguy123]

Again, golf equipment is a scam. Tour pros are paid to use and endorse a particular golf ball. When Tiger Woods was winning, he used a Nike ball and people bought what they thought was the same ball. But, it turned out that the ball Tiger played was custom made and not available for sale. Eventually, Nike had to admit that they had defrauded the public. But, in fact, pros will play with and endorse just about any equipment, if they can make money on the endorsement. I recently saw a television commercial where Tom Watson endorses a golf ball and says, "this is the ball that changed the ball". Really? What a bunch of hogwash!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Again, golf equipment is a scam. Tour pros are paid to use and endorse a particular golf ball. When Tiger Woods was winning, he used a Nike ball and people bought what they thought was the same ball. But, it turned out that the ball Tiger played was custom made and not available for sale. Eventually, Nike had to admit that they had defrauded the public. But, in fact, pros will play with and endorse just about any equipment, if they can make money on the endorsement. I recently saw a television commercial where Tom Watson endorses a golf ball and says, "this is the ball that changed the ball". Really? What a bunch of hogwash!

Again, Tiger has the decided to play the Bridgestone ball this year and as far as I know he has no contract with them.

The most important thing about a ball is that it fits your game. The most important part of the game that the ball can effect is short shots.

If you want to play with a marble don't expect to be able to get it to stop when you hit a good pitch shot.

[telder]

I have a couple dozen of these, great golf balls for the Price.

[retiredguy123]

Again, Tiger has the decided to play the Bridgestone ball this year and as far as I know he has no contract with them.

The most important thing about a ball is that it fits your game. The most important part of the game that the ball can effect is short shots.

If you want to play with a marble don't expect to be able to get it to stop when you hit a good pitch shot.
Well, I just Googled Tiger Woods and Bridgestone, and there is a detailed article about his new endorsement contract with Bridgestone.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Well, I just Googled Tiger Woods and Bridgestone, and there is a detailed article about his new endorsement contract with Bridgestone.

OK, I didn't know that. When I first noticed that he was playing the ball I could find nothing about an endorsement deal. He was evidently playing the ball to see if it was to his liking.

I do know that when he went from Titleist to Nike his Nike contract allowed him to play any products that he liked until Nike came up with one that satisfied him. He continued to play Titleist clubs and ball for quite a while. Eventually, they came up with an iron that he liked. Then he switched drivers and eventually the wedges and ball. He had a Titleist three wood in his bag for a long time into his Nike contract.

I know that Nike made hundreds of different prototype balls for him to test until they found something that satisfied him.

Most tour players are not going to change anything unless they are sure it's going to be better or at least equal to what they're playing.

In fact, when Taylor Made wanted their player to play a Taylor Made ball, the hired Dean Snell, the man who invented the Pro V1, away from Titleist. The new Taylor Made tour ball was basically the same as the Pro V1 with improvements. I met Dean Snell and he told me that the Taylor Made ball was what the Pro V1 would have become if he had stayed with Titleist.

So it's not like a company is going throw a lot of money at a guy and he's going to play with something that he doesn't think will benefit his game.

Making a golf ball is tricky business. Most people are surprised to find out that every ball has thousands of patents. Titleist owns many of these patents and leases or sells them to other ball companies. If you develop a ball chances are that you have infringed upon a patent.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I can't wait to see how Bubba does playing pink or white or lime green golf balls from Volvik. :22yikes:

I'm surprised to see how many of the LPGA Players are playing that ball. Volvik is evidently on to something. I think a few PGA Tour players have gone over to it as well.

I would suspect that Bubba is going to play a pink ball.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Well, I just Googled Tiger Woods and Bridgestone, and there is a detailed article about his new endorsement contract with Bridgestone.

Here's an article regarding Tiger and his contract with Bridgestone.
As you can see in the quote below taken from that article, he tried out several different brands and settle on Bridgestone before signing a deal with them.
It's never just about the money when it comes to equipment for top tour players.

Tiger Woods Signs Multi-Year Contract to Play Bridgestone Golf Balls | Golf.com (http://www.golf.com/equipment/tiger-woods-signs-multi-year-contract-play-bridgestone-golf-balls)

Shortly after the Nike announcement, Woods's agent, Mark Steinberg, asked Bridgestone to send Woods a shipment of Tour B330 and Tour 330-S balls. (Woods's management team also requested balls from other brands.) Woods conducted trials in relative seclusion -- representatives from the manufacturers were not on-site to capture data such as ball speed, spin or launch angle.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Again, golf equipment is a scam. Tour pros are paid to use and endorse a particular golf ball. When Tiger Woods was winning, he used a Nike ball and people bought what they thought was the same ball. But, it turned out that the ball Tiger played was custom made and not available for sale. Eventually, Nike had to admit that they had defrauded the public. But, in fact, pros will play with and endorse just about any equipment, if they can make money on the endorsement. I recently saw a television commercial where Tom Watson endorses a golf ball and says, "this is the ball that changed the ball". Really? What a bunch of hogwash!

While it's true that Nike created a different ball for Tiger, this is the only example that I could find of a company making a product for a tour player that is not available to the general public. Every other company states that you can buy the exact equipment that the tour pros are playing.

No other company has been sued over this.

I wonder if this kind of decision is part of what cause Nike Golf to go under. It is very expensive to make a small quantity of a different ball for a tour player. Why they just didn't put the same ball out to the public is a mystery. It makes no sense from a business standpoint.

But the fact that this was found out and they were sued should tell everyone that no one else is doing it. If they did, these same watchdog groups would be suing them as well.

You can read statements from Titleist and Callaway here:
Nike admits that Tiger uses different ball in play | Online Athens (http://onlineathens.com/stories/082400/spo_0824000061.shtml#.WHTU77YrIvk)

[ColdNoMore]

It's never just about the money when it comes to equipment for top tour players.


That statement is absolutely false. :oops:

There have been quite a few top players, who after a modicum of success, were lured to different equipment/ball makers... because of lucrative endorsement deals.

Here's but a short list, of the most high profile ones who did it...and had their games suffer as a result.

Ranking the 5 Worst Equipment Changes by a PGA Tour Player | Bleacher Report (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2221591-ranking-the-5-worst-equipment-changes-by-a-pga-tour-player)

Often, a player makes a change for a lucrative contract like Rory McIlroy did in 2013.

Going to a new set of clubs looked like a really bad idea as he struggled for most of the year.

[retiredguy123]

This may be somewhat off topic, but I have noticed that many golfers putt with a cross handed grip. This was never done in the old days. I wonder if there is any objective evidence that this grip has improved the overall statistics in putting? If so, why?

[ColdNoMore]

This may be somewhat off topic, but I have noticed that many golfers putt with a cross handed grip. This was never done in the old days. I wonder if there is any objective evidence that this grip has improved the overall statistics in putting? If so, why?

I'm not sure there would ever be a way to scientifically quantify that, but on an anecdotal and personal level...it certainly helped me.

I went cross-handed (left hand low) over 20 years ago and found that it kept me from breaking my wrists and helped to develop more of a pendulum stroke.

After I switched, I read an article where the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) Nicklaus said that the only thing he would have changed...was to have started out putting cross-handed.

Left Hand Low Putting: What You MUST Know | RotarySwing.com (https://rotaryswing.com/golf-instruction/putting/left-hand-low-putting)

Jack Nicklaus said if he could go back and change one thing about his golf game, he’d start off with left hand low putting.


That's a pretty good endorsement IMHO. :thumbup:

[dmatkin]

I have done business with Costco since the early 90's. Believe any product that has the Kirkland Signature name on it IS equal to or better than the top branded products. I personally have developed a Kirkland Signature product with and for Costco. The research and product development including inspection of the manufacturing plant is unparalleled. The reason the price/value is so great is that Costco negotiates a fair price but limits the their profit margin to no more than 14%----period. Hopefully they will get the KS golf balls back soon.

[Mleeja]

I'm surprised to see how many of the LPGA Players are playing that ball. Volvik is evidently on to something. I think a few PGA Tour players have gone over to it as well.

I would suspect that Bubba is going to play a pink ball.

I purchased a few Volvik balls from Golfsmith during their going out of business sale. I didn't see much difference from NXTs or the E series balls, other than thier funky finish. They are now in the pond on #4 at Mangrove. I'll just stick with the Bridgestone E6 or E7 ballls.

[fred53]

This may be somewhat off topic, but I have noticed that many golfers putt with a cross handed grip. This was never done in the old days. I wonder if there is any objective evidence that this grip has improved the overall statistics in putting? If so, why?

for right handed players has been around for decades....yup the old days too. What it helps prevent is the left wrist from bowing on the follow through.

What it proves is that even the professionals will try anything to keep the putter on the line they've chosen. If it works then it works....after all putting is MAGIC!

[ricthemic]

Costco Kirkland Signature Golf Balls on sale Costco on line again today

[l2ridehd]

Except you can't add any to your cart. Must be sold out already.

[LouisB]

I've never tried the Kirkland are they really that legit?

[Barefoot]

As for most folks...no offense, but 90 percent of you wouldn't be able to detect the difference in a mid level and tour ball.***

[justjim]

This may be somewhat off topic, but I have noticed that many golfers putt with a cross handed grip. This was never done in the old days. I wonder if there is any objective evidence that this grip has improved the overall statistics in putting? If so, why?

A quick remark on the "left hand low" form of putting. Dave Pelz, a former NASA engineer, and his associates have done research on this and has determined "left hand low" is (according to Pelz and their research) a "better" putting method than the old standard used for years by professional golfers. In short, you can google this for additional research and information. Dave Pelz is considered a short game guru (lacking another word) in the professional golfing world. Sorry off the Costco golf ball subject. I usually get 2 or 3 dozen ProV1 Titleist at Christmas so maybe I will ask for some of these Kirkland golf balls for my birthday.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

This may be somewhat off topic, but I have noticed that many golfers putt with a cross handed grip. This was never done in the old days. I wonder if there is any objective evidence that this grip has improved the overall statistics in putting? If so, why?

Golfers tend to be a pretty conservative as a breed. Fo ra long time there were certain things that were just not done. Many players of years gone by would have looked upon an alternative putting style as a sign of weakness. It just wasn't done.

Ben Hogan once said that if he had been willing to separate his hands on the putter grip he could have played ten more years. But it just wouldn't look right and that kind of thing just was not done back then.
'
I think it was the long putter and the belly putter that finally got players to begin to open up and explore different options. Then a few guys began experimenting with the claw, saw, pencil, Gator grip. Today's players are much more open to exploring knew ways to shoot lower scores.