There is no better time than now to take a look at the latest balls from Kirkland Signature. I mean the ones that you find stacked high at Costco.
The one that makes you wonder whether they are real or not. You will probably ask, Can a golf ball costing less than a latte be any good? Well, that is possible.
If you have played the Titleist Pro golf balls, chances are that someone has tried to tell you that Kirkland golf balls have a similar taste.
This might work for you if you are a casual golfer looking to save money on your golf gear. But don’t assume that Kirkland golf balls are much different from premium balls.
In this guide, we will take a look at Kirkland golf balls, including pitting them against balls from well-established brands.
But first, let’s have a brief overview of their advantages and disadvantages.
Are Kirkland Golf Balls Any Good? (Spoiler Alert: Not Much Different than Premium Balls)
The short answer is heck yes. Kirkland golf balls are really good to play with. Some people compare them to golf balls from leading brands.
But we will have to test each aspect and summarize below to be able to come up with a conclusive verdict.
For the prices, it is hard to beat Kirkland golf balls. Sure, they may not be the best golf balls on the market, but they offer great value for money.
We say so because there isn’t a significant difference with premium balls in many aspects, yet the latter costs two or three times more.
Kirkland balls spin well around the greens, but they came short off the tee versus market-leading premium balls.
Reasons to Buy
- Decent all-round performance for a fair price point.
- Firm feel and good durability
- Great value for money.
- Holds greens well on approach shots.
- Offers excellent short game spin
Reasons to Avoid
- Still spin-ups for faster swingers
- Significant distance loss when compared to premium balls
Let’s now break down a bit further to understand how these balls perform on each aspect, shall we?
Feel and Response
Feel is one of the most essential features of a golf ball. Unfortunately, it is something that most brands often sacrifice when they are moving from a premium ball to a value ball.
So, we weren’t expecting Kirkland golf balls to shine on this aspect. The feel on these balls is about seven out of ten, which is fairly good.
It feels firmer than we had anticipated, even though it is constructed with a urethane cover.
According to Kirkland, their golf balls feature a soft urethane cover, which is usually soft. We didn’t mind the firmness, though.
The only place that the feel of Kirkland balls bothered us was 100 yards and in. Aside from that, Kirkland balls are fine.
After all, they don’t feel too hard to hit and love their alignment aid when putting.
Versatility
In terms of versatility, we rated Kirkland golf balls highly. A score of eight out of ten is reasonable for these balls.
We believe that spin should be a friend to the majority of golfers. And Kirklands offers that guarantee. They can generate spin easily.
Performance: Distance, Spin, and Control
Typically, Kirkland golf balls are designed to perform.
But we can take the word for it. We have to put them to a real test to understand how they fare in terms of distance, spin, and control.
- Distance: Off the tee, Kirkland balls are long. They might not be comparable to the high-end models yet, but they will definitely hold their own against some mid-priced options. So when you consider this, you will easily blame yourself for spending a fortune on golf balls. What is the point of spending too much when you can get this kind of performance at a fraction of what you would normally spend?
- Spin: Most golfers desire a low spin from the tee and high spin around greens, which is hard to replicate in real life. But data shows that Kirkland’s golf balls generate a lot of backspin on full iron and wedge shots. Around the greens, these balls offer plenty of spin. This is good news to golfers who try to hit delicate chip shots or wedge shots but usually end up sending the ball far away. The good thing is that with the right club and focus, you can get those Kirkland golf balls to dance the greens. It is equal to having a magic wand that makes your ball obey every command you give.
- Control: Kirkland golf balls also performed well in terms of control. They allow you to shape your shot in the right direction and hit those tricky approach shots with military precision. We managed to hit a few impressive draws and fades with the balls, and we loved the experience. It is like having a GPS system for your balls, guiding them exactly where you want to go.
Durability
Generally, Kirkland golf balls have good durability. In fact, longevity is where the Kirkland golf balls stood out.
When you buy them at Costco, you normally get two dozen balls at once. And the good news is that each ball can easily make it through a couple of rounds, even when you have a faster swing speed.
We also noticed during our test that we missed the center of the club face a bit, and we weren’t worried.
In fact, the ball flew the same on the 18th hole just as it did on the first. And surprisingly, we were able to keep it in play for several rounds.
Price and Value
Now, let’s focus on Kirkland’s main selling point: the price. We have emphasized how affordable Kirkland golf balls are throughout the article.
These balls are really low-priced, especially when you consider what you are getting from them. In most cases, you are getting two boxes of three-piece balls for a reasonable price.
To put it into perspective, Costco sells two dozen Kirkland golf balls for around $30. So, we can say one ball costs about $1.50.
So, you can buy a whole bucket of these balls for the price of one premium ball like the Titleist Pro V1.
As you can see, Kirkland has a clever strategy. Its main strength is in pricing and partly how it designs its products.
Strategy-wise, Titleist wants to be the leader in the industry, while Kirkland wants to take advantage of the loopholes that a potential leader may fail to address.
It wants to be the backup for golfers who are tired of paying top dollar for premium golf balls.
Most people are still wondering how Kirkland managed to keep the prices low despite designing similar balls as the rest.
One thing that is worth noting is that urethane golf balls are always higher priced, but Kirkland has managed to keep the price down.
And just like anything you get at Costco, the more you buy, the more discounts you get.
Kirklands Golf Ball Options
Kirkland tries to produce a unique ball for each type of golfer. So, you may be asking, which is the best one for you?
Well, let’s break down the different Kirkland golf ball options and the ideal match for each:
- Kirkland Signature: This is one of the most famous Kirkland golf balls, probably due to the fact that it is the original Kirkland golf ball. Most people love it because it is suitable for all skill levels. So, it is sort of an all-rounder option.
- Kirkland Performance+: This ball is an upgrade of the original version, featuring a urethane cover and more spin around the greens. It is an ideal option for golfers with mid- to low handicaps who want superb performance without the premium price tag.
- Kirkland Signature Tour Performance: Low handicap golfers will find value in this golf ball. This four-piece ball is designed to offer performance to pro players. It offers exceptional distance, spin, and control to these golfers at a reasonable price.
- Kirkland Signature Ladies’s Soft Feel: As mentioned earlier, Kirkland golf balls tend to be firmer than most premium golf balls. So, this golf ball is soft or exceptional because it has a softer compression and a higher launch angle. It is one of the best golf balls for women golfers who want something that is easier to hit and provides distance at the same time.
Kirkland Golf Ball Verdict
From a big-picture perspective, Kirkland golf balls are excellent in terms of distance.
Spin on full wedge shots is also high, while spin around the greens is average. This is where we notice the big difference with premium balls.
Besides this, the feel of Kirkland balls is a bit firm, which might not be ideal for some golfers. But the good thing here is that the balls are durable.
Our overall impression is that Kirkland golf balls perform fairly and didn’t impair our game or hurt our score.
But there are a few shortcomings that might prevent you from choosing them. But the good thing is that they are quite cheap to test them out.
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