Equipment
With the success of the Kirkland putter, what’s next for Costco and golf?
It was like a raging fire that started with just a single spark—Costco getting into the golf market with a private label Kirkland Signature ball that challenged the conventional consumer mindset about what was possible from a non-traditional golf brand.
Enter the Costco putter
Almost four years later, Costco took it another step further when they introduced their very first private label golf club, the Kirkland Signature putter, the KS1, and once again the golf market and consumers took notice.
Within days of showing up online and at warehouses around the U.S., the KS1 putter was officially sold out and they were being resold online for more than double the price. At GolfWRX we had an exclusive interview with Tim Farmer, Costco vice president, and general merchandise manager, you can read the whole story here: The story behind the Costco KS1 Putter.
This leads us to the question “What could be next for Costco’s private label in the golf market place moving forward?” Like many Kirkland Signature products, Costco saw an opportunity in the marketplace and created a product to meet demand. They’ve already done it with accessories including the Kirkland Signature premium Cabretta leather golf glove, and the recent release of hats.
Is the KS1 putter just be the beginning?
When I spoke with Farmer about the release of the Costco KS1 putter we talked about other potential products without ever going into specifics beyond a potential replacement for the current 3-piece urethane ball.
The only answer, when asked about other clubs beyond the putter was, “We are always working on new products that offer value to our members,” and to this day the answer still has my mind thinking of the many potential options for a club that could offer value to golfers.
If we look at the current golf club marketplace every segment has a clear leader or a couple of companies the take up a major part of the category sales. When thinking about the general consumer and a club that requires the least amount of customizing of at least can be done quickly after the fact, I continually think of wedges—and this could be Costco’s next step. Perhaps a set of three wedges sold in a box with distinct lofts—most likely being 52, 56, and 60 degrees.
Why Costco wedges?
In the current market, brand new wedges from major OEMs sell for over $150 each, and most are bought off the rack with small adjustments like lie changes and grips done after the purchase. This makes a new set of three wedges cost over $450 before tax, and with that in mind, is why you see most consumer golfers, only replace one wedge at a time instead of all three at once—and there you have the sales pitch!
If Costco introduces a set of three wedges under the $250 price point (my assumption would be they probably settle around $225), then you give golfers a huge opportunity to replace a neglected part of their bag with three new clubs for the price of one and a half major OEM products.
Costco and the Kirkland Signature brand have time and time again proven people wrong when they launch new products in spaces where they are newcomers. In golf, it was the ball, and then the putter, and if my hunch is right, you may one day be able to buy yourself some KS wedges.
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- Steve Stricker WITB accurate as of the Zurich Classic. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, C4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 7.2 X
3-wood: Titleist 915F (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist 816 H1 (17 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 9.2 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (3, 4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (46-10F @55), Titleist Vokey SM10 (54-10S @53), Titleist Vokey SM4 (60 @59)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 w/Sensicore
Putter: Odyssey White Hot No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip Rite
Check out more in-hand photos of Steve Stricker’s clubs here.
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- Alex Fitzpatrick what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 TX
Irons: Ping iCrossover (2), Titleist T100 (4-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 9 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-12F, 56-12D, 60-08M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Bettinardi SS16 Dass
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Alex Fitzpatrick’s clubs here.
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In our forums, our members have been discussing Mini-Drivers and accompanying shafts. WRXer ‘JamesFisher1990’ is about to purchase a BRNR Mini and is torn on what shaft weight to use, and our members have been sharing their thoughts and set ups in our forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- PARETO: “New BRNR at 13.5. Took it over to TXG (Club Champ but TXG will always rule) in Calgary for a fit. Took the head down to 12, stuck in a Graphite Design AD at 3 wood length and 60g. Presto- numbers that rivaled my G430Max but with waaaaay tighter dispersion. Win.”
- driveandputtmachine: “Still playing a MIni 300. The head was only 208, so I ordered a heavier weight and play it at 3 wood length. I am playing a Ventus Red 70. I play 70 grams in my fairways. I use it mainly to hit draws off the tee. When I combine me, a driver, and trying to hit a draw it does not work out well most of the time. So the MIni is for that. As an aside, I have not hit the newest BRNR, but the previous model wasn’t great off the deck. The 300 Mini is very good off the deck.”
- JAM01: “Ok, just put the BRNR in the bag along side a QI10 max and a QI10 3 wood. A load of top end redundancy. But, I have several holes at my two home courses where the flight and accuracy of the mini driver helps immensely. Mine is stock Proforce 65 at 13.5, I could see a heavier shaft, but to normal flex, as a nice alternative.”
Entire Thread: “What’s the perfect Mini-Driver/Shaft combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”
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Steve Stricker WITB accurate as of the Zurich Classic. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, C4...
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Alex Fitzpatrick what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
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Alejandro Tosti what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees...
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View this post on Instagram A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx) Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)...
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Bill Barker
Jun 25, 2020 at 11:21 am
Well the balls seem to work well if you don’t mis-hit them and leave a cut which I haven’t seen on a ball in years.
Charlie
Jun 24, 2020 at 4:08 pm
I have been very happy with the Kirkland golf balls. For me, they perform as well as name-brand pro model golf balls that cost 2-3 times as much. At my grip-it-and-rip-it local GC near Austin, TX, I lose very few balls but seems like every month I find lost Kirkland balls more often. Must be more and more golfer are using them.
Delbert
Jun 24, 2020 at 3:21 pm
A bag deal with Justin Rose or John Daly is next. We find those Kirkland balls in the range bucket every day. They are taking over. Run!
boydenit
Jun 24, 2020 at 10:11 am
Go Costco Go! Enough of the overpriced China stuff! Golf Shafts $399, Drivers $500, Bags $250, Putter $299, Golf Balls $52/12 that are off center! Kirkland balls are 24 for $30, Gloves are 4 for $20 and now a Kirkland putter! Golf needs healthy dose of Deflation!
Brian
Jun 24, 2020 at 8:56 am
The Kirkland stuff prior to the putter would suffice, but I have to imagine this will be the start of more clubs. Can’t wait to see what irons or wedges the come out with
Cody Reeder
Jun 23, 2020 at 10:21 am
So who is going to end up more disruptive? PXG with their ultra premium price strategy or Kirkland with the budget strategy??
simms
Jun 23, 2020 at 6:16 pm
PXG is playing the low end game also, where you been.
jgpl001
Jun 23, 2020 at 4:07 am
Why would anyone want to buy this stuff when OEM’s last model and mint second hand clubs are heavily discounted – M5/M6, SM7 wedges, Cobra F9, Callaway Epic, Ping G400, Ping i200, etc.
Would you rather bag a mint M5 with a top notch upgraded shaft for $250 or a Costco driver?
If the answer is the Costco driver than you are on the wrong website…
Ryan Barath
Jun 23, 2020 at 9:06 am
It’s a very valid point, but we have to remember that there are a lot of regular golfers that don’t want or like to buy used equipment, and also want to be able to buy a club/clubs and immediately use them.
Costco has built one of the biggest businesses in the world by delivering exceptional value and building a strong relationship with its members. “If Kirkland is on it, then it must be a great product” is how many shoppers view Costco products and if they do deliver something as I have hypothesized then it will sell and it will be a great value for those golfers looking for new wedges.
jgpl001
Jun 24, 2020 at 9:31 am
And you make a good point also, but the look of a bag and the clubs you play means a lot (snob value is alive and well) and a Kirkland bag with Costco clubs leaves me a little flat. For me the point is if you go into any golf shot there will always be bargains in OEM lines, discontinued models, etc., just pick them up, pay and go out and play
je
Jun 22, 2020 at 1:02 pm
Not sure about it. Many good major brand clubs will be heavily discounted a couple of years later. I even got mint callaway 2019 wedges for $60 from callaway preowned. Last year, it was $160. I know many were curious and bought ks1. But aren’t those good odyssey putters half off years later? And aren’t those odyssey putters better? For wedges, they lost values even quicker as new wedges will give more spin (at least they claim so). Looking at the price of a few year old vokey wedges, the most popular brand in wedges, I’m not sure how many would buy kirkland wedges.
gwelfgulfer
Jun 22, 2020 at 11:53 am
If they want to change opinions, do a 50/54/58 set rather than 52/56/60 given the jacked lots of things, it would better suit gapping. Well, unless you have one of those sets that has 2 ‘wedges’ before you even get to a the 50/52 degree range…
Carolyn
Jun 22, 2020 at 11:15 am
At my Costco they are selling 2 dozen VICE 3 piece urethane balls for $29.95…the last issue of the 4 piece ball was a flop…they still had a few putters this week but I did not see it as such a great deal, just an Odyssey putter with a different name plate. What next maybe a Driver from the same company that makes the Tommy Armour for Dick’s they can sell for $199?.
Fredo
Jun 22, 2020 at 11:11 am
There is 2 chances I would game any big box stores equipment, slim to none, and slim left town. Sorry had to get that in. The real reason is that I want my local golf retailer (Alameda GolfWorks and Corica GC) and golf courses to stay open, so I support LOCAL!
Tyler Durden
Jun 22, 2020 at 12:28 pm
NOBODY CARES
juno
Jul 27, 2020 at 9:37 am
You cared enough to comment.
brian
Jun 22, 2020 at 1:47 pm
I’ll support my local golf courses by playing more rounds with the money I save on golf balls, gloves, and gear from Costco.
brian
Jun 22, 2020 at 9:33 am
I have to say, I’ve been very happy with the Kirkland golf products I’ve used. The original 4 piece ball was fantastic and the 3 piece is a great value proposition and performs very well. However, in my opinion, the Kirkland gloves are the real winner. The sizing is a little bit inconsistent, but the quality for the price ($5 per glove) for a piece of equipment you replace with regularity cannot be beat. They’re also very durable, from my experience.
Brandon
Jun 23, 2020 at 12:05 am
Agreed. I have enough K Sig gloves in the closet to last a few years.