Equipment

Costco chairman: The Kirkland Signature golf ball will be back

Published

7 years ago

Jan 28, 2017

If you didn’t get a chance to jump on the Costco Kirkland Signature golf ball bandwagon before the train left the station (to mix metaphors), don’t worry.

Per SeattlePi.com, Costco co-founder and chairman of the board Jeffrey Brotman dropped the site a line in response to the grim news, which we also covered at the end of December: the balls were sold out.

The Kirkland Signature four-piece cupboard was bare for weeks ahead of Christmas, only to be restocked online December 20 and sell out again within a half hour, with eager golfers crashing the site in the process. Until now, it had been assumed Costco would contract South Korean manufacturer Nassau Golf for another cargo ship full, but no official word had been received.

Consider this the official word. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Brotman wrote an email saying in part, “the golf balls will return.”

Of course, we’d like to have a more specific idea of when they’ll line the discount warehouse’s shelves, but we take solace in the fact they’ll be back.

The $30-for-two-dozen four-piece urethane balls caused quite a stir in the golf equipment community last year. Our Andrew Tursky rounded up some of the considerable enthusiasm from the forums in this piece.

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30 Comments

Turk20

Apr 4, 2017 at 6:52 am

Both Taylor made and maxfli had golf balls in their mid range price that were better than their top lines both ‘sold out’ and came back as inferior balls. We will see what happens but I will not buy more than minimum to check them out first. COSTCO really screwed up on golf gloves when they dropped the leather ones and now only have the synthetic. After years of buying them would not go near current product.

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stan markowski

Mar 12, 2017 at 9:03 pm

I like Costco they are a good company,their quality is also very good I am waiting for their golf balls I”ll take mine in yellow please…stan

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JT Reese

Feb 12, 2017 at 1:19 pm

Bottom line is this. As a consumer paying $45-50 a dozen for a pro-line ball is insane! The MG (Master Grip) also has close specs to the PRO-V, for $19.99 per doz. Like anything else you pay for the name. It’s time there is some competition that may drive the prices down. Personally, I play the Prov, only because I have a contact who is a ball hunter guru! No water balls. So $20 a dozen for mint, this is what I do. Ain’t paying their price!

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Ivor Robson

Feb 3, 2017 at 7:58 pm

Can’t wait to buy the k sigs at the wembly stadium location

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Deadeye

Jan 31, 2017 at 6:32 pm

I just changed from Prov1 to Callaway super hot 55. Great feel, at least ten yards longer and available at Costco for fifteen dollars a dozen. Not as much spin around the green but flies straighter and holds greens. Nice soft feel on all clubs. So, bring back the four piece ball if you want but I am staying with my new best ball.

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DTrump

Jan 31, 2017 at 4:03 pm

The Kirkland Signature ball is a great ball, which was made to fire the first shot towards the big boys. This ball is the official ball of Kim Jong Un and it says right on the box, guaranteed 2 Hole In Ones per dozen purchased. This ball will bring the Koreas together once again.

I will not play this ball, because it doesnt say Titleist.

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DJT

Jan 30, 2017 at 2:51 am

For far too long South Korean ball companies have been killing U.S jobs and destroying our domestic golf ball industry. My administration will be taxing these balls %200 to level the playing field with the U.S made ProV1 (which is fabulous ball, amazing really.) This undercutting stops NOW. My team is also considering ban on foreign players so all PGA events are won by U.S PLAYERS ONLY. #fakeballs #muricafirst #MPGAGA

Reply Report comment
- Rick
  
  Jan 30, 2017 at 4:07 am
  
  When I read stuff like that all I hear is this:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zbjGUmI4Js
  
  Reply Report comment
- Rick
  
  Jan 30, 2017 at 4:14 am
  
  Obviously the English version haha, or as you would probably rather say the “murican version.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyrNktD_PwA
  
  Reply Report comment
- DC1
  
  Jan 31, 2017 at 2:21 pm
  
  Hilarious! First Trump related laugh I have had since the election!
  
  Reply Report comment
- Golfer
  
  Aug 20, 2020 at 2:45 am
  
  Hate to break it to you, but the ProV1 is not made in the US anymore
  
  Reply Report comment
Randel

Jan 29, 2017 at 8:36 pm

Very simple, how many new Costco Members will be plunking down $50 or more for a membership so they can buy Kirkland balls? Once in the store do you think a $30 dollar purchase is all that they will buy? Costco now knows these balls will bring in more customers and any item that is a sure fire draw will of course be a priority for them….

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- Grizz01
  
  Jan 31, 2017 at 7:21 pm
  
  I love the free market!
  
  Reply Report comment
BooBunkie

Jan 29, 2017 at 5:28 am

Ooooh Peter’s Dad is on line 1! The duuuuuude!!!

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Jim

Jan 29, 2017 at 12:51 am

I would imagine there are plenty of ball manufactures in China, South Korea and even Taiwan that can make a ball very much like or exactly the same as Costco sold as Kirkland..and they would be very happy to sell a few million to Costco any day of the week. If you had the rights to a ball Costco would buy a couple million of what would you do? Callaway, Taylormade, Titliest all make most of their high end balls in the U.S. with a small portion and cheaper models coming in from over seas. There has to be some manufactures that have room for others, I did some searching and found 2 companies in China that were offering a 3 piece urethane ball with any name you wanted printed on it in lots of 10,000 or more…about .55 cents each????

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- The dude
  
  Jan 29, 2017 at 7:36 pm
  
  Nice research!!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Golfer
    
    Aug 20, 2020 at 2:47 am
    
    This is actually incorrect, all of the premium balls you listed are currently being made overseas either entirely, or only the urethane cover is made in the US. Check the side of the box…
    
    Reply Report comment
TonyK

Jan 28, 2017 at 11:13 pm

If Kirkland Signature balls come back, it won’t be the same ball by Nassau Korea. According to a Korean golf forum, currently Nassau Korea are not making the KS balls any more and they do not have a plan to make them in the near future.

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- Sean
  
  Jan 30, 2017 at 3:19 pm
  
  Source?
  
  Reply Report comment
BooBunkie

Jan 28, 2017 at 4:13 pm

These my friend are Pro V’s with masquerade masks on. Think Phantom Of The Opera.

Reply Report comment
- The dude
  
  Jan 28, 2017 at 5:26 pm
  
  Not even Close….
  
  – Wally Uilhein
  
  Reply Report comment
- Obee
  
  Jan 30, 2017 at 10:57 am
  
  The spin data seems far different on full wedge shots. At least the data I saw.
  
  Reply Report comment
David Montgomery

Jan 28, 2017 at 3:17 pm

Is it true that Costco bought a bunch of unwanted balls from TayloreMade for really cheap and they just re-branded them with their logo? That would explain why people love the feel and especially the price.

Reply Report comment
- Joseph
  
  Jan 28, 2017 at 7:16 pm
  
  Costco buys a lot of overruns, closeouts and gray market product intended for other markets, not the US Costco may sell golf balls called Kirtland, but you can be certain that it will not be the same ball from the same factory’s that was sold last year. Why? Because whoever those balls were actually made for will cut off the factory if they ever dump product to Costco again. If Costco was selling them for $14 a dozen, that factory wasn’t making much on the deal anyway, just getting rid of excess inventory.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jack
    
    Jan 29, 2017 at 6:33 am
    
    Really.. interesting as I thought Costco mostly buys stuff in bulk and brands create specific products to work in their stores. Kirkland products are specifically designed for Costco as that’s their store brand. I highly doubt they went into this only thinking short term. Kirkland products don’t change that often. Golf balls though might since they probably never imagined people paying so much attention to them. If the current supplier changes their mind, I’m sure there are other suppliers willing to do the same if they have the excess capacity. Which I think is what happened. The current supplier ran out of capacity and Costco couldn’t find another one soon enough to produce an identical product.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - DC1
      
      Jan 31, 2017 at 2:24 pm
      
      Bingo. Don’t sell costco short, they are a very smart retailer who takes the long view. If they say they are coming back, they are coming back. They know the balls are really good, they won’t come back with an inferior product. That’s not how they work.
      
      Reply Report comment
  - Golfgirlrobin
    
    Jan 29, 2017 at 5:57 pm
    
    All Kirkland branded product is designed and made specifically for Costco. They’re not cheaper because they’re overruns or rebranded, Kirkland is cheaper because there are virtually no marketing costs and they control the entire production chain.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Tazz2293
      
      Jan 30, 2017 at 7:20 am
      
      The Costco Golf R&D Department is really pumping out golf ball innovation as we speak.
      
      Reply Report comment
Lance

Jan 28, 2017 at 12:20 pm

Why not link to the source?

Reply Report comment
- toad37
  
  Jan 28, 2017 at 3:14 pm
  
  http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Costco-says-golf-balls-will-return-10883759.php
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

9 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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