Kirkland Golf Clubs Review: Who Makes Them, Are They Any Good?
Today, we look at a range of golf equipment offered by Costco under their Kirkland brand.
Intro To The Story And Selling Points Of Kirkland Golf Clubs
As the popularity of golf continues to soar worldwide, the need for cost-effective golfing equipment has become a necessity.
Weekend golfers simply don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for the equipment that pros use, but they still want clubs that include modern design elements that will help them improve their game.
In other words, Grandad’s old bag of mixed clubs just isn’t going
History Of Kirkland Golf Clubs
Kirkland is a relatively new brand, and it first hit the market in 2016, when Costco, one of the largest membership-only warehouse clubs in the United States, started selling golf balls bearing the Kirkland name.
These proved to be a hit, and soon, Costco started offering Kirkland putters and wedges as part of their in-house brand.
These quickly became pretty popular with weekend golfers.
Who Makes Kirkland Clubs?
Now Costco also offers Callaway clubs, which certainly need no introduction.
Even if you are new to golf, you’ve certainly heard of Callaway.
However, it’s interesting to note that the Southern California Design Company is responsible for designing and producing Kirkland.
Where Are Kirkland Clubs Made?
This company is located in Carlsbad, California, and it’s here that all Kirkland clubs are manufactured.
That’s where you’ll find Callaway, too.
We’ll let you decide if that’s a coincidence or not as to whether Callaway is involved in the Kirkland brand in any way.
Why Did Titleist Sue Kirkland?
Kirkland hasn’t been without controversy, however.
Back in 2017, Titleist sued Costco over the design of their Signature Golf Ball, which the famed golfing company said bore a striking resemblance to their own Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
So much so that over 10 patents were brought into question pertaining to ball design, particularly when it came to the dimples as well as the core.
And the outcome?
Well, the two parties settled out of court in 2018, but it’s interesting to note that the design of Kirkland’s golf ball range changed from that point on.
Good Clubs? Good Brand? Good For Beginners?
So are they good for beginners?
Without a doubt, Kirkland equipment is both well-made and cheap, and that’s exactly what any golfing newbie would ask for.
Anyone looking to spend their hard-earned money on golfing equipment can rest easy knowing that this brand is not a fly-by-night operation.
Quick Facts Table
- Kirkland clubs are sold at Costco store locations, but to purchase them, you need to hold a membership.
- They can also be bought online.
- Kirkland will soon offer a full range of clubs, including a driver, irons, and wedges, as well as the KS1 putter, which has proved popular with casual golfers across the United States.
- Wedges offer a large face to help when the ball isn’t struck perfectly, reducing short-game errors.
Kirkland Driver Review
Selling points
- Carbon fibre head with a large face
- Adjustable hosel
- 5-degree loft
While this driver is not yet available, it has appeared in leaked social media images and looks pretty similar to the TSR and TSi ranges from Titleist.
Let’s hope it’s not too similar!
There’s a large face to this driver, which features a round head like most of its modern counterparts.
That’s a good thing for beginners, as there’s lots of hitting area, but of course, you still want to get as close to the sweet spot as you possibly can.
The hosel is adjustable on this driver, and as standard, you will have a 10.5-degree loft.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- An excellent driver for beginners
- While pricing isn’t available, it will be far lower than many established brands
- Large face
Cons:
- Not yet available
Overall Score: 85/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Kirkland Irons 2023 review
Selling points
- Made from iron and tungsten to provide perfect weight and balance
- Excellent control and accuracy
- Consistent ‘feel’ provided for each shot
While the Kirkland driver has only been leaked on social media, the brand has confirmed it will release a set of irons in 2023.
These irons promise a large sweet spot as well as a thinner face and will provide golfers with the kind of feel they are looking for when making iron shots.
So even if you do strike the ball off-centre, the bigger face means less negative implications when it comes to ball trajectory.
And that’s perfect for those of us who strike the ball less consistently.
Balance-wise, these irons provide an optimised centre of gravity.
That means more distance while still retaining excellent control and overall accuracy.
What about loft angles? Well, these range from 19 to 48 degrees.
And no matter if you are a right- or left-handed golfer, Kirkland’s got you covered.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Modern, sleek design
- Milled face technology
- Comfortable, weather-resistant grip
- Affordable
Cons:
- Not yet available
Overall Score: 88/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Kirkland Signature KS1 putter review
Selling points
- Forged body
- Adjustable heel and toe
- Adjustable weight kit available (sold separately)
What started with golf balls quickly moved into clubs when Kirkland released their KS1 Signature putter.
There’s no doubt that it provides many of the features some of its rivals include, but for a fraction of the price, so it’s aimed at those new to golf who don’t want to spend a fortune on expensive equipment.
The KS1 is a blade-style putter with an adjustable heel and toe, and its standard SuperStroke CounterCore grip aids in both stability and overall feel.
Only one putter length is available: 34.5 inches, while the overall weight of the head is 340g.
The KS1 also features a milled 303 stainless steel insert.
But what about performance on the green?
We noticed that when using the KS1, there was a tendency at impact for the club face to be a little more closed than we would have liked.
While this doesn’t generally affect putts of a longer nature, shorter putts of 5 feet and less can be impacted.
In this regard, we found ourselves sometimes missing putts within five feet to the left.
Due to its lighter nature, we also found that a few putts came up short.
Thanks to the adjustable kit that’s sold separately, you can adjust the weights to your liking.
Lastly, at 5.4 degrees, the loft on the KSI is a lot higher than many other putters, so that’s worth noting.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- SuperStroke CounterCore grip comes standard
- Affordable
- Nice design
Cons:
- Speed control issues with putts not only being left short but under-hit as well
- Closed impact
Overall Score: 81/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Kirkland 3-piece golf wedge set review
Selling points
- Versatile
- Overall solid look and feel
- Provides excellent spin characteristics thanks to their CNC-milled faces
As with all other Kirkland clubs, the wedge set offers affordability to those new to the sport.
In terms of cost, you can pick up this three-wedge set for what you’d pay for a single wedge from an established golf brand.
In the set, you will find all you need for your greenside short game: a 60-degree lob wedge, a 56-degree sand wedge, and a 52-degree gap wedge.
We found that the 60-degree lob wedge was an excellent all-rounder and could be used in several situations near the green.
What was particularly impressive about all the wedge options in this set was their ability to provide excellent spin control, largely thanks to their milled faces.
That’s not only for shorter shots but for longer wedge approaches too.
And excellent spin control is something you’d want from any wedge.
We also noticed that all the toes in all three wedges had added weight, which plays a critical role in ensuring that, once struck, the flight of the ball is very consistent.
Of course, there are a few things we didn’t find as appealing.
For example, if you are someone who likes a bit of customization, these wedges simply don’t offer that.
But, in reality, the benefits these wedges can provide someone new to the game of golf who is looking to improve their short game outweigh any cons.
For any weekend golfer who doesn’t want to spend too much on brand new clubs, these are a worthy addition to your bag.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Incredibly affordable
- Well designed with excellent spin characteristics
- The pitch wedge is the perfect all-rounder
Cons:
- Not customizable
- Sometimes they are difficult to find stock
Overall Score: 92/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that Costco, through its Kirkland range, has shaken up the golf world.
For those who are making their way in the sport and feel they are ready to move onto a set of decent clubs, Kirkland is the perfect option.
The main reason for this is simple: their pricing.
They are never going to outperform their more expensive, well-established counterparts, but then again, unless you are a professional golfer or someone who has a low handicap,
there’s simply no need to buy super-expensive clubs when you take to the course a few times a month, is there?
In our opinion, these are excellent choices for someone looking for affordability and quality.