Kirkland Signature (Costco) golf balls (MERGED) (NO BST POSTS)

[NRJyzr]

2 hours ago, wantacigar said:

which I get since the ProV is the gold standard and deservedly so.

 

Completely disagree with this little snip in your post.  I don't consider buying your way to that position "deserved."  That's all they've really done.

 

 

2 hours ago, wantacigar said:

QStar Tour, PXG, Snell Prime, Oncore Elixr (2022 version), Taylor Made, Bridgestone, or any other 3 piece urethane (TPU) ball in the $25-$40 range

 

I've compared the v3 to the 2020 Elixr, and a couple QStar tours that I've had.  I was finishing a box of Triads when I picked up the v3 earlier this year.  Also the Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft X, though those aren't balls you're asking about.  And, a single Prime X that someone found and pitched my way.

 

Of all those, my distance is essentially the same across all clubs.  I *did* hit one of my longer drives of the season with the Snell, but I've had a similar small sample size shot with the v3 in another round.

 

Where I see some difference is short game.  The v3 is grabbier on pitches and chipping.  Coming from the Duo Professional, which ran out a bit in chipping, it's been a bit of an adjustment. 

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by NRJyzr

[Bad9]

34 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

Where I see some difference is short game.  The v3 is grabbier on pitches and chipping.  Coming from the Duo Professional, which ran out a bit in chipping, it's been a bit of an adjustment. 

 

 

I still have a multi year supply of yellow Duo Pros. Is the V3 similar in distance, trajectory, feel, etc to the Duo pro off the driver and irons?

[NRJyzr]

5 minutes ago, Bad9 said:

 

I still have a multi year supply of yellow Duo Pros. Is the V3 similar in distance, trajectory, feel, etc to the Duo pro off the driver and irons?

 

I would say no.  The Duo Pro was markedly different than most other balls, or so it was for me.  It's got a lower flight, it's softer, and it's one of the few balls that gave me a distance bump with irons.  That bump may have been due to the Duo Pro's lower spin.

 

Did I mention that the Duo Pro is/was softer?  😉

 

I didn't find that distance bump off the tee.  In fact, I had to increase the loft in my driver in order to get the same distance off the tee with the Duo Pro as I'd see with other golf balls.

 

[TallGuy90]

In generally those 2nd shelf offerings are too soft to compare to the V3 Ksig. 

[wantacigar]

1 hour ago, NRJyzr said:

 

Completely disagree with this little snip in your post.  I don't consider buying your way to that position "deserved."  That's all they've really done.

 

Where I see some difference is short game.  The v3 is grabbier on pitches and chipping.  Coming from the Duo Professional, which ran out a bit in chipping, it's been a bit of an adjustment. 

 

I suppose they did buy their way but the quality of the ball is top notch and the numbers (ball speed, spin, distance, construction) are always consistent and top tier.  DEFINITELY not worth $55/dozen.  Also, due to them being $55/doz. the other manufacturers of the 2nd tier urethan balls are emboldened to raise the prices of their balls another $5/doz.  😡

 

I also find the V3 "Grabbier" than the rest.  Alot more check-up into the greens.  I accidentally hit a low spinner (I thinned the ball).  Went in low and hot into a green and did a 1 hop and almost stop.  I thought it was going off the back of the green but checked up hard and stopped 5 feet from the hole.  That was a stereotypical "good miss"  LOL

[chisag]

2 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

Completely disagree with this little snip in your post.  I don't consider buying your way to that position "deserved."  That's all they've really done.

 

 

... A little surprised to read that from you. Sure they bought their position on tour but if the ball didn't perform at the highest level the best players in the world wouldn't be using it. Journeymen? Sure but Titleist has gone about keeping their position with their own plants and absolutely the best quality control in the biz. Constantly evaluating and making minor changes. And many have remarked their durability is remarkable compared to others. 

... That said, it all comes with a cost. I have done head to head testing on the course comparing the ProV1x and the Maxfli Tour and for my game, there is virtually no difference in performance although a slight durability advantage with the ProV. If I was able to get my hands on all the equipment needed to do some extensive testing with chips/pitches, 1/2 and 3/4 shots, irons, hybrids FW's and driver I would not be shocked to find the ProV out performed the Maxfli by a very small margin. But again for my game, maybe not. The point being they are so very close in performance it comes down to the Titleist at $55 a dozen and Maxfli at $30 a dozen for the Cube of four, and I just bought 5 dozen on sale at $25 a dozen so less than 1/2 the price of the ProV. 

[chisag]

4 hours ago, wantacigar said:

HOWEVER, has anyone done any comparison (on and off course) with any other ball in the same "category" as the Kirkland?

Such as the QStar Tour, PXG, Snell Prime, Oncore Elixr (2022 version), Taylor Made, Bridgestone, or any other 3 piece urethane (TPU) ball in the $25-$40 range?  

 

 

... Here are the charts comparing most of the balls you mentioned. SLOW swing speed with the Driver and Mid Iron and then MID swing speed with the Driver and Mid Iron. 

[chisag]

... I just wanted to add that any golf equipment tests and especially balls, are just starting points. I believe the above test for Drivers based on slow swing speed uses a 12.5* head with a senior flex and a neutral angle of attack. As a 70 yr old senior I have a 10.5* driver with a regular flex tip stiff shaft and a +3 AOA. And my swing speed at 95mph is between Slow and Mid Speeds. So those numbers may be quite different for my swing, but at least I know the tendencies of any given ball and it helps narrow down my choices to just a few.  

[NRJyzr]

2 hours ago, chisag said:

but if the ball didn't perform at the highest level the best players in the world wouldn't be using it

 

How many instances have we seen of pros chasing the endorsement dollar and seeing a drop in their results?  🙂

 

[chisag]

21 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

 

How many instances have we seen of pros chasing the endorsement dollar and seeing a drop in their results?  🙂

 

 

 

... And in more cases than not, it is when they left Titleist and tried to make another ball work them chasing that endorsement dollar. Not many Tigers out there that has the ear of the Design Team like Rock Ishii to fine tune the ball to their exact requirements. I don't have a dog in this hunt but if I received free balls for life, I would be playing ProV1x for their quality and consistency. 🤷‍♂️ 

[LeftyZach]

5 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

 

... And in more cases than not, it is when they left Titleist and tried to make another ball work them chasing that endorsement dollar. Not many Tigers out there that has the ear of the Design Team like Rock Ishii to fine tune the ball to their exact requirements. I don't have a dog in this hunt but if I received free balls for life, I would be playing ProV1x for their quality and consistency. 🤷‍♂️ 

I agree totally with this statement. The reason for playing the Kirkland is that they’re an excellent value, given how expensive our hobby is and because we have to make economic decisions. When the economic constraints are removed and we could operate according to our preferences only, I think many of us would, if we are honest, gravitate toward the top performers. 

[ASN21]

The ProV1 and ProV1X are and will likely always be the gold standard of golf balls. There is no debate to this. If you disagree you are just an ignorant hater. Year in and year out they flat out perform and let's not forget they have the best QC on the planet. This is coming from a Costco lover btw. Some people on this forum make me chuckle.

[bill.ig]

9 hours ago, LeftyZach said:

I agree totally with this statement. The reason for playing the Kirkland is that they’re an excellent value, given how expensive our hobby is and because we have to make economic decisions. When the economic constraints are removed and we could operate according to our preferences only, I think many of us would, if we are honest, gravitate toward the top performers. 

I would play ProV1s if they were the same price as the V3s. ProV1s are the best balls that I’ve played.

 

Since they’re $55 per dozen I’ll play the Kirklands.

[golf-RN]

13 hours ago, wantacigar said:

I suppose they did buy their way but the quality of the ball is top notch and the numbers (ball speed, spin, distance, construction) are always consistent and top tier.  DEFINITELY not worth $55/dozen.  Also, due to them being $55/doz. the other manufacturers of the 2nd tier urethan balls are emboldened to raise the prices of their balls another $5/doz.  😡

 

I also find the V3 "Grabbier" than the rest.  Alot more check-up into the greens.  I accidentally hit a low spinner (I thinned the ball).  Went in low and hot into a green and did a 1 hop and almost stop.  I thought it was going off the back of the green but checked up hard and stopped 5 feet from the hole.  That was a stereotypical "good miss"  LOL

Last time I played a couple weeks ago, I had 95 yards to the green on a par 5, I tried to saw off a PW and caught it very thin to say the least, like it was maybe 30 ft off the ground. Got to the green and the ball was 1 foot in front of the divot lol. It literally came in that low with that much spin and stopped dead in its tracks. Like you said a "good miss" lol

[TallGuy90]

How many Taylormade, Srixon, Callaway etc.. play Titlest balls Vs Titlest guys playing another ball?

[Nessism]

I can appreciate that the ProV1 is one of, if not the best ball made.  But I wouldn't play them even if they were Kirkland price.  Titleist just rubs me the wrong way with their elitist marketing positioning.  No thanks.  

[ode]

8 minutes ago, Nessism said:

I can appreciate that the ProV1 is one of, if not the best ball made.  But I wouldn't play them even if they were Kirkland price.  Titleist just rubs me the wrong way with their elitist marketing positioning.  No thanks.  

I have felt the same way,,,,but if i find them I now keep them and play them...they won't see my money however🙃

[zlawson36]

I used to work part-time at my local golf shop for "fun money" that I would spend on golf equipment and things that I wanted. Getting equipment at PUD pricing or at a 25% discount was nice, but here in KY after discount, Pro Vs were still running $48/dozen.

 

I played the OG K-Sig before they got sued into oblivion, and it was similar if not the same as an older version of the Pro V1. Since then, Kirkland has had a few balls come out that were great, but yielded excessive spin. However, the new v3 is much closer to the OG K-Sig ball. Albeit, the OG was 4 pc. construction, and the v3 is a  3pc. construction. 

 

I bought 3 boxes (6 dozen) for $100, which saved me $180+ if I were to buy Pro Vs. Given that it is fall time, leaves are everywhere, and the weather is cooling down, I am more than happy to play a Kirkland ball that doesn't hurt my wallet every time I lose one. Mind you, I typically won't lose more than a ball or two per 18 holes, but somedays are worse than others. 

 

It is nice not to stress over a tight tee shot knowing that if you lose the ball, it only costs $1.50, rather than $4.50. 

 

I need to truly hit the v3 side by side with ProV1, ProV1x and Left Dash ProV1x to see the major differences in distance, but honestly, the game isn't getting any cheaper, and I am more than happy to save a few bucks on balls. If Kirkland keeps it up, they're going to eventually come out with a ball that will be similar if not better than a Titleist ball, the difference is, they won't market it as such. 

 

FWIW, I pay a TSR3 driver, TSR hybrid, T150 irons and Vokey wedges. I am a Titleist guy through and through, but I am happy to play a K-Sig, because the two most volatile pieces of equipment are your wedge grooves, and the amount of golf balls you go through in a given season. We all have some sort of an ego because we are human beings....but I will tell you, I will never apologize for what golf ball I tee up on a daily basis.

 

Cheers!

Edited October 24, 2023 by zlawson36

[jpdx]

2 hours ago, Nessism said:

I can appreciate that the ProV1 is one of, if not the best ball made.  But I wouldn't play them even if they were Kirkland price.  Titleist just rubs me the wrong way with their elitist marketing positioning.  No thanks.  

I play them when they’re free. 😂 admittedly, theyre my favorite available ball when i dont have to pony up the dough. 

[chisag]

2 hours ago, Nessism said:

I can appreciate that the ProV1 is one of, if not the best ball made.  But I wouldn't play them even if they were Kirkland price.  Titleist just rubs me the wrong way with their elitist marketing positioning.  No thanks.  

 

 

... You have the right to choose your equipment for any reason. ALL the OEMS are trying to make a profit and use focus groups, highly paid consultants and their own in house Marketing Team. While it does seem like Titleist markets to a Judge Smail's crowd and Vice markets to a Danny Noonan crowd, it is just marketing and has nothing to do with performance or quality. I choose my golf ball by my own criteria of performance first followed by cost. If it meets my performance requirements then it makes the cut for the 2nd criteria and that's cost. Very few balls make it to the cost phase so that choice is easier. But nowhere in my decision making process does marketing or perceived audience come into play. I am gonna play the best ball for my game without compromise and if I can find them on sale or one less expensive than another that's icing on the cake. Obviously ymmv ...

[NRJyzr]

2 hours ago, Nessism said:

I can appreciate that the ProV1 is one of, if not the best ball made.  But I wouldn't play them even if they were Kirkland price.  Titleist just rubs me the wrong way with their elitist marketing positioning.  No thanks.  

 

It reminds me more of a religion than anything

 

Not unlike the Church of Derek Jeter

 

[Soloman1]

1. Human results for distance, launch and spin are useless. Only robot tests with consistent launch conditions for each test are valid.

 

2. Does a few yards more with a driver make a difference to a 15 or more handicap? Is a few yards farther into the rough or woods on the right better?

 

3. Is 2% difference worth 3 times the cost?

 

4. Is a Gucci handbag worth $1,000 more than a Costco handbag?

 

5. Branding is powerful. Guy makes 3/10 putts with a Scotty, 8/10 with Brand X. He’ll take the Scotty every time.

 

 

[Bad9]

3 hours ago, ode said:

I have felt the same way,,,,but if i find them I now keep them and play them...they won't see my money however🙃

Before I moved this spring I sold them for $1 a ball. In two years I figure I made $200+

[tacklingdummy]

From my experience and what I have seen, I think the V2 balls are more for players with lower swing speeds of 90mph and lower because of the higher spin and lower compression. Whereas, the V3 balls are more for players with higher swing speeds of 90mph and higher because of the lower spin and higher compression. 

 

I just got the new V3 yellow, but not many stores have them in stock. Online is easier to get, but costs $34.99 instead of $27.99 in the store. They look decent, but still wish Costco would change the branding to make the image of the Kirkland golf stuff better. Not fond of golf stuff named after diapers, food items, and toilet paper. 😂

 

 

[snagy2000]

3 hours ago, zlawson36 said:

I used to work part-time at my local golf shop for "fun money" that I would spend on golf equipment and things that I wanted. Getting equipment at PUD pricing or at a 25% discount was nice, but here in KY after discount, Pro Vs were still running $48/dozen.

 

I played the OG K-Sig before they got sued into oblivion, and it was similar if not the same as an older version of the Pro V1. Since then, Kirkland has had a few balls come out that were great, but yielded excessive spin. However, the new v3 is much closer to the OG K-Sig ball. Albeit, the OG was 4 pc. construction, and the v3 is a  3pc. construction. 

 

I bought 3 boxes (6 dozen) for $100, which saved me $180+ if I were to buy Pro Vs. Given that it is fall time, leaves are everywhere, and the weather is cooling down, I am more than happy to play a Kirkland ball that doesn't hurt my wallet every time I lose one. Mind you, I typically won't lose more than a ball or two per 18 holes, but somedays are worse than others. 

 

It is nice not to stress over a tight tee shot knowing that if you lose the ball, it only costs $1.50, rather than $4.50. 

 

I need to truly hit the v3 side by side with ProV1, ProV1x and Left Dash ProV1x to see the major differences in distance, but honestly, the game isn't getting any cheaper, and I am more than happy to save a few bucks on balls. If Kirkland keeps it up, they're going to eventually come out with a ball that will be similar if not better than a Titleist ball, the difference is, they won't market it as such. 

 

FWIW, I pay a TSR3 driver, TSR hybrid, T150 irons and Vokey wedges. I am a Titleist guy through and through, but I am happy to play a K-Sig, because the two most volatile pieces of equipment are your wedge grooves, and the amount of golf balls you go through in a given season. We all have some sort of an ego because we are human beings....but I will tell you, I will never apologize for what golf ball I tee up on a daily basis.

 

Cheers!

Go back about 300 pages and you'll see the Kirkland OG didn't end because of the lawsuit, but other factors. Titleist doesn't have enough money to fight Costco in Court if both sides wanted to duke it out. 😂

[wantacigar]

10 minutes ago, snagy2000 said:

Go back about 300 pages and you'll see the Kirkland OG didn't end because of the lawsuit, but other factors. Titleist doesn't have enough money to fight Costco in Court if both sides wanted to duke it out. 😂

Costco does about 245 Billion a year in revenue.  Acushnet.....2.38 Billion.  Costco does about 2.3 Billion in 3 days.  There's no way they could be outspent in a lawsuit.  

 

Why doesn't Costco just buy out Acushnet.  LOL.  They could keep the Titleist name and brand going as-is and have the factories contract manufacture Kirkland balls for less money than they are paying now.

Edited October 24, 2023 by wantacigar

[chisag]

9 minutes ago, snagy2000 said:

Go back about 300 pages and you'll see the Kirkland OG didn't end because of the lawsuit, but other factors. Titleist doesn't have enough money to fight Costco in Court if both sides wanted to duke it out. 😂

 

 

... Titleist sues just about EVERYBODY that makes a golf ball. 

"Acushnet, the leading golf-ball manufacturer in the U.S. and the parent company of the Titleist brand, filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts accusing 10 small companies of selling golf balls that infringe on several of the company's patents.


 

[zlawson36]

17 minutes ago, snagy2000 said:

Go back about 300 pages and you'll see the Kirkland OG didn't end because of the lawsuit, but other factors. Titleist doesn't have enough money to fight Costco in Court if both sides wanted to duke it out. 😂

Apologies that I didn't skim through 300 pages to write my post....either way, the new v3 is a great ball for the price. Titleist will always be the #1 ball in golf. I enjoy using Titleist golf balls, but right now, I am happily gaming the K-Sig. 

[chisag]

3 minutes ago, zlawson36 said:

Apologies that I didn't skim through 300 pages to write my post....either way, the new v3 is a great ball for the price. Titleist will always be the #1 ball in golf. I enjoy using Titleist golf balls, but right now, I am happily gaming the K-Sig. 

 

 

... As the resident Maxfli enthusiast and sometimes V3 player, it is pretty amazing the kind of performance you can get for much less than the ProV1's. 

$110 ... 2 dozen Prov1s

$119 ... 4 dozen Maxfli Tours

$112 ... 8 dozen Kirkland V3's

[snagy2000]

12 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

 

... Titleist sues just about EVERYBODY that makes a golf ball. 

"Acushnet, the leading golf-ball manufacturer in the U.S. and the parent company of the Titleist brand, filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts accusing 10 small companies of selling golf balls that infringe on several of the company's patents.


 

Being a bully isn't cool, man!