Kirkland Irons (*** MERGED ***)

[Tpfol]

My guess is 4-GW, with a 44 pw and 48 gap to keep the wedge set in play. I'm thinking $499 for the 8 piece. Probably see a hybrid set next up 

[Jim53]

Its kind of funny to me that a name can make all the difference, take Artisan for instance and this is just my taking a guess here and if wrong I will take the punishment. But they appear to buy iron heads from some company in China or Japan or Taiwan and just put their brand on it and sell them for very high prices and have a waiting list for years to buy a iron that is years old.

 

Not picking on them, just an example and I asked a similar question in their thread and got ignored. Which is fine, people like what they like and spend their money as they wish.

 

NCW seems to buy blanks (or have them made, again I am guessing)  then custom hand grind them by admittedly Master Craftsman so the hands on part makes them a one off product which should demand a higher price.

 

These are most likely made in the same factory as many other similar shaped heads with the same tech inside, but is the kicker in the foam stuff used inside that is different from one brand to another?

Asking honestly as I surely don't know, surely these and most other blanks or high run heads only cost the buyers maybe $10 or less. I was in China and saw thousands of clubheads in barrels that looked like just like any MB or CB you have ever seen for about $.75- $1.50 each, not necessarily counterfeit just some factory that pumps out heads.

[bekgolf]

3 minutes ago, Jim53 said:

Its kind of funny to me that a name can make all the difference, take Artisan for instance and this is just my taking a guess here and if wrong I will take the punishment. But they appear to buy iron heads from some company in China or Japan or Taiwan and just put their brand on it and sell them for very high prices and have a waiting list for years to buy a iron that is years old.

 

Not picking on them, just an example and I asked a similar question in their thread and got ignored. Which is fine, people like what they like and spend their money as they wish.

 

NCW seems to buy blanks (or have them made, again I am guessing)  then custom hand grind them by admittedly Master Craftsman so the hands on part makes them a one off product which should demand a higher price.

 

These are most likely made in the same factory as many other similar shaped heads with the same tech inside, but is the kicker in the foam stuff used inside that is different from one brand to another?

Asking honestly as I surely don't know, surely these and most other blanks or high run heads only cost the buyers maybe $10 or less. I was in China and saw thousands of clubheads in barrels that looked like just like any MB or CB you have ever seen for about $.75- $1.50 each, not necessarily counterfeit just some factory that pumps out heads.

 

I'd guess it's just like power tools.  The same line that makes (insert your favorite made in Taiwan or China power tool) might make the HF or Grizzly version on another shift. 

 

Some people feel better about products when they pay more.  My guess is these Costco irons will be an 8 iron set priced at $499 for steel shafts and the shafts will be TT but due to a marketing deal they won't be able to put TT labels on them.  If they did something like Callaway used to with a uniflex shaft (R300 hard stepped once iirc) they would fit a wide audience.

 

Time will tell.

 

[Klubster]

4 hours ago, snagy2000 said:

Choices? More than likely there will be one offered in steel and/or graphite. If you want something else, it'll be up to you to change just like their wedges & putter offerings.

What I meant was what shaft they would choose to offer.  I would not expect any options.

[pak]

5 hours ago, vtpachyderm said:

Honest question to those who would consider this as a backup/travel set or a cheap intro set.
 

Why this over a used OEM set (assuming a price tag over $200). 

The previous owner could have used up all the lucky shots with these “new to you” irons. Not worth $.01 to some. 

[delacruz.c5d]

5 hours ago, vtpachyderm said:

Honest question to those who would consider this as a backup/travel set or a cheap intro set.
 

Why this over a used OEM set (assuming a price tag over $200). 

 

If you can inspect and confirm that the used OEM set is good (faces aren't worn out, shafts aren't all wonky, everything matches (except the grips)), then I would state that a confirmed used OEM set would be just fine.

 

However, I've gone down the rabbit hole with buying used OEM equipment online (my fault...I get it), and it's been all over the place.  And chances are, if you are going to buy a used set, you are either doing this online (caveat emptor), or doing it at a big golf store (markup).

 

So, considering that, if you wanted a backup/travel set, and these irons match what you are looking for, and the price is right, then I would probably go that route.  All of it would depend on if I could find a good OEM set vs what these irons cost from Costco.

 

To each their own...

Edited January 2, 2023 by delacruz.c5d

[pak]

With $225 Billion in annual sales, Costco knows what they’re doing. Members will buy these just like most other Kirkland items. In many ways, Costco members are more loyal to Kirkland (and it’s return policy) than TM, Callaway, Titleist, Ping, etc. combined.

 

While many Golfwrx’ers don’t think irons like these are appealing, take a look at the length of the threads are for Kirkland balls and wedges.

 

At $12 per dozen for the balls, they make a fine substitute for my Chrome Softs on a bad ball striking day.

[Klubster]

If in fact the irons are comparable to the TM  P790's as the article infers, $500 would be a great price as the TM could run you $13-1700 in steel/graphite.  Will be interesting to see them in stores.

[Stanks]

Gap unlikely. 3 Iron even more unlikely. One is already available in the wedge set and the other is not a practical club to use / hit for the average duffer, which is what most of the Kirkland target demographic is. Plus it opens up their ability to introduce hybrids and woods and eventually a Driver which is almost a given at this point. That's the last thing they need to complete a bag. A mallet putter could also be desired by some.

As for the shaft that they put in the irons, they used True Temper according to MGS in wedges, so why not build on that relationship as long as it's cost effective. They'll probably use decent grips. Stock / cheap ferrules. 

If we are talking sub $450 or even right around there new, it'll be a decent seller. Golf is still cool enough and people still need to book a tee time about a week in advance. And Costco will make profit. And they'll continue to invest in the Golf world with selling their own products along with established products. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Kirkland as a major golf sponsor / brand in years to come. 

[gioreeko]

9 hours ago, vtpachyderm said:

Honest question to those who would consider this as a backup/travel set or a cheap intro set.
 

Why this over a used OEM set (assuming a price tag over $200). 

LIFETIME money back guarantee. boom

[grm24]

14 hours ago, chisag said:

 But then again negative comments from just seeing the back of a club is pretty standard for many wrx members. 

So true. I mean there are members here that stated they wouldn't buy a certain model of a golf shoe that they liked otherwise because the SOLE of the shoes were too busy. <smh>

Edited January 3, 2023 by grm24

[capking]

13 hours ago, snagy2000 said:

Choices? More than likely there will be one offered in steel and/or graphite. If you want something else, it'll be up to you to change just like their wedges & putter offerings.

Which is how the majority of golfers buy clubs

[capking]

We are getting closer to the ultimate weekend hack. Kirkland Staff Bag

[AutomationGolfer]

14 hours ago, SE Gamer said:

 

Yet small outfits like Maltby/GolfWorks produce irons that are every bit as good as the "major OEMs". 

 

I don't disagree with your larger assertion. But it's not because companies outside of the major OEMs can't make competitive clubs. It's because a decent segment of the golf community believes major OEMs have some secret sauce no one else can replicate.

lol this 100%. 
 

I imagined the OEMs labeling their clubs like in Space Jam when they label the water with “Michael’s Secret Stuff”.

 

[vtpachyderm]

6 hours ago, gioreeko said:

LIFETIME money back guarantee. boom

This makes the most sense as to why you would by it.

 

Appreciate the responses and discussion - it's quite interesting to me. I am not a brand snob by any means, but am more curious about quality. A company like Costco is in the business of maximizing profits and more likely than not - these clubs are cheap to produce and consequently cheaper for the public. There has to be some compromise on QC, materials etc. for it to be able to sell at a margin for it to make sense for Costco. And with the money back guarantee - it's just promoting a buy, discard, buy mentality because it's so cheap.

 

I live in Norway, so we don't have a Costco, and the golf market is not as big as it is in NA, so this is an interesting discussion - especially on WRX.

 

As an exercise - this is what I can find on a second hand website in the UK with regards to clubs that are under $450.

 

[jfrank]

How do you all think these will stack up to the Maltby TS-1?  

https://www.golfworks.com/maltby-ts-1-forged-iron-pak/p/pma0293/

 

Similar concept and probably a similar cost point (without the warranty).  I am getting good enough to where I need to ditch the GI irons and get some more consistency.  The price tag on the new i230 is making me question if my game dictates such an investment.  Pb slab on the back of the Kirklands to get up to D2 would look pretty good IMO.

[ilikegolf26]

14 hours ago, pak said:

With $225 Billion in annual sales, Costco knows what they’re doing. Members will buy these just like most other Kirkland items. In many ways, Costco members are more loyal to Kirkland (and it’s return policy) than TM, Callaway, Titleist, Ping, etc. combined.

 

While many Golfwrx’ers don’t think irons like these are appealing, take a look at the length of the threads are for Kirkland balls and wedges.

 

At $12 per dozen for the balls, they make a fine substitute for my Chrome Softs on a bad ball striking day.

Exactly right. These are aimed at Costco members and Kirkland loyalists, not other OEM loyalists or GolfWRX.

[97nismo]

Costco is getting expensive here:

-wedges are 150 for 3 if I recall

-putter was 100 plus the extra weight kit 

-irons will likely be 5-600 easy

 

assuming the shafts will be perfect for me…

 

without a bag easily looking at 1k for a set without a driver or woods

 

no thanks 

[vandyfan]

4 minutes ago, 97nismo said:

wedges are 150 for 3 if I recall

 

I feel like this hurts your argument. Are there a lot of $50 wedge options?

[larciel]

If they put this fine print, i bet sales will increase 300% 😜

 

*optional lead tape included

[green5]

It's a terrible photoshop job but here it is. I instantly made the club acceptable for the serious golfers, although likely at double the price. 

 

I agree Costco should have made the logo smaller but I suspect the marketing team really wanted to make sure the branding is prominent. I do think the Kirkland brand has a certain appeal for Costco fans who believe the Kirkland products are guaranteed to be great value with solid quality, unlike other cheap brands where quality tends to be all over the place.

 

Buying used is nice but that could be said for any new product. A lot of buyers do not want to deal with the process of buying used and want to have peace of mind with available return policy and warranty. 

 

What's surprising is Costco seems to be going all in with more serious golfing equipment. I thought they would start with GI first. Wonder how beginner friendly these irons will be. 

[ilikegolf26]

1 hour ago, 97nismo said:

Costco is getting expensive here:

-wedges are 150 for 3 if I recall

-putter was 100 plus the extra weight kit 

-irons will likely be 5-600 easy

 

assuming the shafts will be perfect for me…

 

without a bag easily looking at 1k for a set without a driver or woods

 

no thanks 

Lol is this serious? $50 wedges, $100 putter and possibly $50-$60/iron is “expensive??”

Edited January 3, 2023 by ilikegolf26

[swgolf12]

12 minutes ago, green5 said:

It's a terrible photoshop job but here it is. I instantly made the club acceptable for the serious golfers, although likely at double the price. 

 

I agree Costco should have made the logo smaller but I suspect the marketing team really wanted to make sure the branding is prominent. I do think the Kirkland brand has a certain appeal for Costco fans who believe the Kirkland products are guaranteed to be great value with solid quality, unlike other cheap brands where quality tends to be all over the place.

 

Buying used is nice but that could be said for any new product. A lot of buyers do not want to deal with the process of buying used and want to have peace of mind with available return policy and warranty. 

 

What's surprising is Costco seems to be going all in with more serious golfing equipment. I thought they would start with GI first. Wonder how beginner friendly these irons will be. 

 

If this came out everyone would be happy with how clean they looked, etc.  These will sell well with the I go out to play 18 holes and drink 18 beers with my friends crowd and then the die hard golfers who love kirkland will probably try them because why not  Clearly Costco knows what they're doing and was somewhat profitable with the putter/wedges to keep coming to market with these items.

[zap311]

31 minutes ago, green5 said:

It's a terrible photoshop job but here it is. I instantly made the club acceptable for the serious golfers, although likely at double the price. 

 

I agree Costco should have made the logo smaller but I suspect the marketing team really wanted to make sure the branding is prominent. I do think the Kirkland brand has a certain appeal for Costco fans who believe the Kirkland products are guaranteed to be great value with solid quality, unlike other cheap brands where quality tends to be all over the place.

 

Buying used is nice but that could be said for any new product. A lot of buyers do not want to deal with the process of buying used and want to have peace of mind with available return policy and warranty. 

 

What's surprising is Costco seems to be going all in with more serious golfing equipment. I thought they would start with GI first. Wonder how beginner friendly these irons will be. 

 

Good mockup! I agree they could have made the logo more subtle, but clearly it didn't stop droves of golfers from buying the putter or wedges.

 

This may have been mentioned, but I think the easy fix for golfers who want to play these would be to put a strip of lead tape on the back of each iron. Hides the branding and would look pretty cool IMO.

Edited January 3, 2023 by zap311

[snagy2000]

2 hours ago, 97nismo said:

Costco is getting expensive here:

-wedges are 150 for 3 if I recall

-putter was 100 plus the extra weight kit 

-irons will likely be 5-600 easy

 

assuming the shafts will be perfect for me…

 

without a bag easily looking at 1k for a set without a driver or woods

 

no thanks 

3 wedges for $159 = 6 or 7 iron set for < $400 Kirkland Signature Guaranteed 

[bekgolf]

6 hours ago, vtpachyderm said:

There has to be some compromise on QC, materials etc. for it to be able to sell at a margin for it to make sense for Costco. And with the money back guarantee - it's just promoting a buy, discard, buy mentality because it's so cheap.

 

 

 

Costco makes money on selling memberships.  They keep quality products in stock to attract memberships, it's a strange business model but it's been very successful for them.

 

I'm not seeing the quality issue you are.  Most things branded Kirkland are of better quality than name brands.  I'd guess Costco is paying just as much for the clubs as the big names pay for their components. 

 

Where I see Costco saving money is they don't have to market the product.  All of those name brand commercials we (in the US anyway) see during golf broadcasts cost money and that cost is always passed on to the consumer.

[AZGolfNut2]

K-Sig Balls ✔

K-Sig Wedges ✔

K-Sig Putter ✔

K-Sig Glove ✔

K-Sig Golf Shirt ✔

K-Sig Golf Shorts ✔

K-Sig Irons (coming soon)

 

Now they just need to make a K-Sig driver, fairway woods, hybrid, bag, and shoes! 😛

[naj959]

On 1/2/2023 at 2:59 AM, vtpachyderm said:

Maybe it's just me, but I would never consider this set even as a back up. The choice available on the used market is far better in terms of quality components. As people have said - there will be most likely be far fewer options in terms of component choices and all you're paying for is having something new and shiny from what seems to be a generic factory that has head molds? Call me a skeptic for all I care, but I don't see how this is not quantity over quality and is similar to the box sets that Cobra/Callaway make that sells on supermarket shelves.

 

For those that say this would make a great back up set - why wouldn't you buy used instead?

Pretty bold claim of inferiority considering you have now raw fitting data to back it up. 

[blink3665]

3 hours ago, 97nismo said:

Costco is getting expensive here:

-wedges are 150 for 3 if I recall

-putter was 100 plus the extra weight kit 

-irons will likely be 5-600 easy

 

assuming the shafts will be perfect for me…

 

without a bag easily looking at 1k for a set without a driver or woods

 

no thanks 

 

$50 per wedge and $100 for a putter is expensive? Even if the irons are $550, that is half of what the price is for most OEM irons. Also, according to your estimates, that would be $850 for irons, wedges, and a putter. If you're really counting your pennies, that $150 distinction is important. I know everyone has a different budget, and I know that it's possible to put together a great used bag, but calling this setup expensive for an average golfer seems like the wrong narrative.

 

1 hour ago, zap311 said:

 

Good mockup! I agree they could have made the logo more subtle, but clearly it didn't stop droves of golfers from buying the putter or wedges.

 

This may have been mentioned, but I think the easy fix for golfers who want to play these would be to put a strip of lead tape on the back of each iron. Hides the branding and would look pretty cool IMO.

 

Lead tape could work. Or if you have am hour or two sitting in front of a TV, just use some acetone to remove the paintfill. It's amazing how clean the back of an iron looks when you remove the paintfill.

[Bad9]

16 minutes ago, bekgolf said:

I'm not seeing the quality issue you are.  Most things branded Kirkland are of better quality than name brands.  I'd guess Costco is paying just as much for the clubs as the big names pay for their components.

 

This is the part of the criticism of the Kirkland golf products I don't understand (I don't own any). Costco has spent more than a decade building the Kirkland brand as quality products and they're just going to throw that away when it comes to golf products? Really? Not that I think they are trying to compete with anybody but it's certainly not with the uber spec'd out, rivet counters (shout out to the scale modelling world) that post criticism here.