Watch out, Kirkland, Sam’s Club is gunning for the king of warehouse-club golf balls.
Word of the Sam’s Club Member’s Mark Pro Series 2 golf balls quickly spread around the golf-nerd sections of social media over the weekend.
The ball appears to be a challenger to Costco — Sam’s Club’s main rival in the wholesale buyer’s club space — and its popular Kirkland Signature line of golf balls.
Costco debuted a four-piece, urethane-covered Kirkland Signature golf ball in 2016 for $29.99 for two dozen. The retailer could not keep the balls on the shelves, and consumers were reselling them for huge markups on the secondary market.
The original “K-Sig” eventually garnered a lawsuit from Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist, contending the Kirkland ball violated 10 of the Pro V1’s patents. The suit was eventually settled out of court in 2018, and Costco briefly left the golf ball space, only to return in 2019.
Today, Kirkland balls are still a popular option for budget golfers seeking a urethane-covered ball for just $15 a dozen, but the balls don’t have the same fervor as the original model.
Now, Costco’s rival is entering the space with its new Member’s Mark golf balls. The balls are sold under the company’s house brand, which started selling gloves a few years ago.
On the Sam’s Club website, the golf ball is selling for $27.98 for two dozen (a notable $2 undercut of Costco’s price).
Costco’s $499 Kirkland Signature irons sold out in just hours
According to the listing on the website, the ball has a compression “around 90,” which puts it in the same category as the Titleist Pro V1, TaylorMade TP5 or Callaway Chrome Tour (note: not the “X” versions of these balls, which have a higher compression).
The website also says the cover of the three-piece ball is made from “blended urethane,” and it has an optimized dimple pattern to “generate a powerful flight in windy conditions.”
Walmart did not immediately respond to a GOLF email asking for more information on the ball.
In recent years, Costco has also entered the golf club market with a putter ($149.99), a set of wedges ($169.99 for three), a set of irons ($499.99) and a driver ($199.99).
We’ll have to wait and see if Sam’s Club plans to do the same with its Member’s Mark brand.
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