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The post We robot-tested Costco’s Kirkland Signature irons. Here are 3 things we learned appeared first on Golf.

For gearheads in the know, the recent release of Costco’s Kirkland Signature irons was highly anticipated. Best known for its $1.50 hot dogs and bulk goods that could feed a small army, the global retailer has continued to make inroads in the golf-equipment industry with strategic products — golf balls, putters and wedges — aimed at golfers on a budget.

Costco’s competitive pricing has led golfers in recent years to wonder about the quality of its tech — especially with the new Kirkland Signature forged irons coming in at $499, and adjustable drivers entering the space at only $199.

For our latest round of ClubTest robotic testing with Golf Laboratories’ swing robot, we put the Kirkland Signature irons to the test against all of the newest products for 2024. While we can’t mention the other 2024 brands and models by name — due to media embargoes — we can tell you how they stack up versus the newcomer.

(Note: All 7-irons were tested on the swing robot at 80 mph using the same attack angle for an apples-to-apples comparison. Three points on the face — center, toe and heel — were analyzed to determine distance loss and changes to launch and spin on off-center strikes.)

It’s a cheeseburger

I’ve used the term “cheeseburger” in the past to describe a club that falls right in the middle of the bell curve. When looking at the launch angle and spin rate of Costco’s Kirkland Signature irons, it’s most definitely a cheeseburger.

The average launch (18.8 degrees) and spin rate (5,764 RPMs) landed the iron right in the middle of the pack, which means it doesn’t favor someone who launches or spins the ball too high or low.

With plenty of game-improvement and players-distance irons near the Kirkland on the launch and spin charts, it’s safe to say the iron benefits a wide range of player types.

Off-speed pitch

Taking the sub-$500 price tag into account, Kirkland held its own in the ball speed battle. On center strikes, the ball speed (111.6 mph) was closer to the bottom than the middle of the pack. To put that number into perspective, several irons boasting similar performance characteristics topped 116 mph. But when you drop down to the middle of the pack, the average is around 114 mph. So we’re talking a difference of 7-8 yards on the best strikes.

But what about mishits? On 3/4-inch toe and heel strikes, the Kirkland lost 11.3 yards on toe misses and 10 yards on heel misses. The tight delta means the Kirklands don’t favor a golfer who misses it in one specific location. In fact, the 1.3-yard delta between heel and toe misses was the tightest we saw during robotic testing.

Some heel and toe deltas from competitors were upward of 11 yards on similar game-improvement and players-distance models. The Kirklands don’t retain ball speed exceptionally well in one location, but they won’t hurt you all that much, either. It’s further confirmation that the addition of tungsten in the head and a weight screw in the toe isn’t just for show.

Carrying cost

Taking the ball speed on geometric center strikes into account, Kirkland wound up averaging a carry distance of 155.4 yards. That’s 15 yards shorter than the longest iron we tested, and just over 6 yards longer than the shortest carry distance recorded.

That said, the irons sitting below Kirkland on the carry distance chart are better-player cavity-back models and blades with weaker lofts. It’s fair to say Kirkland is the shortest players-distance/game-improvement model that went through our robotic testing.

Does that matter to someone who’s plunking down $499 for a set of irons at Costco? That’s ultimately up to the golfer making the purchasing decision.

For the moment, Costco’s Kirkland Signature irons remain sold out and are currently going for $750-$900 on the secondary market, making them a similar buy to the other brands in the marketplace.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post We robot-tested Costco’s Kirkland Signature irons. Here are 3 things we learned appeared first on Golf.

The post Costco’s $199 Kirkland Signature driver now available. Here’s what we know appeared first on Golf.

The post Costco’s $199 Kirkland Signature driver now available. Here’s what we know appeared first on Golf.

Last week big-box retailer Costco caught the attention of budget-minded golfers when it released its highly anticipated Kirkland Signature player’s distance irons.

This week comes Costco’s follow-up act: its value-packed Kirkland Signature driver, priced at $199.

The Kirkland Signature driver is the last of three recent Costco golf-product releases; the first was a yellow version of its Kirkland golf ball, which hit shelves in September, followed by the Kirkland Signature irons last week.

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Kirkland Signature driver technology

The technical details of the driver are limited to a single sentence on Costco’s website, but the club features a titanium body and face, carbon composite crown and an adjustable hosel. This is more technology than we originally anticipated when the driver hit the USGA conforming club list last month.

Price, specs, availability

The driver is priced at $199 on Costco’s website, and if customer reaction is anything like what we saw with the recently released irons (which sold in hours), it’s unlikely inventory will last long.

The driver comes with a True Temper EvenFlow RipTide shaft in stiff or regular. The only available loft is 10.5 but it can be adjusted down to 9.5 or up to 11.5 degrees of loft.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Costco’s $199 Kirkland Signature driver now available. Here’s what we know appeared first on Golf.

The post Costco’s $499 Kirkland Signature irons sold out in just hours appeared first on Golf.

The post Costco’s $499 Kirkland Signature irons sold out in just hours appeared first on Golf.

Big-box retailer Costco again sent gear nerds into a frenzy Saturday by selling out of their highly anticipated Kirkland Signature players’ irons in just a matter of a few hours.

The Kirkland Signature irons are the second of a wave of three new Costco golf-product releases; the first was a yellow version of its Kirkland golf ball, which was released in September, and the third is a yet-to-be-released adjustable driver, which was spotted on the USGA conforming list last month.

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How fast did the Kirkland Signature irons sell out?

Like many Costco offerings, the irons unassumingly made their way to its website the morning of Dec. 9; GOLF.com’s Fully Equipped Instagram account posted about the irons’ availability, and soon after several other social-media accounts picked up the news. By around 3 p.m. ET, the irons had sold out in both of their available configurations (stiff or regular flex in right-handed).

With some rough math — calculated thanks in part to a leaked internal slide which showed that Costco had an initial buy of $2 million worth of iron sets, with the sets selling for $500 ($499 to be exact) — that means Costco likely sold around 4,000 sets in five hours. Not too shabby for clubs with no paid advertising or player endorsements.

Kirkland Signature irons technology

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Although the full technical details are limited to a single sentence on Costco’s website, the irons feature a hollow urethane-injected, stainless steel body and face with internal tungsten weighting to increase forgiveness and playability. There is no indication that the face is made of a different type of stronger or lighter variation of stainless steel to help with distance or forgiveness, but it’s possible.

This hollow foam/urethane-filled construction is similar to many other irons in the player’s distance category, including the TaylorMade P790 and PXG 0311 series irons, with the difference being both of those companies utilize proprietary construction methods.

Price, specs, availability

The irons are priced at $499 on Costco.com but, as mentioned, are currently sold out. This spike in demand and curiosity already has some resellers taking to eBay and asking as much as $1,099 for a set of the clubs that were limited to two orders per member.

The shafts in the set are True Temper Elevate MPH 115 and come in stiff and regular flex; the clubs are gripped with Lamkin Crossline 360s.

Much like with the previous wedges and golf balls from Costco, we don’t expect these irons to be a limited release, and they could be back in stock sooner rather than later.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Costco’s $499 Kirkland Signature irons sold out in just hours appeared first on Golf.