Equipment
Costco chairman: The Kirkland Signature golf ball will be back
If you didn’t get a chance to jump on the Costco Kirkland Signature golf ball bandwagon before the train left the station (to mix metaphors), don’t worry.
Per SeattlePi.com, Costco co-founder and chairman of the board Jeffrey Brotman dropped the site a line in response to the grim news, which we also covered at the end of December: the balls were sold out.
The Kirkland Signature four-piece cupboard was bare for weeks ahead of Christmas, only to be restocked online December 20 and sell out again within a half hour, with eager golfers crashing the site in the process. Until now, it had been assumed Costco would contract South Korean manufacturer Nassau Golf for another cargo ship full, but no official word had been received.
Consider this the official word. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Brotman wrote an email saying in part, “the golf balls will return.”
Of course, we’d like to have a more specific idea of when they’ll line the discount warehouse’s shelves, but we take solace in the fact they’ll be back.
The $30-for-two-dozen four-piece urethane balls caused quite a stir in the golf equipment community last year. Our Andrew Tursky rounded up some of the considerable enthusiasm from the forums in this piece.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.
TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.
The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.
One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.
Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.
See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:
MySpider Tour
MySpider Tour X
Equipment
Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory
In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.
McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.
So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?
Driver
2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)
McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.
What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)
The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.
Fairway woods
2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X
The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.
The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.
Irons
2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.
With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.
Wedges
2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.
Putter
2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.
Ball
2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)
As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Grips
2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC
Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.
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Turk20
Apr 4, 2017 at 6:52 am
Both Taylor made and maxfli had golf balls in their mid range price that were better than their top lines both ‘sold out’ and came back as inferior balls. We will see what happens but I will not buy more than minimum to check them out first. COSTCO really screwed up on golf gloves when they dropped the leather ones and now only have the synthetic. After years of buying them would not go near current product.
stan markowski
Mar 12, 2017 at 9:03 pm
I like Costco they are a good company,their quality is also very good I am waiting for their golf balls I”ll take mine in yellow please…stan
JT Reese
Feb 12, 2017 at 1:19 pm
Bottom line is this. As a consumer paying $45-50 a dozen for a pro-line ball is insane! The MG (Master Grip) also has close specs to the PRO-V, for $19.99 per doz. Like anything else you pay for the name. It’s time there is some competition that may drive the prices down. Personally, I play the Prov, only because I have a contact who is a ball hunter guru! No water balls. So $20 a dozen for mint, this is what I do. Ain’t paying their price!
Ivor Robson
Feb 3, 2017 at 7:58 pm
Can’t wait to buy the k sigs at the wembly stadium location
Deadeye
Jan 31, 2017 at 6:32 pm
I just changed from Prov1 to Callaway super hot 55. Great feel, at least ten yards longer and available at Costco for fifteen dollars a dozen. Not as much spin around the green but flies straighter and holds greens. Nice soft feel on all clubs. So, bring back the four piece ball if you want but I am staying with my new best ball.
DTrump
Jan 31, 2017 at 4:03 pm
The Kirkland Signature ball is a great ball, which was made to fire the first shot towards the big boys. This ball is the official ball of Kim Jong Un and it says right on the box, guaranteed 2 Hole In Ones per dozen purchased. This ball will bring the Koreas together once again.
I will not play this ball, because it doesnt say Titleist.
DJT
Jan 30, 2017 at 2:51 am
For far too long South Korean ball companies have been killing U.S jobs and destroying our domestic golf ball industry. My administration will be taxing these balls %200 to level the playing field with the U.S made ProV1 (which is fabulous ball, amazing really.) This undercutting stops NOW. My team is also considering ban on foreign players so all PGA events are won by U.S PLAYERS ONLY. #fakeballs #muricafirst #MPGAGA
Rick
Jan 30, 2017 at 4:07 am
When I read stuff like that all I hear is this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zbjGUmI4Js
Rick
Jan 30, 2017 at 4:14 am
Obviously the English version haha, or as you would probably rather say the “murican version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyrNktD_PwA
DC1
Jan 31, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Hilarious! First Trump related laugh I have had since the election!
Golfer
Aug 20, 2020 at 2:45 am
Hate to break it to you, but the ProV1 is not made in the US anymore
Randel
Jan 29, 2017 at 8:36 pm
Very simple, how many new Costco Members will be plunking down $50 or more for a membership so they can buy Kirkland balls? Once in the store do you think a $30 dollar purchase is all that they will buy? Costco now knows these balls will bring in more customers and any item that is a sure fire draw will of course be a priority for them….
Grizz01
Jan 31, 2017 at 7:21 pm
I love the free market!
BooBunkie
Jan 29, 2017 at 5:28 am
Ooooh Peter’s Dad is on line 1! The duuuuuude!!!
Jim
Jan 29, 2017 at 12:51 am
I would imagine there are plenty of ball manufactures in China, South Korea and even Taiwan that can make a ball very much like or exactly the same as Costco sold as Kirkland..and they would be very happy to sell a few million to Costco any day of the week. If you had the rights to a ball Costco would buy a couple million of what would you do? Callaway, Taylormade, Titliest all make most of their high end balls in the U.S. with a small portion and cheaper models coming in from over seas. There has to be some manufactures that have room for others, I did some searching and found 2 companies in China that were offering a 3 piece urethane ball with any name you wanted printed on it in lots of 10,000 or more…about .55 cents each????
The dude
Jan 29, 2017 at 7:36 pm
Nice research!!
Golfer
Aug 20, 2020 at 2:47 am
This is actually incorrect, all of the premium balls you listed are currently being made overseas either entirely, or only the urethane cover is made in the US. Check the side of the box…
TonyK
Jan 28, 2017 at 11:13 pm
If Kirkland Signature balls come back, it won’t be the same ball by Nassau Korea. According to a Korean golf forum, currently Nassau Korea are not making the KS balls any more and they do not have a plan to make them in the near future.
Sean
Jan 30, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Source?
BooBunkie
Jan 28, 2017 at 4:13 pm
These my friend are Pro V’s with masquerade masks on. Think Phantom Of The Opera.
The dude
Jan 28, 2017 at 5:26 pm
Not even Close….
– Wally Uilhein
Obee
Jan 30, 2017 at 10:57 am
The spin data seems far different on full wedge shots. At least the data I saw.
David Montgomery
Jan 28, 2017 at 3:17 pm
Is it true that Costco bought a bunch of unwanted balls from TayloreMade for really cheap and they just re-branded them with their logo? That would explain why people love the feel and especially the price.
Joseph
Jan 28, 2017 at 7:16 pm
Costco buys a lot of overruns, closeouts and gray market product intended for other markets, not the US Costco may sell golf balls called Kirtland, but you can be certain that it will not be the same ball from the same factory’s that was sold last year. Why? Because whoever those balls were actually made for will cut off the factory if they ever dump product to Costco again. If Costco was selling them for $14 a dozen, that factory wasn’t making much on the deal anyway, just getting rid of excess inventory.
Jack
Jan 29, 2017 at 6:33 am
Really.. interesting as I thought Costco mostly buys stuff in bulk and brands create specific products to work in their stores. Kirkland products are specifically designed for Costco as that’s their store brand. I highly doubt they went into this only thinking short term. Kirkland products don’t change that often. Golf balls though might since they probably never imagined people paying so much attention to them. If the current supplier changes their mind, I’m sure there are other suppliers willing to do the same if they have the excess capacity. Which I think is what happened. The current supplier ran out of capacity and Costco couldn’t find another one soon enough to produce an identical product.
DC1
Jan 31, 2017 at 2:24 pm
Bingo. Don’t sell costco short, they are a very smart retailer who takes the long view. If they say they are coming back, they are coming back. They know the balls are really good, they won’t come back with an inferior product. That’s not how they work.
Golfgirlrobin
Jan 29, 2017 at 5:57 pm
All Kirkland branded product is designed and made specifically for Costco. They’re not cheaper because they’re overruns or rebranded, Kirkland is cheaper because there are virtually no marketing costs and they control the entire production chain.
Tazz2293
Jan 30, 2017 at 7:20 am
The Costco Golf R&D Department is really pumping out golf ball innovation as we speak.
Lance
Jan 28, 2017 at 12:20 pm
Why not link to the source?
toad37
Jan 28, 2017 at 3:14 pm
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Costco-says-golf-balls-will-return-10883759.php