Ball Lab: Kirkland Performance + V2 Review

MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of the golf balls on the market to help you find the best ball for your money. Today, we’re taking a look at the 2021 Costco Kirkland Performance + V2. To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.

About the Kirkland Performance + V2

While the world awaits another four-piece Kirkland golf ball that will hopefully be the equal of the original, golfers still have the option of choosing Costco’s three-piece Performance + V2.

At less than $13 a dozen, it seems like a great deal but when we ran the original through Ball lab, we found that although the ball was cheap, it was of no value. Nearly a quarter of the sample had a significant concentricity issue and the diameter consistency easily qualified as poor.

In our recent robot test, we found that Costco’s ball doesn’t always hold its own against the premium balls on the market. The Performance + V2 is shorter than most due largely to its high spin properties and there are some question marks around its performance in the wind. Those details alone suggest it’s not a ball for everyone but for those it fits (or for those who are willing to sacrifice some performance for value), the question of quality lingers (or at least it should).

Is the Costco Kirkland Performance + V2 an improvement over the original? Here’s what we found.

Kirkland Performance + V2 — Compression

On our gauge, the Kirkland Performance + V2 measures 94 compression on average.  That’s up about four points over the previous model, placing it in the same general range as the Callaway Chrome Soft X and Vice Pro. In fact, it’s the firmest three-piece ball in our database.

Kirkland Performance + V2 — Diameter and Weight

A single ball in Kirkland Performance + V2 sample exceeded the USGA weight limit of 1.62 ounces. While that’s not good, it’s not uncommon for overweight DTC/factory balls to come in bunches so the fact that the issue was limited to a single ball is encouraging.

None in the sample failed to meet our standard of roundness, though it’s worth mentioning that, while it’s not as big as its predecessor, the Performance + V2 still qualifies as large by urethane ball standards.

Kirkland Performance + V2 — Inspection

Centeredness and Concentricity

Unlike the previous Kirkland three-piece ball, layer concentricity was not a concern this time around. We only noted a few balls with minor concentricity defects but none was severe enough for us to flag the balls as bad.

Core Consistency

Core color was generally consistent. No miscellaneous debris, chunks, etc., were noted.

Cover

No significant cover defects were noted. However, we did observe some dimple irregularities that appear to be the result of the ball not exiting the mold perfectly cleanly.

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Kirkland Performance + V2 — Consistency

In this section, we detail the consistency of the Kirkland Performance + V2. Our consistency metrics provide a measure of how similar the balls in our sample were to one another relative to all of the models we’ve tested to date.

Weight Consistency

Weight consistency falls within the low end of the average range. Weight in Box 3 was a bit less consistent overall.

Diameter Consistency

The Kirkland Performance + V2 is an exceptionally large golf ball (by urethane standards). As you can see, not every ball completely fits on our chart. While large, size was generally consistent (average on our scale), with Box 3 trending slightly smaller A large ball is typically a shorter ball so golfers seeking to maximize distance should rightfully be concerned about the larger diameter.

Compression Consistency

Compression consistency falls within our good range. While there were a couple of noticeably firmer balls, the delta across the entire sample was only eight points. The average compression delta (the compression range across the three points measured on each ball) was also generally good, with only a couple of balls showing a wider range.

Kirkland Performance + V2 — Summary

To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.

The biggest takeaway should be that the consistency of the Costco Kirkland Performance + V2 is significantly better than the original three-piece. From a quality standpoint, it’s an above-average ball. While that’s what we focus on in Ball Lab, I’d be remiss not to point out that the performance characteristics of this ball—notably mid-low launch and excessively high spin—solidly position it as a niche offering.

While nearly everyone loves a value, the overwhelming majority of golfers will be better served by a ball with less extreme performance characteristics.

The Good

Significantly improved quality Above average compression consistency

The Bad

Oversized and excessively spinny

Final Grade

The Costo Kirkland Performance + V2 gets an overall grade of 84.

The True Price of the Kirkland Performance + V2 is $12.85. That’s a whopping 36 cents above retail which speaks to how ridiculously inexpensive it is.

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