For $199, is the Kirkland Signature driver worth the hype? Would you buy it? If not, why not?

Releases from Callaway Golf, TaylorMade, PING, COBRA and other major manufacturers always create excitement and flood social media. Will Costco’s upstart new driver create even more buzz and impressions?

For the answers to those questions, I put the Kirkland Signature driver through a MyGolfSpy “We Tried It” experience. Here are the results. 

The Initial Case for the Kirkland Signature Driver

Any golf product carrying the name “Kirkland Signature” creates discussion. Is it controversial? To some, maybe. However, Costco is offering golf equipment at an affordable price. Frankly, that’s a refreshing approach, potentially making golf more accessible. 

The average recreational golfer or weekend warrior might be enthralled by a $199 golf driver. A Costco shopper may stumble upon it and think, “Wow, this is an incredible deal!” Another might question just how good a Costco driver can be for $199. All of these scenarios are possible so it is our job to answer the burning question: Does the Kirkland Signature driver deserve the hype—and your 200 bucks?

Kirkland Signature Driver First Impressions

From a distance, the Costco driver looks eerily similar to a Titleist driver. There is a distinct differential in appearance, though. The carbon composite crown is glossy but it progresses into a pattern as it shifts further from the face of the driver. 

When a tester sees it and asks, “Is that a Titleist driver?”, the connection between the two is evident. 

I like the feel at contact. You can feel the ball compressing which, for me, correlates to a softer feel. This may vary for others as feel, sound and appearance are subjective. 

Testers’ Impressions

Most Wanted Driver testing is well underway at our headquarters. In addition to my experience with this “We Tried It”, I think it’s paramount to include feedback from our testing pool. Most have hit the Kirkland Signature driver and here are some thoughts surrounding it:

“Hands down, the best driver for the price point” “Surprisingly lighter, which is appealing to me” “I was pleasantly surprised by how stable the stock shaft performs and handles my speed” “It’s a great driver for the weekend warrior. But it’s not for me” “The driver sits closed at address, which doesn’t fit my eye. But, it performs better than I expected” “Early assessment is the driver is draw-bias and I fought that. Dispersion is big, misses are poor, but well struck shots are rewarded”

So, positive and negative comments as you would expect. A majority of the negative comments pertain to how the driver sits at address (closed) and the lack of shaft options. Reports on its overall performance will be intriguing but we won’t know until our 2024 Most Wanted Driver results come out. For now, you’re stuck with my data set. 

To that point, here’s the Kirkland Signature driver head-to-head with my current driver.

Kirkland Signature Driver Data

Let’s talk about driver data. This data portion will be much smaller than our 2024 Most Wanted Driver article, which will be close to 18,000 shots. 

Ball Speed

Carry Distance

Total Distance

Backspin

Launch Angle

Just The Beginning

Once again, this is a small sampling of data for the Kirkland Signature driver. It will not be going in the bag any time soon. The performance doesn’t match my current driver, which is evident in the data. I also found the Costco driver to be draw-bias, as my dispersion with it was more left than my current driver.

My driver is dialed in for me, so it doesn’t surprise me to see better results with my driver. However, the results may be enough to steer some of you away from the Kirkland driver. 

The biggest concern for me is the stock True Temper EvenFlow Riptide shaft. I am not saying it is a poor option but it does not mesh with how I deliver the club to the golf ball. I believe a different shaft has the potential to produce better results.

As I’ve said, we are well underway with our 2024 Most Wanted Driver test and that will be the ultimate answer to those questions about the performance of the Kirkland Signature driver. Stay tuned!

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