Who Makes Kirkland Golf Clubs?
Recently, Kirkland has made inroads and gained market share in the golf equipment industry.
In fact, in 2016, Kirkland broke into the golf market with its 4-piece signature golf balls. (They then got sued by Titleist for allegedly making a ball too similar to the Pro V1 at a fraction of the price)
This was then followed up shortly after by its line of wedges and putters. Now you can even buy Kirkland Irons and a Driver. A full bag.
Surely Kirkland does not do it’s own golf equipment R&D… so that begs the question:
Who makes the Kirkland Golf Clubs?
So who actually makes the Kirkland Signatures clubs?
Costco has been historically very tight-lipped about who manufactures its Kirkland products.
However, we do have some clues about who manufactures some of its leading products.
For instance, Starbucks is believed to roast some Kirkland signature coffee blends, Reynolds is thought to be responsible for its aluminum foil and Duracell is believed to be behind some of its batteries.
What about the golf clubs?
According to court documents, Kirkland golf clubs are made by the Southern California Design Company, also known as Indi Golf.
We know this because TaylorMade filed a lawsuit against Costco and Southern California Design Company in February 2024, alleging the Kirkland Signature Player Irons violated various patents that TaylorMade holds on its P790 irons.
The lawsuit also alleges that the Kirkland irons do not contain the advertised injected urethane insert, as the product description states.
TaylorMade has requested a jury trial.
This lawsuit comes about seven years after Titleist sued Kirkland over something similar regarding the Kirkland Signature golf balls.
The Titleist lawsuit alleged that Kirkland’s golf balls infringed on Titleist patents related to cores and dimples, notably in its uber-popular Pro V1.
The matter was eventually settled out of court in 2018.
It’s likely we’ll see the same resolution with TaylorMade when the dust settles on the more recent lawsuit Kirkland is involved in.
Kirkland Golf Clubs and Similarities to Other Clubs
Many people make the argument that Kirkland golf equipment bears a striking resemblance to other name brands in golf.
Here are the clubs that people claim are most similar to the Kirkland brand:
The 4-Piece Kirkland Signature golf balls have been said to be similar to the Titleist Pro V1 by Titleist themselves in court documents.
The Kirkland wedge set is said to be similar to Callaway’s Jaws line of wedges.
The Kirkland Signature KS1 Putter has been compared by some to the Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport.
And of course the Kirkland Irons have been said to be similar to the TaylorMade P790’s by TaylorMade themselves in court documents.
It’s important to note the difference between resemblance and copying.
There’s nothing wrong with being influenced by a certain product or technology and putting your own unique spin on it.
It’s when this “spin” violates any existing patents or intellectual property that there’s a problem.
But Titleist and TaylorMade have believed that Kirkland has taken things a step too far, as evidenced by the lawsuits each brand has filed in recent years.
Should You Buy Kirkland Golf Clubs?
We’re not going to tell you what golf clubs you should be buying, as there are a lot of options out there and so many factors that should go into any golfer’s golf club selection.
However, one of the reasons why Kirkland’s line of irons and wedges has become so popular is because of their quality and affordability.
The iron set retails for $500, which is much more affordable than other new iron sets from competing golf club makers.
Kirkland’s three-piece wedge set retails for $170.
Again, it’s a much more affordable price point than what some three-piece wedge sets from some name brands cost.
In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find just one wedge from one of the leading name golf brands for $170.
When you factor in the value proposition, Kirkland clubs are a more affordable entry point for golfers who want a good set of clubs, but don’t want to pay premium prices.
What’s more, Kirkland golf clubs are on the approved USGA golf list.
We have performed full, in-depth, on course reviews of all the Kirkland Golf Clubs.
Check them out here:
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