Costco Kirkland Signature Driver

The Kirkland Signature driver from Costco aims to deliver a high level of quality at an extremely accessible price point. With a multi-material construction, a Project X EvenFlow Riptide shaft, and Lamkin 360 grip, the Costco driver offers a lot of technology similar to its premium counterparts. That said, options are limited. The KSig driver is only available in 10.5º (albeit with four loft adjustments) regular or stiff flex, and right handed. Regardless, if the club performs and lives up to the hype, $200 is a killer value for a quality driver.

The Looks

I’d previously seen pictures of the Kirkland Signature driver leading up to and through its first wave of availability. The club honestly looked pretty good overall, even if it greatly resembled Titleist’s last couple of generations of drivers. When I got it in hand, my opinions changed quite a bit. I think the profile is a really nice and classic shape. The carbon composite crown looks sharp as well. However, there’s something about the disproportionate silver alignment dot on the topline. I can’t explain it other than something about it looks really off and cheap. Maybe it’s how it awkwardly sits where the face rolls into the bulge of the topline? Or just that it looks like it’s going to scrape off just from looking at it funny? That might not be a bad idea, actually. The club would look pretty good from address without that dot.

(I know, I can’t believe I had that much to say about a tiny sight dot on a driver either…)

If I’m being fair, when you flip the club over, it still looks pretty cheap. I know this club is focused on affordability and keeping costs down, but it just feels like Costco could have done a much better job here. In my opinion, the sole of the club looks exactly like what you’d expect a golf club produced and sold by a warehouse grocery store to look like.

Credit where credit’s due, however, the Kirkland Signature headcover is really nice. I mean it! Yes it’s an interesting billboard to have in your bag, but it looks clean and is good quality.

How Does it Feel?

There are really two factors to discuss in terms of the Kirkland Signature driver’s feel. First is the Project X EvenFlow Riptide shaft. While it’s likely that this EvenFlow was made specifically for Costco and this driver, it’s still a versatile shaft that can fit a wide range of golfers. The profile is smooth with a very gradual kick in the middle of the shaft as opposed to a sharp, distinct kickpoint. Many golfers will appreciate the ease of loading and releasing energy in the golf swing. If you’re interested, you can read my original review of this shaft here.

Second is the actual feel of impact on the face. In my opinion, it felt “just ok”. I would say it’s plenty responsive giving you enough feedback to let you know exactly where you struck the ball. There’s just not much pop in it. I’m not saying the “variable face thickness” (the face is thicker in the center than around the edges) feels dead, but there wasn’t really any definitive assurance of “yeah, I really pumped that one” in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, you know when you caught one square and when you didn’t, but I wouldn’t tell you there’s a lot of jump when you catch the sweet spot. I believe you can find a better feeling driver spending a similar amount of money.

How Does it Sound?

To Costco’s credit, the Kirkland Signature driver sounds quite a bit better than a lot of “budget” drivers do. I don’t think it’ll be confused for sounding like a high-end premium driver, but it’s not bad. I assume a large part of that can be attributed to the combination of a carbon crown and titanium body. There’s a slight metallic tone from the titanium face and sole, but it’s dampened quite a bit by the carbon fiber crown. A well-struck shot will have a tight “whap”. Mishits get looser and have a slightly harsh vibratory tone with with more “ping” mixed into the natural sound.

On-Course Performance

Generally speaking, the Kirkland Signature driver performs perfectly fine. It’s not a monster, but it’s also not unplayable by any means. I think most of my issues with it really came down to not being a good fit for this club whatsoever. Because of this, I generally found it difficult to find the center of the face consistently. This lowered my average smash factor (think of this as how well you strike the ball and transfer energy into it) and my overall distance. Obviously the numbers above are plenty playable, but they aren’t “optimized”. I get better performance out of multiple other drivers. I also couldn’t make a full swing and maintain any control.

To be fair, the KSig driver is plenty playable for the average golfer on a budget. There’s an “alloy screw” in the rear of the club to move the center of gravity backward. This creates easier launch and more spin to hold the ball in the air. As far as I could tell, the Kirkland Signature driver delivered that performance as intended. The four loft adjustments also seemed to work as designed. Though a common feature in today’s drivers, that little bit of extra tweaking is a nice bonus at this price point.

Final Thoughts – Costco Kirkland Signature Driver

I know the Costco Golf community has a very strong loyalty and I’ll probably get roasted for daring to have anything but absolutely glowing commentary on the Kirkland Signature driver. The truth is, the KSig driver is similar to the rest of the brand’s golf lineup. It’s just ok. It’s definitely playable, but it’s far from the best piece of gear available. Even at this price point. If I were looking to spend $200 or less on a solid driver, I’d look for something better that’s used or an older model year. For $50 more, I can get a new Tour Edge Hot Launch driver which is much better. Heck, you can get the Callaway Edge set through Costco for $550 and that’s a ten-piece set. There’s a good chance you’re the same target audience for both of those deals.

There is a world where I’d like to mess around and test the KSig with a better shaft for me. I understand that isn’t the “market intention” of this driver, but I imagine the Costco Golf loyalists could have some fun with that experimentation. Though the Kirkland Signature is far from the best driver out there, even at this price point, it’s definitely serviceable and the fun novelty of Costco Golf can’t go unrecognized at this point. If leaning into the Costco golf club craze is your thing, the driver is a fun addition. If you’re looking for a good value with solid feel and performance, I believe you can do much better.

You can watch my unboxing of the Kirkland Signature driver here.

Stock Costco Kirkland Signature Driver Specs

*Adjustable loft settings also include 9.5º, 10.5º Draw, and 11.5º

Previous Next