Kirkland Signature KS1 putter - in the wild

[BobsYourUncle]

Saw this at Costco in Adelaide yesterday while I was grabbing some new gloves. Didn't release it was coming to Australia. $249.99, and they didn't have the weight kits.

[Flavzz]

They should setup a little putting mat for people so they can try it. Has anyone tried one?

[BobsYourUncle]

I bought one because I'm a putter whore - costco has a great return policy, I'll have no trouble taking it back after a few rounds to try it out. Initial thoughts are it's not bad, but I think it needs heaver weights in the head, and unfortunately the head weight kit isn't available in Australia. Does do a wonderful job of putting a good end-over-end roll on the ball, more consistently than my huntington beach blade.

[Hatchman]

It's a lot of coin for a knock off Scotty / knock off Ping

[BobsYourUncle]

Yeah I ended up taking it back. Wasn't a bad putter, but didn't do it for me.

[rick3003]

On a separate note what are your thoughts on the Kirkland gloves? They look the part and are priced very well

[thecollective]

if they drop the price to around $150-$180 the putter will be a hit

[BobsYourUncle]

The kirkland gloves are very good.

And yeah, sub $200 with the weight kit would make the putter a good buy.

[Stuart]

if they drop the price to around $150-$180 the putter will be a hit

Genuine question - what does this offer that a Cleveland (or similar) cheaper milled putter doesn't? Why you would buy this for $250 over something from a reputable club manufacturer?

[thecollective]

Genuine question - what does this offer that a Cleveland (or similar) cheaper milled putter doesn't? Why you would buy this for $250 over something from a reputable club manufacturer?

Kirkland is a house brand that holds a very high level of Brand Salience within its own niche market (niche market being just Costco members as you cannot purchase Kirkland (new) outside of the Costco retail chain).

Many Costco customers consider Kirkland to be as good if not better quality than many of the leading brands, this reputation has been built over time largely based on a customer satisfaction level that goes against the grain of normal house brands (trade-off: value but average or crap quality) VS (win/win: value but surprisingly good quality 1st purchase, value/expecting high quality, subsequent purchases).

In plain english Kirkland is often regarded as an equal amongst its peer group of shoppers, its customer satisfaction scores bell curve is well above the norm of a common house brand that you would find in a normal supermarket.

When making a purchase decision, many Costco customers will take the famous Costco ball example into the same top of mind when purchasing a putter; expectation being a win/win rather than a trade-off

IMO the AU price point is still out of kilter, that putter needs to land in the store @ < $200. Despite my previous claim as equal in general household goods, the golf market differs and hence the willingness to pay becomes a big factor

[Flavzz]

Kirkland is a house brand that holds a very high level of Brand Salience within its own niche market (niche market being just Costco members as you cannot purchase Kirkland (new) outside of the Costco retail chain).Many Costco customers consider Kirkland to be as good if not better quality than many of the leading brands, this reputation has been built over time largely based on a customer satisfaction level that goes against the grain of normal house brands (trade-off: value but average or crap quality) VS (win/win: value but surprisingly good quality 1st purchase, value/expecting high quality, subsequent purchases). In plain english Kirkland is often regarded as an equal amongst its peer group of shoppers, its customer satisfaction scores bell curve is well above the norm of a common house brand that you would find in a normal supermarket.When making a purchase decision, many Costco customers will take the famous Costco ball example into the same top of mind when purchasing a putter; expectation being a win/win rather than a trade-offIMO the AU price point is still out of kilter, that putter needs to land in the store @ < $200. Despite my previous claim as equal in general household goods, the golf market differs and hence the willingness to pay becomes a big factor

Well said TC. At the end of the day most golf enthusiasts are unlikely to drop $250 AUD on a "non brand name" putter regardless of the quality of the product.

[thecollective]

Well said TC. At the end of the day most golf enthusiasts are unlikely to drop $250 AUD on a "non brand name" putter regardless of the quality of the product.

thinking (even more) about it; Kirkland are relying on their household goods brand reputation to keep the price point where its @. It also does not help being you need to drop $400+ these days to purchase a decent putter from another reputable brand.

I just don't think the value proposition is there. It also becomes more to do with perception rather than the actual quality of the product itself (ie: what will other ppl think if I use this putter on Saturday).

[Flavzz]

thinking (even more) about it; Kirkland are relying on their household goods brand reputation to keep the price point where its @. It also does not help being you need to drop $400+ these days to purchase a decent putter from another reputable brand.I just don't think the value proposition is there. It also becomes more to do with perception rather than the actual quality of the product itself (ie: what will other ppl think if I use this putter on Saturday).

I think what companies like Costco are doing for golf is great. I for one really like the Kirkland Signature balls. Putters are a difficult market. I feel like 10 years ago, almost all putters didn't exceed $250 apart from Scotty's which were around $450. Other manufacturers have seen that people are willing to pay 50-70% of the cost of a new driver on their putter and have hiked prices accordingly. $250 for a new putter is definitely still on the cheaper side within the market however without a tour presence or genuine golf "cred" many people may be turned off from buying Kirkland clubs which is a shame. Balls and gloves are a different story as they are consumables.

[thecollective]

If we purchased sports cars solely based on value/quality measurement the KIA Stinger would be the biggest selling car two fold in the market. Perception is everything

[Stuart]

Thanks for the responses - appreciate the insights.

[BobsYourUncle]

If we purchased sports cars solely based on value/quality measurement the KIA Stinger would be the biggest selling car two fold in the market. Perception is everything

I love the Kia Stinger

But what you said before is spot-on - Kirkland Signature is not a generic/house brand like Woolworths or Coles have, the quality is much higher. The success of that first 4-piece ball also contributes.

FWIW the KS1 putter @$250 failed to displace a Cleveland Huntington Beach putter that I paid about $110 for, but I'm an experimenter rather than a big spender when it comes to putters.

[thecollective]

Thanks for the responses - appreciate the insights.

You're welcome.

[thecollective]

I love the Kia Stinger

But what you said before is spot-on - Kirkland Signature is not a generic/house brand like Woolworths or Coles have, the quality is much higher. The success of that first 4-piece ball also contributes.

FWIW the KS1 putter @$250 failed to displace a Cleveland Huntington Beach putter that I paid about $110 for, but I'm an experimenter rather than a big spender when it comes to putters.

Remember that Huntington Beach putter is @ the end of its product life cycle rather than the beginning like the Kirkland, hence the price point has turned to clearance based on corrosion of value

[damoocow]

If we purchased sports cars solely based on value/quality measurement the KIA Stinger would be the biggest selling car two fold in the market. Perception is everything

The Kia Stinger is a sports car?

[thecollective]

The Kia Stinger is a sports car?

Taken from website:
A Gran Turismo at heart, complete with rear wheel drive, luxury amenities, and head-turning design.
The Kia Stinger is a high performance sports sedan for the enthusiast.

[damoocow]

LOL.
I'd call it a family sedan.

[WBennett]

LOL.
I'd call it a family sedan.

Like an SS Commodore.

Except you can still buy them...