I don’t make a habit of buying golf clubs from Costco, but after a few readers asked us for an insight into the Kirkland golf clubs we decided to splash some cash and see what you can get from Costco who now offers their famous Kirkland Signature golf balls, a high-end Kirkland Putter and these Kirkland Signature wedges.
Golf wedges have soared in price in recent years so the allure of grabbing three wedges for under $200/£200 feels like a steal – but are they worth it?
Throughout this Kirkland wedges review, we’ll cover the good, and the not-so-good, then suggest who these will suit and who should look elsewhere. I’ll say upfront that they really surprised me.
Table of Contents
Looks
I was expecting the Kirkland Signatures wedges to look and feel chunky, but I was super surprised – they look good, really good! Golf equipment coming from Costco doesn’t necessarily have the same design and development team that Mizuno or Titleist does, so I was pretty impressed.
Even as a better player, the top-down look is clean enough to look as though you can make clean and crisp contact. The leading edge of the wedges are pretty straight with just a small curve, I personally really like this shape as it feels like the face is really easy to aim up with your target.
In addition, the wedge sits nicely on the turf. They are low bounce and sit very flush with the turf, a nice benefit for both feel and creating spin.
We’ll get into this a bit more when we talk about creativity, but this design means the Kirkland wedges are good from tight lies and pretty versatile as you move around the green.
Spin
We’ll break this down into two areas as wedges tend to react differently with lower velocity shots (within 30 yards) and higher velocity shots (75 yards and over). Golf wedges react differently on chip shots and full wedge shots due to how the ball interacts with the face and grooves (as the ball is struck harder it is compressed into the grooves).
Greenside spin
Around the green, the Kirkland Wedges spin about 80% as much as you would get from a brand-new premium Mizuno or Titleist wedge. The face of the Kirkland wedges has a unique groove pattern and milled face technology with plenty of texture to grab the ball.
For the price, they are very impressive, and if you’re not switching from a premium wedge you’ll likely find they out perform your current wedges.
It is also worth noting that if you are not playing with a premium golf ball (Callaway Chrome Soft, Titleist Pro V1, TaylorMade TP5, etc.), you won’t notice as much difference between these and top-of-the-range wedges – a premium urethane-cover golf ball is responsible for most of the spin inside 30 yards.
The good news here is that the money you save from buying these less expensive wedges can be spent on some premium golf balls, and it may make up the difference in performance that you see on the golf course.
Full wedge shots
[TrackMan data coming soon]
Distance
The Kirkland wedges are only available in one option, meaning we all get a regular True Temper shaft and standard length and lie option in the three wedges. For this reason, you’ll have to adapt the findings in this section based on your own golf game and how that shaft may or may not suit you.
In testing, these wedges lost 6-12 yards on a full wedge shot compared to my Mizuno wedges with Dynamic Gold S300 shafts of the same loft, lie and length.
[TrackMan data coming soon]
It is tricky to say how much of this is due to the shaft and how much is due to the head design. However, be prepared to lose a little distance (5-8%) if you are opting for these. This shouldn’t put you off buying them, as wedges are all about control and consistency rather than distance, but you might need to adjust your distances.
Feel
We have a pro and a con when it comes to feel. The feel off the face around the green is great. I’d not say it is level with a $200 Titleist Vokey or Mizuno wedge, but I’d happily use these around the green when I play. On top of this, the grips are superb and will last you a very long time.
However, on fuller golf shots the feel is not as pure. I put this down to the shaft in these wedges. Part of the reason is that these shafts are a little more flexible than I am used to, but even when hitting a 50% or 75% wedge shot there feels too much going on in the shaft, resulting in vibrations coming up into the grip of the golf club and a little less control.
As you’ll see with our overall rating, the feel is still really impressive considering the price, we are getting picky with the point above. The feel of the Kirkland wedges is miles above other wedges in this price bracket and most golfers will be delighted with how these perform.
Creativity
An aspect that is often overlooked is how adaptable wedges are around the green. For instance, if you had a shot from the rough, a tight lie, to a short pin, or to a long pin, can you hit the shot you need to? And how do the wedges respond?
The Kirkland wedges really impress here. The lower bounce and grind on these wedges mean these wedges sit flush to the ground on tight lies and allow you to open up the face and hit higher cut and lob shots when you need to.
The lob wedge has a lower bounce for tight lies, whereas the sand wedge has more bounce (as it should) making it better from thicker rough and bunkers with soft sand. The gap wedge sits in the mid-bounce range and makes it versatile from many different locations.
Another factor that is worth mentioning is the consistency across these wedges – the progressive center of gravity helps improve forgiveness and control throughout the set.
They’ve almost nailed this.
For an off-the-shelf wedge setup, they are superb. I feel the 52º gap wedge isn’t optimized for full wedge shots, but this combination of wedges allows you to hit every shot you could need around the greens.
So many amateur golfers are playing with mismatched golf equipment and big gaps between their wedges. These may not be top of the range, but they are a big jump forward compared to most golfers’ wedge setups.
Value
We really could just give the Kirkland Signature wedge 10/10 when it comes to value and move on. Given their performance, the price is incredible.
The only fault we can pick with the Kirkland wedges is that they don’t come in different flex options. A stiff flex and graphite flex would make these a great option for even more golfers, but we know Costco and they know their game of high volume, few skews and great prices.
Golf Insider verdict
I ended up testing these for weeks on and off the golf course. We place our reputation on ensuring golfers get the best equipment to help them shoot lower scores, but we also understand golfers have a budget.
So, who would benefit from these new wedges in the bag?
If money isn’t an issue and you want optimum performance, go get an in-person wedge fitting. It will be great for your game and a lot of fun too. However, for most golfers shopping on a budget, the Kirkland wedges bring a much-needed option to the lower to mid-end of the wedge market. You get 3 wedges that perform really well for the cost of one premium wedge!
If you are a beginner, intermediate or high handicapper who has a beginner golf club set or game improvement irons with chunky wedges and you’re after more control the Kirkland wedges are a great pick. You can keep your current clubs and add these on to have more options around the green.
Golfers working down through their teen handicaps towards single figures who want a great wedge setup without spending several hundred dollars on a new wedge set will do well with the Kirkland wedges.
In addition, players who don’t play much (or have a backup set elsewhere) but want more than a chunky, clunky package set wedges should take a look at these too.
I’ve shot level par and 1-over with these wedges in my bag. Around the greens, I can’t fault them. A few times from 75-120 yards I wish I had wedges better suited to me in my hands. They won’t stay in my bag but this has genuinely been one of the most fun equipment tests I’ve had for a while.
Impressive work to whoever is behind designing and building these at Costco.
Technical Information
There are three wedges in the Kirkland Signature wedge set. The features are fairly basic, and no customization is available directly from the manufacturer. Here is what you can expect from these golf clubs.
Gap Wedge
- Loft 52 degrees
- 10 Degrees of bounce
- Swing weight: D3
- Club Length 35.5 inches
- Lie 64 degrees
- Shaft: True Temper Wedge Flex
- Grip: Kirkland Signature Tour Grip
Sand Wedge
- Loft 56 degrees
- 10 Degrees of bounce
- Swing weight: D4
- Club Length 35.25 inches
- Lie 64 degrees
- Shaft: True Temper Wedge Flex
- Grip: Kirkland Signature Tour Grip
Lob Wedge
- Loft 60 degrees
- 8 Degrees of bounce
- Swing Weight: D4
- Club Length 35 inches
- Lie 64 degrees
- Shaft: True Temper Wedge Flex
- Grip: Kirkland Signature Tour Grip
Frequently Asked Questions
Still, questioning whether the Kirkland Signature wedges are the best choice for your game? Here are a few last things to consider.
Are the Kirkland wedges legal?
The Kirkland wedges are USGA-conforming and acceptable to use during tournament golf. In addition, the Kirkland Signature putter is also conforming.
What grind and bounce are the Kirkland wedges?
The gap wedge and the sand wedge in the Kirkland signature wedges are both 10 degrees. The lob wedge is 8 degrees, so it is slightly lower in bounce. There are no specific grind or bounce options in the new Kirkland wedges; the clubs are sold as they are.
What lofts are the Kirkland wedges?
The Kirkland wedges come as a set of three with a gap wedge with 52 degrees, a sand wedge with 56 degrees, and a lob wedge with 60 degrees of loft. The lofts are not customizable, and the clubs are always sold as a set.
Are Kirkland wedges for high handicappers?
The Kirkland wedges would be well suited for a higher handicapper looking to take their game to the next level. In addition, the progressive center of gravity in the Kirkland wedges does help improve overall forgiveness. However, please note, these will be less forgiving for miss hits compared to chunky game improvement wedges.
Happy golfing.
You failed to mention that they only come right handed . They also only sell left hand golf gloves for righties.
That leaves out about 12% of male golfers. Discriminating a large number of Costco members.