Over the past few years, I’ve heard many golfers rave about Costco’s Kirkland Signature golf balls. At £2.71 cheaper per ball than the latest Titleist Pro V1s, I can see the appeal of the Kirkland Signature Performance+ balls, especially for amateur golfers seeking an inexpensive yet high-quality golf ball.
About the Kirkland Signature Performance+ golf balls
According to Costco, these USGA-approved, 3-piece urethane balls feature a high-velocity core, a speed-boosting mantle, and a 338-dimple pattern designed to deliver tour-level greenside spin and a penetrating trajectory. Their website states that they offer:
- Longer Driving Distance With Increased Carry
- Highly Elastic Rubber Core For Higher Speeds
- Modified Dimple Depth for Optimised Flight Height
We’ll revisit these points at the end of this article to assess how much truth there is in these claims.
For now, let’s discuss the testing setup.
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Test setup and conditions
The setup
My testing was conducted in my garden practice net setup, using my FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 launch monitor to capture the data. I used Titleist Pro V1 RCT golf balls (specifically designed for launch monitor use) and Kirkland Signature Performance+ golf balls with aluminium golf ball stickers to improve data tracking.
The process
After a thorough warm-up, I hit 10-12 shots with both golf balls, starting with my pitching wedge, then my 7-iron, followed by my 4-hybrid, and finishing with my driver.
The data
To ensure data integrity and remove outliers or mis-hits, the data was filtered to a strict, clean baseline sample of 10 average, representative shots per club for both the Titleist Pro V1 and the Kirkland Signature Performance+ (V3).
The Results
Now that we’ve looked at the setup and testing process, let’s take a closer look at the captured data to see what the Kirkland Performance+ does well and where it could be improved for my swing.
Driver Data
Although the Kirkland data showed a slightly higher average club speed (99.4 mph) than the Pro V1 (98.5 mph), its ball speed of 140.7 mph was 1.2 mph lower than the Pro V1’s 141.9 mph, indicating a minor efficiency difference off the face, as reflected in a slightly lower smash factor of 1.40 compared with the Pro V1’s 1.42. This gave the Pro V1 a slight advantage in carry distance, carrying 228.4 yards compared with the Performance+’s 226.2 yards.
For spin, the two balls were almost identical, averaging just under 3,000 rpm. Surprisingly, the Kirkland spun a fraction less, by 38 rpm (2,902 vs. 2,940 rpm). Despite that lower spin, the Pro V1 managed to squeeze out slightly more height (83.9 ft vs 83.2 ft) from a marginally lower launch angle (12.4° vs 12.6°), which likely helped it achieve those extra 2 yards.
Finally, both were relatively tight, with the Pro V1 (9.5 yards) edging out the Performance+ (11.2 yards) when it came to lateral dispersion.
4-Hybrid data
When it comes to my 4-hybrid, I’m looking for a ball that launches a little higher and lands softer, as I primarily use this club for long par 3s or to hold narrow fairways.
As with the driver, my club speed with the 4-hybrid was very close with both balls – 90.9 mph for the Performance+ and 92.0 mph for the Pro V1, resulting in closely comparable ball speeds of 128.7 mph and 130.0 mph. Despite the lower club and ball speed, the Kirkland Performance+ demonstrated better efficiency, with a smash factor of 1.42 compared to the Pro V1’s 1.41.
In terms of distance, the Performance+ carried over 5 yards further than the Pro V1 (196.7 yards vs 191.1 yards). This might sound appealing, but it was largely due to the Pro V1 launching higher at 19.2° compared to Kirkland’s flatter 18.0° trajectory, resulting in a noticeable difference in peak apex, with the Pro V1 reaching 85.3 ft against Kirkland’s lower 81.8 ft peak height.
Spin and descent dynamics further separated the two balls. The Pro V1 generated 4,900 rpm of spin, more than 1,000 rpm higher than the Kirkland’s 3,855 rpm. Combined with a steeper descent angle (41.3° vs 39.3°), the Pro V1 provides the bite and soft landing I look for when trying to hold fairways and greens from distance, whereas the higher-spinning Kirkland flew flatter and tended to release more.
7-Iron data
Looking at the 7-iron data, the Titleist Pro V1 delivered superior distance and height despite lower ball speed and smash factor on paper. Although the Kirkland Performance+ produced a slightly higher ball speed (111.0 mph vs. 110.2 mph) and a better smash factor (1.30 vs. 1.27) from a slower club speed (85.6 mph vs. 86.5 mph), the Pro V1 still out-carried the Kirkland (158.3 yards vs. 154.6 yards) and reached a higher peak apex (91.8 ft vs. 89.1 ft). Beyond that extra distance and loft, the Pro V1 also generated higher spin—averaging 4,923 rpm compared to the Kirkland’s 4,621 rpm—alongside a steeper descent angle (45.8° versus 42.2°). In my opinion, that combination of a towering flight window, extra spin, and a steeper descent angle makes the Pro V1 much more favourable for approaching greens and getting the ball to land and stop quickly.
Pitching Wedge Data
Looking at the pitching wedge data, the Titleist delivered superior distance and higher ball speed, backed by a slightly higher club speed on paper. With the Titleist generating a marginally higher club speed (82.0 mph vs. 81.5 mph) and higher ball speed (93.3 mph vs. 91.7 mph) at the same 1.13 smash factor, it comfortably out-carried the Kirkland Performance+ (116.6 yards vs. 113.0 yards). Beyond that extra distance, the Titleist also produced higher spin, averaging 7,625 rpm compared to the Kirkland’s 7,356 rpm, alongside a steeper descent angle (51.7° versus 51.0°).
It is also worth noting that the Kirkland achieved a slightly higher peak height (92.4 ft versus 90.4 ft) and a noticeably tighter dispersion window (with a much smaller standard deviation in carry, 1.7 yards vs. 3.9 yards). For a scoring club like a pitching wedge, that tighter dispersion is a great asset because it eliminates surprise flyers and provides highly predictable yardages.
Data chart view
If you’re interested in seeing the data visualised in chart view, you can click or tap on the images below to increase their size.
Summary - What the data says
My test data suggests that the Titleist Pro V1 performed better across most metrics with each club, particularly the scoring clubs. The Pro V1 generally had a longer carry distance and higher spin rate across most clubs, alongside a higher ball speed everywhere except the 7-iron (where the Kirkland actually generated a slightly higher ball speed of 111.0 vs 110.2 mph). It also showed a steeper descent angle with the 4-hybrid, 7-iron, and pitching wedge, which is always helpful when trying to get the ball to stop quickly on the green.
The Kirkland Signature Performance+ golf ball, however, showed longer carry with the 4-hybrid and tighter dispersion (±1.7 yards standard deviation vs ±3.9 yards) with a slightly higher peak height (92.4 vs 90.4 ft) with the pitching wedge. Whilst the driver didn’t carry as far, it was launched flatter and spun less, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for me with the driver in hand.
Which golfer is the Kirkland Performance+ best suited to?
Earlier in this article, I shared Costco’s marketing claims about the Performance+ golf ball and said we’d see whether the test data supported them.
To be fair to the Performance+, whilst it didn’t outperform the Titleist Pro V1 in terms of driver carry and total distance, it came very close. In both cases, it was only 2 yards shorter, which isn’t bad at all.
Again, the Performance+ wasn’t a million miles away from the premium Pro V1. It produced a slightly higher ball speed with the 7-iron (111.0 vs 110.2 mph) and a higher smash factor with both the 4-hybrid and 7-iron. That said, ball speed was lower than the Pro V1 off the Driver (140.7 vs 141.9 mph) and the Pitching Wedge (91.7 vs 93.3 mph), so it was a bit of a mixed bag.
The Pro V1 achieved a higher peak apex on the driver, 4-hybrid, and 7-iron. However, the Performance+ had a higher peak height on the Pitching Wedge (92.4 vs 90.4 ft).
The Kirkland Signature Performance+ is, in my opinion, best suited to golfers who want a competitively priced urethane golf ball that performs well across the bag.
It’s an ideal choice for golfers looking for a ball that spins less with lower-lofted clubs such as drivers and woods, delivers a flatter ball flight for extra distance across the bag, and is durable enough to last several rounds.
The verdict: Are they worth it?
Ultimately, my testing suggests the Titleist Pro V1 is the superior golf ball. It provides more spin, steeper descent angles on approach shots, and is generally more predictable in terms of flight. If you’re looking for a golf ball that will stop quicker on the greens with approach shots, the more expensive Pro V1 balls are definitely worth paying extra for.
If you can live with slightly lower spin on your irons and a bit more rollout on the greens, the Kirkland Performance+ ball is cheaper and isn’t too dissimilar in terms of overall performance.
Shop Golf Balls
Whether you’re looking to order Kirkland Performace+, Titleist Pro V1 or other golf balls, be sure to check out MailOrderGolf for your golf balls and accessories. I’ve managed to secure an exclusive 10% discount code (ANDYSGOLFBLOG) to help save you a little extra cash. Just enter the code at checkout to make your saving.
Use promo code ANDYSGOLFBLOG at checkout to get 10% off the Kirkland Signature Performance+ golf balls or your order at the official MailOrderGolf store.
With this affiliate link, I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
