Thread by @landforce

Costco uses its Kirkland Signature brand to rip off the best products in the world.

To the tune of $39 billion dollars a year in sales.

But it's not just cashews and olive oil anymore, it's $400 Scotty Cameron putters too.

🏌️THREAD:

Kirkland Signature started as Costco's private label grocery and household product brand, similar to Amazon Basics, but they've been getting creative as long as I can remember.

In HS I remember the Kirkland White Tees being a staple.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago @quinnmiller recommends the Kirkland Putter to me. Not only that, the Kirkland balls too.

The Kirkland ball takes aim at the Titleist Pro V1, and the Kirkland KS1 Putter is a Scotty Cameron Newport, perhaps with a dash of Ping Anser.

The Pro V1 is $48 per dozen, the Kirkland is $15.

The ripoff was so popular they couldn't keep up with demand or Titleist's claims of patent violations. 10 total.

They regrouped and brought an entirely new design to market. mygolfspy.com says it's objectively better.

But anyway, back to the putter.

The Scotty Cameron Newport and subsequent Newport 2 arguably the best blade putter in the game, and comes with a $400 price tag.

The Kirkland KS1 features strikingly similar design and specs, and a much uglier website.

It's $150 for Costco members and I'm picking one up this weekend.

When I texted the Costco link to my dad he said “this is a Scotty Cameron”

When I texted it to my father in law, he said “this is a fuckin Scotty Cameron?!”

Yessir.

Costco has vertically integrated into it's supply chain on meat processing and even greenhouse agriculture, but speculation is that they're probably not manufacturing golf clubs.

It's suspected the KS1 is made in China in the same OEM factories a lot of clubs are made in.

Where the ball and the putter are aggressive rip offs of industry staples, their wedges aren't.

Callaway and Costco have been partners for years, with Costco serving as an exclusive retailer for the Edge line. Like Callaway, the Kirkland wedges are made in the USA.

My advice after reading up on this:

Costco all day on putter, but go get fitted for your irons and wedges. God help me if they start offering fittings. (Will never happen IMO)

I’m picking up a KS1 this weekend.

My name is Colin, I'm a serial entrepreneur and CTO of a publicly traded cannabis company. I tweet about cannabis brands and business so come by and gimme a follow:

@landforce

This was one of the topics this week on TabTalk with @JamesonCamp and @OrenMeetsWorld along with:

- Trillion Dollar Coin
- Genetic Algorithm
- Blackrock AUM
- Manhattan Real Estate
- EIP-3664

Check it out!

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