🛒 Costco irons

Hey there! I wanted to offer some relief from all the LIV news and write about a topic near-and-dear to my heart — Costco golf clubs. I don’t actually own any Kirkland Signature clubs (and I’m not sure that I ever will). But for some reason, I’m fascinated.

I do touch on PGA Tour/LIV updates below, as well as what to watch for your weekend ahead.

For now though, onto Costco…

All I want for Christmas are… Kirkland Signature irons? 

Costco released its anticipated pitching-wedge through 4-iron-set last weekend, and within around five hours, they were completely sold out. 

• The wholesale giant’s initial drop likely totaled some 4,000 sets at $499 a pop. 

• The limited release (coupled with Costco’s diehard fan base) created quite the buzz online. 

• As Golf Magazine noted, the high demand was especially impressive since the clubs had “no paid advertising or player endorsements.” 

The new irons, of course, aren’t Costco’s first foray into golf. 

• Kirkland Signature balls made a major splash when Costco first released them in 2016. At $29.99 for two dozen (!!), they were far cheaper than the comparable Titleist Pro-V1s. 

• Costco still sells golf balls today. But after some legal tussles with Titleist, the Kirkland Signature balls aren’t quite what they used to be. 

• Costco also sells a three-piece wedge set (52, 56, and 60-degree, $170) and a putter ($150). 

Nick’s take: My wife’s the bigger Costco fan in our family (she actually enjoys walking down every aisle). But I admit, the new irons look slick. 

• They’re very reminiscent of the TaylorMade P790’s that I bought last year, but at a fraction of the price. (Interestingly, Golf Magazine said the Kirkland iron’s have similar inner-tech to the P790s, as well as PXG’s 0311 series.)

• If I hadn’t just upgraded my irons AND I could get my hands on a set, I might be tempted to give ‘em a go. 

• Still, I wonder how I’d actually feel standing on the first tee with Kirkland Signature’s in my bag. 

What’s next: TBD when Costco will restock its shelves/online inventory with the new irons, but hopefully, there will be more in time for the holidays. 

• The wide-carted warehouse is also expected to soon release a $199 Kirkland Signature driver — which, for whatever reason, I already want to buy. 

• Costco strikes again. 

Some PGA Tour/LIV news since we spoke last:

Wells Fargo said it’ll drop its name from the Wells Fargo Championship come 2025 — when Signature Event sponsors will be asked to fork over more dough. 

• The news was yet another blow to the PGA Tour and a worrisome sign that corporate sponsors may not be able to keep up with the increased purse sizes. 

The PGA Tour officially suspended Jon Rahm for joining LIV this week, while Tony Finau (recently rumored to be joining the rival circuit), said on Instagram that he’s staying.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan made $18.6 million in 2022, according to tax filings obtained by Sportico. 

• That was up from $13.9 million in 2021. 

Meanwhile, the PGA Tour says that alongside talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, it’s also advancing conversations with Strategic Sports Group (SSG) — whose members include the owners of the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Penguins, and more.

What to watch

Q-School’s final stage is this weekend with 165 players vying to finish inside the top 5 (and ties) to secure their PGA Tour cards for next season. 

• Notable names to follow include Harry Higgs, Kevin Chappell, Sam Bennett, and YouTube star, Wesley Bryan. 

The parent-child PNC Championship is this Saturday and Sunday featuring Tiger and Charlie Woods.

And finally…

This was wonderful, and I can only hope to see something similar outside my plane window this weekend.

That’s all for today! Thanks so much for reading y’all. And as a heads up, my family and I are heading back to California for the holidays (traveling with two kids under 2.5, please send thoughts/prayers). So, newsletter sends may be a little sporadic over the next couple of weeks.  

The PGA/LIV deal is supposed to be settled by the end of the year. And if it does, you’ll hear from me. Until then, have an awesome/safe holiday and hope you can get some golf in!

- Nick B. 🎄