Can't figure out buyers mentality. In the 15 years I worked my custom build shop the one obstacle I couldn't overcome was brand nameitus. No matter how top shelf the head and shaft I used, most of my customers, even friends and family, still wanted the big name OEM. Now these same people will play a ball named Kirkland? I don't get it and I'm glad I'm retired.

    Tinker

    It's crazy! My first set of components were some PING Eye 2 clones. My playing partners were all OEM worshippers and called my clubs "no-name bullshit clubs". They really hated them when they had to pay me for losing our bets. I have experienced this for decades now as the ignorant just can't believe a little-known brand can be any good.

      raggmann54 If you check the Titleist & Callaway balls at Wal-Mart, you'll often find models that you cannot find anywhere else.

      Are you sure you read the box correctly?

      image /assets/images/0-77-U6Lt2VrTgbkk4g6I.jpg

        Tinker

        You did not sell them cheap enough for the cheap skates.

          5 days later

          livegolf I think I got some defective k sigs, mine landed on someone's roof today

          NO one had told you the secret ?

          You'll need to press down between the Kirkland and the Signature before you you teed off, this will allow the golf ball to avoid all hazards including roof top If it's on the turf then too bad, because golfer could not touch the golf ball in play. 😉

            a month later

            I think this is just what big companies do when they feel their patent is being infringed. And honestly I don't blame them. If I spent millions of dollars each year for R&D, only to have a wholesaler exploit my product for their own gain, then you better believe I'd be putting my lawyers on notice.

            Proving patent infringement, however, especially since Titleist vs Callaway really didn't settle matters in the first patent-infringement war, is a little more tedious.

            Costco has more than enough money to finance smarter/more aggressive lawyers.

            This will ultimately end up no different than Titleist vs Callaway.

            Costco sold these on very thin margin so I don't know why they'd want to spend a truckload of money defending their ball in court, just from a business standpoint. Can other ball companies jump in and back Costco, even if it is 'friends of the court' filings? Can Costco escalate the case into a 'defamation of character' suit and try to get in Acushnet's pockets for dragging their good name in this soon-to-be-very public cause?

            pellmell posted a link that pretty much proves that Titleist is a big bad bully and will protect their turf with deep pockets. You have to feel for the entrepreneurs that had their dreams shattered when they tried to come to market with alternatives.

                I don't think the patent infringement is the issue for ksig, that ball was some sort of Frankensteined tmag ball....so if it were truly a patent infringement, would we not have seen it before, that is Acushnet raising the same issue with tmag?

                The other balls appear to all be made at the same foundry and all may be the same exact ball (ie open model), but sold by different companies.

                I wander if accushnet is trying to get people to realize that ksig and these other balls are just that, open models, or a re badge of another companies leftovers and/or past models vs. The great titleist, who actually spend r and d money to create something

                I find golfers a weird lot....you have guys who will only play big boy oem's for their sticks, and look down on anything else as inferior, yet will play a ksig.

                  mikeintopeka Costco sold these on very thin margin

                  How do people know these things? Where is it written? Only Costco higher ups would know this. Maybe Russians also.

                  If they are typical business people, they pay less than 50% of the selling price(perhaps even less) . If I can make 100-200% profit, I'm rich; no matter the product, as long as it's selling quickly as these balls did.

                      I think the acushnet group also produced all the Knight golf gear and the intech balls. Right about the WRX type posers who look down on anything not OEM. I have never been in Costco ( with the little bit of hair I got left the last thing I need is a six gallon bottle of shampoo) but I would never think of going there for golf gear plus I'd be embarrassed to use them. How did they get any popularity when great small company gear goes unnoticed?

                      Par4QC mikeintopeka Costco sold these on very thin margin
                      How do people know these things? Where is it written? Only Costco higher ups would know this. Maybe Russians also.

                      If they are typical business people, they pay less than 50% of the selling price(perhaps even less) . If I can make 100-200% profit, I'm rich; no matter the product, as long as it's selling quickly as these balls did.

                      Well, I formed an opinion from at least one post that someone appeared to have dealt with Costco on the supply side and had an inkling on their wholesale/retail strategy. Costco's quarterly analyst call didn't mention any extraordinary impact on their profits (unless I missed it) so I'm assuming the K-Sig was a short term flash-in-the-pan event for them. Thanks for calling me out and keeping me grounded, Comrade 💂 ✌