Who Makes Kirkland Golf Balls

Kirkland Signature golf balls are made for Costco by Qingdao SM Parker in China; Costco owns the brand and sells the balls rather than manufacturing them itself. That supplier identification should not be treated as a guarantee for every older model or color variant. The useful distinctions are who owns the brand, which version you’re buying, and whether a performance comparison actually applies to that ball.

The Company Behind Kirkland Signature Golf Balls

Kirkland Signature is Costco’s private-label brand, not an independent golf-ball manufacturer. An outside supplier produces the balls sold under that name.

That arrangement explains why the logo alone cannot identify the factory. It also helps separate three questions that often get mixed together:

• Brand ownership: Whose name is on the product?
• Manufacturing location: In which country was the product made?
• Factory identity: Which company actually produced it?

A country-of-origin statement can answer the second question without answering the third. A package address does not necessarily identify its manufacturing location.

The Qingdao SM Parker identification answers the general manufacturer question. For a particular box, especially older stock, the exact model and packaging still matter.

How to Identify Your Kirkland Golf Ball

Use the ball and its original box together. The goal is to identify the product you have before applying information from another version.

Step 1: Read the Full Model Name

1. Look for the complete product name and any version designation on the box.
2. Check the printing on the ball for matching model information.
3. Keep the construction description separate from the version number.

“Three-piece” describes the ball’s layered construction. “V3.0” identifies a version. A ball described only as a Kirkland three-piece is not automatically the V3.0, and a review of an earlier generation may not describe its performance.

For loose or used balls, retain any uncertainty rather than assigning a version from the logo alone.

Step 2: Check the Country-of-Origin Statement

1. Find the package’s “Made in” statement.
2. Distinguish that statement from an importer’s or distributor’s address.
3. Check whether the package names a manufacturer separately.

Do not treat a country-of-origin statement as proof of a particular factory. It confirms the country, while identifying the supplier requires additional product-specific information.

Step 3: Save the Details Before Comparing Reviews

1. Photograph the full product name, version marking, country-of-origin statement, and item number.
2. Match those details to the ball discussed in a review or test.
3. Treat any missing version information as unknown rather than substituting a result from a different generation.

You now have a usable product identification: the model, any stated version, its labeled origin, and a record of what remains unconfirmed.

How Kirkland Golf Balls Are Made

A three-piece ball has a layered construction:

• Core: The resilient center contributes to energy transfer, feel, and ball speed.
• Mantle: The intermediate layer helps tune how the core and cover work together, affecting the ball’s response on different shots.
• Urethane cover: The outer layer provides the hitting surface and contributes to greenside feel and spin.

In general golf-ball manufacturing, these layers are formed around the core, the cover receives its dimple geometry, and the ball is finished and marked. That explains the construction without claiming an exact formulation or production process.

A 338-dimple pattern is commonly associated with Kirkland Signature balls. Check the exact Kirkland Signature version or its packaging before treating that count as a specification for every generation.

Dimple count alone does not establish quality or distance. Dimple shape and arrangement, the internal construction, and the golfer’s launch conditions all affect flight. Matching another ball’s layer count or dimple count is not enough to establish matching performance.

How Kirkland Golf Balls Compare With Titleist

Knowing the manufacturer does not tell you whether a particular Kirkland version will preserve your usual carry distances.

Compare specific ball models under comparable conditions. Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x are different products, so a result against one should not be presented as a result against the other.

Ball Speed Compared With Pro V1x

A Kirkland three-piece ball has recorded a 3 mph ball-speed deficit against the Titleist Pro V1x in comparative testing.

The 3 mph deficit applies only to the Kirkland three-piece ball and the comparative test that recorded it.

Ball speed also is not the same measurement as distance. Launch angle, spin, and aerodynamics influence how far a shot carries, so the speed gap should not be converted into an assumed yardage loss.

V3.0 Iron Distance

The Kirkland Signature V3.0 finished dead last for distance with a 7-iron in a robot-test field. That means last among the balls included in that test, not last among every golf ball available.

Check the test club before comparing distance results. An iron result does not automatically establish the same ranking with a driver.

The V3.0’s high-spin performance is an important part of this trade-off. It may appeal to golfers who want more spin, while golfers already producing excessive spin should pay particular attention to carry distance and flight.

What Matters on the Course

For an equipment decision, compare the shots you actually need:

• Driver: Does the ball produce a useful flight without unwanted ballooning?
• Approach shots: Are carry distances predictable, and can you hold the green?
• Chips and pitches: Does the ball release or check as you expect?
• Putting: Is the feel comfortable enough to judge pace consistently?

A lower purchase price is useful, but it does not compensate for a ball flight that makes club selection less predictable.

Why Older Kirkland Golf Balls Cause Confusion

Kirkland entered the golf-ball market in 2016 with a four-piece ball. That original product should not be confused with the later three-piece models.

The older four-piece ball became involved in a patent dispute with Acushnet, Titleist’s parent company, involving allegations of 10 patent violations. Those were allegations, not proof that Kirkland balls were manufactured by Titleist or were simply relabeled Titleist products.

Claims about a golf ball should be tied to the specific model.

This is why a manufacturer answer, an old product review, and a current box can appear inconsistent. They may concern different generations, or the manufacturer claim may lack model-specific confirmation.

How to Decide Whether Kirkland Balls Fit Your Game

Compare the ball with your usual ball before buying.

Use these checks during normal practice or play:

• Compare shots struck with the same club under similar conditions.
• Separate carry distance from total distance, especially when the ground is firm.
• Watch approach-shot stopping behavior, not just how far the ball travels.
• Inspect the cover after normal use for damage that would make you replace the ball.
• Notice whether changes in feel help or hinder your short-game distance control.

If you use a practice net, it can help you assess impact feel, but it cannot show the full flight or how the ball behaves on a green.

Compare the ball’s flight and short-game response with your usual ball.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Kirkland Golf Balls Made by Callaway?

There is no substantiated basis for identifying Callaway as Kirkland’s golf-ball manufacturer. The supplier identified for Kirkland golf balls is Qingdao SM Parker in China; similarities to a Callaway ball do not establish a manufacturing relationship.

Where Are Yellow Kirkland Golf Balls Made?

China is the general manufacturing location identified for Kirkland golf balls, but that information does not separately confirm every yellow version or production run. Check the country-of-origin statement on the yellow ball’s own package rather than assuming its color establishes either the country or the factory.

Are Kirkland Balls the Same as Pro V1?

No: Kirkland Signature and Titleist Pro V1 are different products, not the same ball with different logos. Similar construction does not establish identical core formulations, cover properties, manufacturing tolerances, or performance. Treat Kirkland as an alternative to evaluate, not a guaranteed substitute.

Are Kirkland golf balls still made?

Yes—one source updated in June 2026 describes Kirkland golf balls as being manufactured and calls the three-piece version the brand’s most popular ball. That does not mean every earlier version remains in production: the source reports that an older four-piece model stopped being produced after a settlement.