Costco seems to be branching out more and more all the time, so it’s no surprise that it found itself in the golf ball market in 2016 through its Kirkland Signature brand. However, the balls you see on the shelves today are not the original Kirkland golf balls. But where did the originals go?
The original Kirkland Signature golf balls were discontinued due to a lawsuit alleging that they violated ten patents held by Acushnet Holdings Corp and engaged in false advertising. The case was settled out of court, but as a result, Costco stopped its production.
This article will explain the turbulent history of Costco’s Kirkland Signature golf balls and how their new balls are being received.
The Real Reason Kirkland Golf Balls Were Discontinued
Costco’s Kirkland Signature four-piece golf balls became popular overnight after their release in December 2016. The $15 set matched the quality of much more expensive balls, which often cost over double. That is when Acushnet Holdings Corp took notice. Acushnet makes Titleist golf balls and sued Costco for patent infringement and false advertising. Costco denied both of these allegations in its counter-suit.
Patent Infringement
A single golf ball utilizes dozens of patents. Patents for golf balls can involve the dimples on the outside of the ball, the ball core, or anything in between. In a public letter sent to Costco before the lawsuit, Acushnet accused Costco of stealing 11 of their patents, but the lawsuit only formally listed ten.
The cited patents were focused on the dimples on the outside and the ball core.
False Advertising
The claim on the box Kirkland Signature of golf balls said that they “meet or exceed the quality standards of the leading national brands.” Without a doubt, Titleist is a leading national brand, so this statement directly threatened Acushnet’s interests.
To disprove the claim, Acushnet conducted their own tests with the Kirkland Signature balls and their Titleist Pro V1 and V1x. The results showed that the Kirkland Signature balls were not comparable to the Titleist balls.
The Settlement
Neither the original lawsuit nor Costco’s counter-suit made it to court. Instead, the companies settled privately in 2018. Although we do not know the settlement details, including how much money was paid out, we know that Costco stopped selling its original Kirkland Signature golf balls.
The New Kirkland Golf Balls
Since discontinuing the original Kirkland Signature golf balls, Costco has released both a three-piece and four-piece set of golf balls. Although no lawsuits have been filed regarding these new balls, golfers have been disappointed with the much lower quality of the four-piece ball set.
Final Thoughts
Costco has had a rough time in the golf ball category. They pulled their initial four-piece Kirkland Signature golf balls from production after Acushnet, the company behind Titleist, accused them of patent infringement and false advertising.
Costco has since released a new round of Kirkland Signature golf balls, but they have been widely criticized for their unreliable quality, specifically of the four-piece set.
Kirkland Golf Balls Discontinued
Costco seems to be branching out more and more all the time, so it’s no surprise that it found itself in the golf ball market in 2016 through its Kirkland Signature brand. However, the balls you see on the shelves today are not the original Kirkland golf balls. But where did the originals go?
The original Kirkland Signature golf balls were discontinued due to a lawsuit alleging that they violated ten patents held by Acushnet Holdings Corp and engaged in false advertising. The case was settled out of court, but as a result, Costco stopped its production.
This article will explain the turbulent history of Costco’s Kirkland Signature golf balls and how their new balls are being received.
The Real Reason Kirkland Golf Balls Were Discontinued
Costco’s Kirkland Signature four-piece golf balls became popular overnight after their release in December 2016. The $15 set matched the quality of much more expensive balls, which often cost over double. That is when Acushnet Holdings Corp took notice. Acushnet makes Titleist golf balls and sued Costco for patent infringement and false advertising. Costco denied both of these allegations in its counter-suit.
Patent Infringement
A single golf ball utilizes dozens of patents. Patents for golf balls can involve the dimples on the outside of the ball, the ball core, or anything in between. In a public letter sent to Costco before the lawsuit, Acushnet accused Costco of stealing 11 of their patents, but the lawsuit only formally listed ten.
The cited patents were focused on the dimples on the outside and the ball core.
False Advertising
The claim on the box Kirkland Signature of golf balls said that they “meet or exceed the quality standards of the leading national brands.” Without a doubt, Titleist is a leading national brand, so this statement directly threatened Acushnet’s interests.
To disprove the claim, Acushnet conducted their own tests with the Kirkland Signature balls and their Titleist Pro V1 and V1x. The results showed that the Kirkland Signature balls were not comparable to the Titleist balls.
The Settlement
Neither the original lawsuit nor Costco’s counter-suit made it to court. Instead, the companies settled privately in 2018. Although we do not know the settlement details, including how much money was paid out, we know that Costco stopped selling its original Kirkland Signature golf balls.
The New Kirkland Golf Balls
Since discontinuing the original Kirkland Signature golf balls, Costco has released both a three-piece and four-piece set of golf balls. Although no lawsuits have been filed regarding these new balls, golfers have been disappointed with the much lower quality of the four-piece ball set.
Final Thoughts
Costco has had a rough time in the golf ball category. They pulled their initial four-piece Kirkland Signature golf balls from production after Acushnet, the company behind Titleist, accused them of patent infringement and false advertising.
Costco has since released a new round of Kirkland Signature golf balls, but they have been widely criticized for their unreliable quality, specifically of the four-piece set.