I finally had the chance to test Costco's Kirkland Signature golf balls today on the golf course during a real round. No other piece of golf equipment has received as much controversial buzz as these budget-friendly golf balls, so I was excited to try them for 18 holes at Cog Hill's Ravines course. Let's take a closer look.

Kirkland Signature Golf Balls Specifications

Let's cut to the chase.

These are four-piece, urethane cover golf balls. You don't care what the four pieces are made out of, but you can read more about their construction by reading the MyGolfSpy review here. The important thing is that the original Kirkland Signature golf balls* (2016) flew further than or equal to the leading golf ball brand on the market.

Spin numbers, carry numbers, durability and overall performance have routinely followed this same trend when compared to the top competitors.

This, of course, pissed off a bunch of people who work at those leading brands, resulting in some well-documented lawsuits.

Companies don't usually issue lawsuits unless there is a really good reason to do so. Or if they're scared. Same diff.

(* There is reason to believe the latest version of the Kirkland Signature golf balls are not the same construction as the original version released in 2016.)

Giving these a try at @CogHillGolf with @DKateeb. pic.twitter.com/mXGUqlVYBD

— Adam Fonseca (@GolfUnfiltered) May 6, 2017

Performance and Feel

Out of the sleeve I could tell that the Kirkland Signature golf ball felt as soft as my current gamer, and definitely similar to other premium golf balls. Avid golfers know what I'm talking about; you can literally feel the difference between a cheap range ball and a premium ball in your hands.

On the practice green before my round I also noticed a similar feel off my putter. You can tell when a ball feels "hard" or "soft" when putting, and the Kirkland ball tended toward the latter. I threw down one of my current gamers for comparison sake, and I could not tell the difference between the two.

On the course, the Kirkland Signature golf ball provided distances similar to my current gamers both off the tee and on approach shots. There was no discernible difference at all, which was encouraging for the K-Sigs.

Chip and pitch shots spun well and checked nicely, however I didn't get as much roll as I would normally get with my preferred ball brand. Playing conditions were softer and windier than usual, but I felt like some wedge shots should have flown further than what the K-Sigs provided.

Durability was just OK. I did hit a cart path and a tree during my round, which scuffed the ball badly. This may have been a situational flaw, but definitely something I noticed.

Overall Impression

The Kirkland Signature golf balls performed as advertised. Distance off the tee was great, as was feel around the greens. Approach shots were a bit sporadic, so I'd be interested in doing more testing from 100 yards and in. Putts rolled well and felt soft off the face.

I cannot see a reason why you wouldn't want to snag a couple dozen of these golf balls as back-ups to your current gamers. At $15 per dozen it's almost necessary to buy them for your golf arsenal, if you can find them in stock. There is probably no better ball for the beginner at this price point and at this level of performance.