The Costco killer?
I wouldn’t go that far. But Costco’s biggest competitor in the wholesale goods space has finally entered the golf ball market.
Maybe that’s exciting.
In 2023, Sam’s Club quietly launched a package of golf gloves under their house brand name, Member’s Mark. Now, the brand has sneakily launched a pair of golf balls that aims to rival the Kirkland Performance in both construction and price.
Notable is that Sam’s Club has two balls listed on the USGA conforming list. The one listed on the Sam’s website is the Pro Series 2. It’s a 3-piece ball with a 338-dimple cover.
While Bridgestone and Srixon have 338-dimple covers in their catalogs, the dimple count also matches those of the Costco Kirkland, PXG and Malbon balls. While it’s logical to think Sam’s may have turned to the SM Global factory to produce their golf balls, new info suggests that may not be the case. Some readers have also mentioned some resemblance to Callaway HEX dimples. That also seems an unlikely partnership.
Among non-OEM factory balls, it’s worth mentioning that Honma also has a 338-dimple ball.
Admittedly, it’s all speculative until we can get some samples in-house and track down more info.
For whatever it’s worth, the listing on the Sam’s site does say that “Through the optimization of CL (coefficient of lift) and CD (coefficient of drag), the Member’s Mark golf ball generates a powerful flight in windy conditions.”
It’s an interesting claim, though not radically different from anything else you’ll find on the back of a box. Regardless, at $15/dozen, it’s the kind of thing that golfers will happily overlook.
Regardless, further testing is warranted to understand better what less than $30 for two dozen balls gets you.
The Member’s Mark 3-Piece Golf Ball (Pro Series 2) will be sold in a pack of 24 for $27.98, and is available now to buy online at Sam’s Club.
Editor’s note: the original text was updated to include new information about which factory may be producing the Sam’s ball.
Jeff l
11 months ago
I work at a golf course and found one today and played it. I’m a 4-5 index with about a 100 mph driver swing speed. Shot 74 and the ball performed fantastic. Felt great did not notice any distance loss or lack of spin. Seems like a pretty good ball.