Kasco Kira Klenot Golf Ball – I call it Fireball

Today while at Katsuura Golf Resort in Chiba, they had the new Kasco Klenot golf balls for testing. Kasco is one of Japan’s unheralded brands especially when it comes to balls. The thing is they make very good golf balls for all types of players. They have especially excelled in color golf balls where their Kira line of balls has been touted as having better visibility than any other color balls on the golf course. The term “kira kira” in Japanese means shiny or glittery and that is how the Kira line has always been thanks to a special fluorescent coating used in their balls that diffuses light when reacting to ultraviolet rays of the sun. Besides looking radiant on the golf cours, Kira balls also possess some of the unique technologies used in Kasco’s balls. Kasco has worked on implementing nano technology in their balls and in the case of the Kira a unique silicone molecule which provides a high degree of flex and rebound all this while providing a soft feel that Kasco is known for.

I’ve played Kira balls in the past and liked them a lot though last year I primarily gamed the Gran Z Premium Blue and Super Newing Brill. However today when I saw the new ruby red Kasco Klenot ball I just had to give it a shot out on the browned and worn winter fairways (I usually play color balls this time of year and have JDM TM XD Yellow in the bag now). I have never seen a ball this red, and all the other players walking by also gasped at its sight. I The new Klenot features similar technologies as the Kira for its outer color cover but inside its entirely new. The premium 4 piece Klenot is BOTH a distance ball and a spin ball.  It achieves this by utilizing two cores that activate depending on how the ball is struck and how energy is transferred through its two outer cores. Because of Klenot’s low spin off the driver and high spin during approach, it is made for all swing speeds from ladies all the way up to 115mph. Kasco rates it as a high trajectory, soft feel ball, which feels great off any club, whether it be woods, irons, wedges or the putter.

The color of the Klenot, especially the ruby red really blew me away. I tried to capture pictures of how fiery red the ball is but it was so bright the only way I could do so was to turn the exposure way down as you can see in the image at the top of this post. I have to admit when I first received two sleeves, the Ruby color and the Opal color which is a bluish white, I had no ideas about any of the specs or that it was a 4 piece ball. I just got the balls and went out and played.  Off the tee the ball was superb, as long and as low spin as the Brill which is probably the leading distance ball in Japan. It did not balloon and carried well with very good run. Best of all it was impossible to lose sight of the ball in flight no matter what direction the sun was in.  It was like a little fireball in the sky which you could easily follow and easily spot after landing and stopping.  My playing partners were very freaked out by the color and I have to say it was quite fun. The distance off the tee was an added bonus. (^_^) One thing players may not like is that this ball can be distracting. At address its like burning in your eyes, which can also be a good thing as you can certainly see it clearly when you are trying to strike it.

With irons and wedges the ball still remained soft but spun well especially compared to my TM XD’s which are a pure distance ball (and only 2 piece).  Off the putter the Klenot is very soft. In my bag pocket and indoors where there is no ultraviolet interaction with the ball, it looks simply like a shiny red ball. Outdoors is where it glows and where the name ruby becomes appropriate. See again I am talking about its looks. I never really reviewed a ball before but the looks of this one just blew me away. I got home and immediately contacted our Kasco rep as I wanted to check on cost and availability. The Klenot launches on the 13th of this month but because Kasco has been doing promotions all around Japan for the ball, demand is already through the roof. I’ll find out in the next few days if we can get some boxes to add to the TSG pro shop.

Pros: Color, soft feel, low spin off the tee, high spin approach shots, did not scuff (but I did only play it for a round so durability is still questionable).

Cons: Color, price (as with any Japanese market premium ball) 95.00 per box of 12 balls

EDIT: Feb 7th, I just got an email from blog reader Brono from Slovakia that the word “klenot” in Slovakian means jewel or gem. Makes sense doesn’t it! Thanks Brono!