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This $200 Million Putter Company Started With a Meltdown on the Golf Course

L.A.B. Golf has made a big splash in the putter market, and the company’s origins are wild. A new episode of the Dan's Golf World Show explores the company's unique history.

Dan Evans

This week's Dan's Golf World Show explores L.A.B. Golf.
This week's Dan's Golf World Show explores L.A.B. Golf. / Dan Evans

This week, L.A.B. Golf announced they are selling a majority stake in their company to an investment firm, valuing the company at $200 million. 

If you don’t know them by name, you have probably seen their putters on the course or on your TV screen during a Tour event. They are similar to more traditional “mallet” putters, but they have a circle on the back, where a mallet is usually flat.

Bill Presse IV, the founder of L.A.B. Golf, started designing the putters after a meltdown he had on the golf course. Presse was convinced that face-balanced putters twist during the putting stroke and developed a product called the “Revealer”.

The Revealer led to the L.A.B. putter we know today. The Revealer indeed indicated there was twisting in traditional putters.

After the Revealer, Presse built his first torque-free design of a putter and launched the “Directed Force Putters." The product ended up flopping on the market, but one man found it to be extremely useful.

Sam Hahn, a wealthy businessman in the music industry in Oregon, found the putter online and it fixed his issues on the green. He tracked down Presse and they partnered to rebrand the putter company as L.A.B. Golf, standing for Lie, Angle, Balance.

After the rebrand, there were three major moments that skyrocketed the company to stardom. The first came at the 2019 Masters, when Adam Scott was seen using the putter and sparked the eyes of other players. The next came in 2020, when Rick Shiels and Peter Finch reviewed the putter on YouTube, and it tripled their sales overnight.

The final straw, which gave L.A.B. Golf, the opportunity to sell for nine figures, came when J.J. Spaun sank a 64-foot putt to win the U.S. Open using the L.A.B. putter.

Just a month later, L.A.B. announced their deal selling the majority of their shares to L Catterton. Both Presse and Hahn will remain involved in the company that they built from the ground up.

 Watch the full breakdown of the L.A.B. putter's rise on the Dan’s Golf World Show clip above, and check out more from the show on SI Golf.

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Dan Evans
DAN EVANS

Dan Evans, a powerhouse golf content creator on Instagram and TikTok, boasts a rich and diverse background that fuels his current success. Known for his inspiring weight loss journey on The Biggest Loser, successful career as a top ten recording artist, national spokesperson and event host for the Biggest Loser RunWalk 5k and half marathon race series, and his love for cooking, which led him to earn a culinary degree and create and host his own cooking show, Dan has rapidly emerged as a beloved figure in the golf community. Harnessing his diverse background and experiences, he has channeled his passion for golf into compelling content that reaches millions. With over 100 million views, his unique and engaging personality, coupled with his exceptional storytelling style, resonates with golf fans worldwide. As Dan continues to captivate and connect with a growing audience on a weekly basis, he solidifies his place as an influential figure within the golf community and beyond, proving that his love for the sport knows no bounds.

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