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L.A.B. Golf, a golf company specializing in putters, was founded in 2018. The company's name stands for Lie Angle Balance, a technology that ensures the putter face remains square to the arc of the stroke, reducing the impact of torque. Since its founding, L.A.B. Golf has experienced significant growth, with nearly 18,000% expansion in employee count and factory space. This growth can be attributed to the company's commitment to innovation and quality, positioning it as a disruptive force in the golf equipment industry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of founding | 2018 |
| Founder | Sam Hahn |
| Co-founder | Bill Presse |
| Initial no. of employees | 4 |
| Location | Creswell, Oregon |
| No. of current employees | 150-185 |
| Area of factory | 64,000 square foot |
| Growth | 18,000% |
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What You'll Learn
L.A.B. Golf was founded in 2018
L.A.B. Golf quickly gained traction among both amateur and professional golfers, starting as an online business and then relocating its headquarters to a golf course in Creswell, Oregon, to facilitate product testing and customer fittings. The company has since grown exponentially, achieving nearly 18,000% growth since its founding. It has gone from 4 employees to 150-185 employees and expanded into a 64,000-square-foot factory.
L.A.B. Golf's commitment to innovation and quality has positioned it as a disruptive force in the golf equipment industry, establishing itself as a prominent player in the premium putter market. The company's unique approach to putter technology, backed by scientific principles, has attracted major investment and validation from tour professionals.
The success of L.A.B. Golf can be attributed to its proprietary Lie Angle Balance technology, which naturally keeps the putter face square throughout the stroke. This innovation builds upon PING founder Karsten Solheim's breakthrough in perimeter weighting, addressing twisting during the entire putting stroke rather than just at impact. Each putter is hand-built by expert craftsmen, emphasizing the company's commitment to quality and performance.
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The company was founded by Sam Hahn
L.A.B. Golf was founded by Sam Hahn, a self-described "putter psycho" with a background in the music, bar, and entertainment industries. Hahn's interest in golf equipment and his passion for the game led him to acquire the assets of the nearly bankrupt Directed Force company, which had developed the Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B.) technology. This technology revolutionised putting by eliminating torque and allowing golfers to maintain a square putter face throughout their stroke.
Hahn, along with his brother, father, and partner Bill Presse (the inventor of L.A.B. technology), rebranded Directed Force as L.A.B. Golf and quickly gained traction among amateur and professional golfers. Starting as an online business, the company has since experienced significant growth under Hahn's leadership, achieving nearly 18,000% expansion since its founding in 2018. The company now employs over 150 people and operates out of a 64,000-square-foot factory in Creswell, Oregon, situated on a golf course to facilitate product testing and customer fittings.
Hahn's unconventional background and entrepreneurial spirit have driven L.A.B. Golf's transformation into a disruptive force in the golf equipment industry. The company has established itself as a prominent player in the premium putter market, attracting major investment and endorsements from professional golfers such as Adam Scott, Will Zalatoris, Lucas Glover, and Phil Mickelson.
At the core of L.A.B. Golf's success is its proprietary Lie Angle Balance technology, which sets it apart from traditional putters. This technology ensures that the putter face remains square to the arc of the stroke, improving putting accuracy and simplifying the putting experience for golfers. Hahn's vision and commitment to innovation have been key to the company's rapid growth and market positioning, solidifying its reputation as an innovator in putting technology.
With its unique approach to putter design and commitment to quality, L.A.B. Golf has transformed from a startup challenging industry norms to a respected and innovative brand in the golf world. The company's rapid growth and market impact can be attributed to Hahn's leadership, strategic vision, and dedication to providing golfers with enhanced performance and a better putting experience.
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Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B.) technology
L.A.B. Golf was founded in 2018 by Sam Hahn and Bill Press, two entrepreneurs with a passion for engineering, biomechanics, and improving the experience and performance of golfers. The company was born out of the rebranding of Directed Force, a putter brand developed by Press, a former aerospace engineer and golf instructor.
The name L.A.B. stands for "Lie Angle Balance," which is the patented technology that ensures the putter face remains square to the arc of the stroke, reducing the impact of torque. This technology addresses the challenges of torque in traditional putters, which tend to twist or rotate during the stroke, requiring the golfer to adjust their grip or stroke path subconsciously.
L.A.B. Golf's Lie Angle Balance design aims to create a perfectly balanced putter face during a stroke. This is achieved through a unique positioning of the shaft and a distribution of weight that neutralizes torque on the face, regardless of the golfer's stroke path. By setting the putter at a specific lie angle, the center of gravity is aligned with the clubface orientation throughout the stroke, resulting in more consistent putting with fewer pushes or pulls due to twisting forces.
The company offers both in-person and remote fittings to determine the exact length, lie angle, grip, shaft type, and alignment aids needed to enhance a golfer's putting game. Their putters are then custom-built to match the golfer's specific requirements, with models like the MEZZ.1, DF 2.1, or B.2, all featuring L.A.B.'s unique technology.
Since its founding, L.A.B. Golf has experienced significant growth, with nearly 18,000% expansion in employees and factory space as of 2022. The company's commitment to innovation and quality has positioned it as a prominent player in the premium putter market, disrupting the industry and pushing other manufacturers to explore similar technologies.
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L.A.B. Golf's growth since founding
L.A.B. Golf was founded in 2018 by Sam Hahn, a self-described "putter psycho" with a background in music and entertainment. The company was born from the rebranding of Directed Force, a putter brand developed by former aerospace engineer and golf instructor Bill Presse. L.A.B. Golf's name stands for "Lie Angle Balance", a patented technology that ensures the putter face remains square to the arc of the stroke, reducing the impact of torque.
Initially operating online, L.A.B. Golf quickly gained traction among amateur and professional golfers. The company then relocated its headquarters to a golf course in Creswell, Oregon, to facilitate product testing and customer fittings.
Under Hahn's leadership, L.A.B. Golf has experienced significant growth, achieving nearly 18,000% expansion since its founding. The company has grown from 4 employees to 150-185 employees and operates out of a 64,000 square foot factory. L.A.B. Golf's commitment to innovation and quality has positioned it as a disruptive force in the golf equipment industry, establishing itself as a prominent player in the premium putter market.
In July 2025, L.A.B. Golf announced a strategic partnership with L Catterton, a market-leading investment firm. This partnership represents a $200 million investment in the company and provides resources for global expansion while maintaining its commitment to quality and innovation. L.A.B. Golf's putters have become increasingly popular, with dozens in play on professional tours around the world, and the company has been named to the Golf Digest Hot List since 2017.
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L.A.B. Golf's acquisition of Directed Force
L.A.B. Golf, founded in 2018, is a creative and innovative golf company based in Creswell, Oregon. The company's name stands for \"Lie Angle Balance\", which is a patented technology that ensures the putter face remains square to the arc of the stroke, reducing the impact of torque.
L.A.B. Golf was founded by Sam Hahn, who purchased the company then known as Directed Force from Tom or Bill Presse, a former aerospace engineer and seasoned golf instructor and club builder. Presse invented the Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B.) technology to address the challenges of torque in traditional putters, aiming to keep the putter face square throughout the stroke. Hahn, with his background in music and entrepreneurship, partnered with Presse after experiencing the benefits of the Directed Force putter firsthand on the golf course.
Under Hahn's leadership, the company has achieved nearly 18,000% growth since its founding, solidifying its position as an innovator in putting technology. The company quickly gained traction among both amateur and professional golfers and established itself as a prominent player in the premium putter market.
L.A.B. Golf's distinctive designs, such as the DF3 and Mezz.1, are engineered to stay square to the arc of a player's stroke, removing the tendency for the face to open or close. While the aesthetics are polarizing, the performance has drawn praise from golfers who struggle with consistency on the greens.
In July 2025, it was announced that private equity firm L Catterton had acquired L.A.B. Golf for $200 million. The acquisition is expected to bring expanded availability, better-fitting infrastructure, and a more polished digital presence, while maintaining the DNA of the brand that has made it unique and successful.
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Frequently asked questions
2018.
Sam Hahn, a self-described "putter psycho", founded the company after acquiring the assets of the nearly bankrupt Directed Force company.
Lie Angle Balance, a technology that ensures the putter face remains square to the arc of the stroke, reducing the impact of torque.
Creswell, Oregon.
4.
