L.A.B. Golf, the Oregon-based company known for its Lie Angle Balanced putters, has sold a majority stake to a private equity firm, signaling a major shift for one of golf’s most innovative equipment brands.
The deal was quietly confirmed by co-founder Bill Presse IV in a post on a L.A.B. Facebook group in which he and L.A.B. CEO Sam Hahn routinely contribute:
“Yes, we sold the majority shares of L.A.B.,” he wrote. “The new owners are incredible… I’m also a shareholder in the new company and hopefully very much involved going forward.”
No official announcement has been released by L.A.B. Golf. Numerous reports have named L Catterton as the private equity firm that has purchased majority ownership with a valuation of $200 million.
According to the L Catterton website:
“Since 1989, L Catterton has made more than 275 investments in leading consumer brands across all segments of the consumer industry. With approximately $37 billion of assets under management dedicated to growing middle market companies and emerging high-growth enterprises, we believe we are the largest and most experienced consumer-focused private equity group in the world.”
The acquisition marks L Catterton’s first known investment in the golf industry.
The deal comes on the heels of explosive growth, fueled by J.J. Spaun’s U.S. Open win earlier this summer using L.A.B.’s DF3 putter. That high-profile victory further validated the company’s torque-free design on the game’s biggest stage. Make no mistake—L.A.B. was one of golf’s hottest brands even before the Spaun victory, but orders soared even more following his win at Oakmont.
Until now, L.A.B. Golf had been bootstrapped, operating with a small team and no traditional outside investment. The company was born from a radical idea by Presse, who invented the Lie Angle Balance concept under the original Directed Force brand. In the spring of 2018, Hahn stepped into the role of CEO, and the company was rebranded as L.A.B. Golf, with Presse continuing as chief inventor and engineer. Sales and popularity have continued to rise since that time.
Update:
Sam Hahn will remain as CEO of L.A.B Golf. I reached out to him for comment and received this reply:
“We now have the resources to do everything we can imagine. The whole team is so excited!”
We can also report that the process to find the right investor took approximately two years, and that L Catterton was chosen in large part because of their track record of supporting the existing culture of companies and helping them thrive with increased marketing and production support. Primary manufacturing is expected to remain in Creswell, Oregon.
Related Links
L.A.B. Golf Official Website
L Catterton Official Website
Bobby Hall Tells the Story of How Golf Helped His Dad Survive Being a POW During Vietnam
Colonel George Robert Hall (USAF) was shot down during the Vietnam war and was help prisoner by the North Vietnamese. For over seven years, Colonel Hall and many other U.S. servicemen were beaten and tortured, both physically and mentally, by their captors. Bobby...
Sun Mountain Sports Sold To Solace Capital Partners
Sun Mountain Sports, a longtime leader in the golf bag, walking cart, and outerwear spaces has been sold to Solace Capital Partners. Sun Mountain, headquartered in Missoula, Montana was established in 1981 by Rick Reimers. “For 40 years, Sun Mountain has watched and...
Jason Day Joins Team Bridgestone
Jason Day has joined Bridgestone Golf’s stable of tour players playing the Tour B golf ball. Day, a twelve-time winner on the PGA and 2015 PGA Champion, will officially join Bridgestone’s staff starting this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by...
The Saudi Golf League Is Dead and Buried
Supposedly backed by a near-endless supply of Saudi money, and most definitely fueled by enormous amounts of hubris, the proposed Saudi (Super?) Golf League appears to be dead and buried. While it is possible that some version of the tour may one day exist, the...
“On The Tee” Interview With Sam Hahn, CEO of L.A.B. Golf
Sam Hahn is the CEO of L.A.B. Golf, the company known for their strange looking putters. I can tell you from experience that those putters don’t just look different….they work! The science behind them is real and they will help almost anyone roll better putts. The...
Streamsong Resort To Add Fourth Course
Streamsong Resort has announced plans to add a fourth golf course. The design team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (Coore & Crenshaw Design) will once again partner on the design and construction of the new course. “On Streamsong’s Tenth Anniversary, Ben Crenshaw...
BRIDGESTONE’S NEW TOUR B PACKS INPUT OF TIGER WOODS AND BRYSON DECHAMBEAU INTO IMPRESSIVE NEW GOLF BALL MODELS
BRIDGESTONE PRESS RELEASE Leaders in ‘Contact Science’ unveil REACTIV IQ® Cover Technology COVINGTON, Ga. – (January 25, 2022) - Bridgestone Golf, the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, introduced today its next-level 2022 TOUR B golf ball series, featuring the most advanced...
Destination Golf: Innisbrook Resort
Innisbrook Resort, set on nine hundred acres in Palm Harbor, FL, is the home of the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship. The Valspar is played on Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course, which is one of the favorite courses among the best players in the game. Innisbrook also...
Read the Winter Issue of Southern Fairways Magazine
We're very excited about the Winter Edition of Southern Fairways Magazine. Our "Destination Golf Property is Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, FL. Innisbrook's Copperhead Course is home to PGA Tour's Valspar Championship. The tournament, played in March, is...
Danny Maude Shares 3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Swing!
Danny Maude, PGA shares three easy drills that will make almost any golfer hit better shots! Take a look at the video below to get your game going in the right direction.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tef0Tb4Uz54
Destination Golf: McLemore
McLemore is set high atop Lookout Mountain in Rising Fawn, GA, approximately 45 minutes south of Chattanooga, TN. The property overlooks historic McLemore Cove, with the best views coming from the amazing finishing hole, which was named “the best eighteenth hole since...
Exciting Things Are Happening At Tiger Point
There are some very exciting things happening at Tiger Point Golf Club. Capstone Golf bought the course in February from the City of Gulf Breeze. The first step for the new owners was to improve the quality and playability of the greens. We had an opportunity to play...
