L.A.B. Golf Putters Take Golf World By Storm

CRESWELL, Oregon - Sam Hahn helped revive the brand that is L.A.B. Golf, before when it was named Directed Force. LAB Golf recently received an investment from L Catterton, as LAB putters have seen explosive growth in recent years.

Bill Presse founded Directed Force in 2015 in Reno, Nevada, but struggled to grow the company.

Hahn, who lived in Eugene, Oregon, became involved in the company in 2017 and officially took over in 2018.

LAB Golf moved to Eugene in 2020.

“At the time, when we first started out, I was working with Bill Presse, he wanted to go back to teaching, club building. There was no reason to keep it there, so we moved it to Eugene.” Hahn said.

Hahn had a vision for the brand as it changed its name to L.A.B. Golf, which stands for “Lie. Angle. Balance.”

“My own experience with the technology I was in a totally different industry, working in the music and bar industry,” Hahn said. “I had a ton of time to golf during the day, I was psychotic with the putter, a friend put me on to Directed Force, I was 1 handicap, and a +3 a couple months later.

“I broke my putter, sent it to Bill, we became friends, the business was struggling, and hadn’t been able to get anything going. I knew I could talk about the technology, do some branding, manufacturing, operations, all that stuff. It needed a voice, I was comfortable talking online and publicly.”

LAB Golf moved its headquarters to Creswell in 2022, right next to Emerald Valley Golf Club.

The facility is 65,000 square feet, plus another 25,000 off site for storage and light production.

“We took over a health club downstairs, then there was offices and a ballroom, over the last three years we have taken over the entire building.” Hahn said. “Anybody that has played Emerald Valley, has hit our building, giant building right off the 9^th green. Multiple times a day, it’s right next to the cart path, next to the green.”

L.A.B. Golf has developed a passionate following among professionals and amateurs alike. By eliminating torque, its patented design helps keep the putter face square throughout the stroke, thus helping golfers putt more consistently.

The company has experienced rapid growth in recent years, driven by word-of-mouth advocacy, industry leading satisfaction, professional adoption, a differentiated direct-to-consumer experience allowing significant customization and personalization, and a relentless focus on quality and customer service.

“Adam Scott, used our Directed Force in the 2019 Masters, that was the first moment, in the world, that they noticed us,” Hahn said. “Sales slowly picked up, there was incremental growth. A year and half later, Peter Finch and Rick Shields gave us some great reviews on their YouTube channels.

“Another year and half later after that Tour players started coming to us a lot. Things started to pick up from there. Lucas Glover won two events to end 2023, to resurrect his career and that was when we were a full on force in the industry.”

Fast forward to 2025, LAB Golf is one of the hottest golf brands in the game. The success and growth of the brand has allowed Hahn to reflect on the journey.

“It’s been totally surreal, we didn’t set out to be one of the biggest putter brands in the world. The technology was profound enough that one of the big companies would come buy it or license it but we need to grow in the meantime,” Hahn said. “It took on a brand of its own. If you had told me that eight years ago, I would have laughed in your face.

“Extraordinary highs, lows, excitement, fears, once in a lifetimes journey or a few lifetimes journey, during the quite times at 8pm when everyone is gone, and in this huge facility, I can notice what we have accomplished compared to when its buzzing and busy during the day. To look back at everything we have accomplished, I’m blown away, thankful and grateful, all the things.”

The epitome of the LAB Golf growth, might be summed up best with the iconic moment when J.J. Spaun won the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont by two strokes after making a 64-foot putt with his LAB putter.

The celebration and moment for Spaun was heralded as the underdog who knocked off many giants, similar to how LAB has grown to be a major player in the putter industry.

Now, after the investment from L Catterton, the brand is poised for more growth.

“Were always focused on growth, to focus on our technology which is still in its early years, so development of the technology,” Hahn said. “Were looking at everything, were trying to catch out breath at the moment, the growth has been so rapid, so taking it piece by piece. Our main focus is using our new resources, to use for infrastructure and not drinking from a fire hose all the time. But focused on being the biggest and best golf company there was.”

But Oregon has played a role as well in the success of LAB Golf, as its removed from the typical headquarters of most of golf’s major brands.

“The biggest thing is the talent pool here in Oregon people who don’t have experience in the golf industry so we get a fresh take on everything. Most of the companies are in Carlsbad, so were in relative isolation in the golf industry, has allowed us to be a lot more creative, being in Oregon with a state full of creative people. More than experienced at doing things differently.”

It's that trailblazing spirit that continues to drive LAB Golf, as they continue to grow the brand that has taken the game by storm, while giving customers a putter that can help take their game to a new level.

“We didn’t set out to build a brand—we set out to build a better putter,” Hahn said. “That mission struck a chord with golfers who were frustrated with traditional options, and we’ve been blown away by the response. We’re thrilled to have found a partner in L Catterton who shares our vision and values and is equipped to help us continue investing in our business, growing our brand, and creating more happy golfers.”