SUB 70 - PREMIUM, CUSTOM, AFFORDABLE CLUBS IN THE SHADOW OF CHICAGOLAND

Truth be told, until a few weeks ago I had never heard of Sub 70 golf, and I uncovered the club and accessory company in the most unlikely place.  I was doing some research on purchasing new irons and a review I read about a competitor's product referenced Sub 70 as a viable option in the Direct to Consumer (DTC) sales model.  A quick look at the Sub 70 website revealed a full line of great looking clubs, fully customizable and hand assembled at a price point that caught this frugal golfer's attention.

Founder Jason Hiland used his over 25 years of experience in the golf industry to lay out his vision for a company that produced high quality, custom clubs at an affordable price with top level customer service.  After a few years of working with overseas partners on prototypes for club designs and developing the business model, Sub 70 was launched in 2018.  The company grew rapidly to the point that it was named the #1 DTC supplier of golf clubs by My Golf Spy in 2021, a category that includes widely known brands PXG and Ben Hogan (Note: Hogan Golf ceased operations in August).

The product line covers the full range of clubs you'll have in your bag from drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters, and even throws in a utility / driving iron option.  The iron offerings currently include 10 distinct models, from hybrid (799) and hollow body game improvement (699 / 699 Pro) to classic forged irons (TAIII, 649 MB) catering to the lower handicap / scratch golfer.  Every model is offered in either an attractive satin or bold black finish, with some also including a raw version for the golf purists out there.  

The base iron pricing per club currently range from $80 to $145.  A wide selection of shafts and grips are offered to customize as desired, and any requested loft, lie or length adjustments are included in the cost. So let's get our calculators out, 7 irons for the popular 699 or 699 Pro Original model at $80 each comes to $560 total, which is at least a couple hundred dollars less than a comparable club you'll find at the big box golf stores.  

The top end line, the TAIII iron, is a classic forged blade with impressive trajectory control and playability that the better golfer desires.  The TAIII stands for Tommy Armour the 3rd, the former PGA tour and current Senior tour player and grandson of the fabled "Silver Scot" Tommy Armour, a 3 time major winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member.   TA3 closely collaborated with Sub 70 over 2 years in the development of the namesake club.

The company recently announced the release and availability of the 699 / 699 Pro Version 2 iron.  The new design is stunning, maintaining the minimalist vibe of the original in a classy, stylish update.  Sub 70 has vowed to never release a new product unless it fills a gap in the product lineup or measurable gains in performance are achieved in a current model, and the 699 V2 promises improvements in distance, forgiveness and playability.

The updated irons share the 2-piece, hollow body, TPE injected design of the original.  In case you're wondering, TPE stands for "Thermoplastic Elastomer" and can best be described as a rubbery, resin like material that is used to support the typically thin club faces and provide better feel and sound at impact.  The 699 V2 swaps out the 455 Carpenter steel face with S-450 Aerospace steel, which provides longer, more consistent distances across the club face, and the expanded channel back allows additional forgiveness on off-center hits.

Sub 70 is headquartered in Sycamore, IL, about a 60 mile drive from my home in Lemont and just beyond the western edge of the metro Chicagoland area.  I called to see if I could come out to hit a few clubs and was instructed to schedule a 1-hour fitting at The Seventy, a studio about a 4 mile drive from the main Sub 70 facility.  I asked how much the fitting would cost and was basically told that if I was willing to drive to Sycamore, it's free.  I'm on my way!

The Seventy is located in a storefront dating back to 1860 in the historic downtown district, an attractive space with 2 hitting bays, ample sitting areas, a bar and lots of gleaming hardwood.  I was introduced to Kevin Healy, who I later found out is akin to Illinois golf royalty.  One of the top rated players in the Illinois PGA over the last 30 years and a Head Professional for 20 years at private clubs, he also won the IPGA Senior Open in 2020.

After watching a couple of my inconsistent, 20 handicap warm up attempts, the fitting quickly evolved into a master class of proper swing dynamics.  I learned so much about my golf game and how to improve it in that hour with Kevin that a drive to the Quad Cities would have been well worth the time and effort, much less to Sycamore.  

We focused on the game improvement 699 irons as the best model for my skill set. The club set up nicely behind the ball at address with a top line thickness that inspired confidence without being too clunky.  The 6 iron felt super solid and when I did make sweet spot contact the ball rocketed off the club face.  I sampled a Project X Graphite shaft, which was a reasonable $5 per club upgrade over the standard True Temper steel, and a couple dozen shaft options at different price points are available to customize to your game.

I had the luxury of living close enough to make the trip to The Seventy, but the company offers an industry best demo program, one of the biggest hurdles in DTC sales.  Most clubs are included in the program and the cost nets out to $20 per club group, which basically covers the shipping.  For example, to demo a specific iron model you'll be charged $120 and sent a 6 & 9 iron to play.  When you're done, Sub 70 will provide a prepaid label to attach to the original packaging to return and you'll be refunded $100, simple and easy.

The 849D and Pro Titanium drivers comes with an adjustable hosel +/- 2 degrees and are listed at $329.  Fairway woods and hybrids range from $149-$189, while wedges are $125 and span from 46 to 64 degrees.  The putter options feature 11 distinct models, all milled from 1045 carbon steel and with a nod toward the home base emblazoned on the bottom. They cost from $159-$189.  All clubs are custom assembled in Sycamore and feature a full 60 day money back guarantee, with free shipping on orders over $99.

Although Sub 70 competes with PXG in the Direct-to-Consumer space, they have eschewed the high volume advertising and opted for a much more subdued approach.  "We are definitely not a Lamborghini when it comes to our approach to marketing," shared Hiland, "but what we do works well for us."  A robust presence on Instagram and reliance on high visibility reviews and word of mouth helps get the message out, and an exemplary customer service experience combines to seal the deal.

Sub 70’s stated goal is to redefine expectations for golf equipment consumers around the world, and they have aligned with distributors in 13 countries covering Europe, Asia, Australia and South America to grow their global presence.  Jason Hiland and his team have accomplished a lot in a short period of time, it will be interesting to see where this small town success story goes in 2023 and beyond.