Sub 70 Golf, Jason Hiland and The World Wide Web
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Sub 70 Golf, Jason Hiland and The World Wide Web

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Sub 70 Golf, Jason Hiland and The World Wide Web

To the casual social media observer, Sub 70 Golf may seem like an overnight sensation.

It isn’t.

It’s been in the works for more than 25 years. And, with the help of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, Sub 70 Golf has become a golf company for the new decade: nimble and consumer focused with a growing legion of cult-like followers.

A quarter of a century is quite the gestation period for an overnight sensation but that’s what makes it a compelling story. To paraphrase the late, great Ted Baxter, Sub 70 Golf started in 1993 in a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh dorm room, an illegal internet connection, and a crazy dream.

And a guy with the testicular fortitude to give it a shot.

This, my friends, is the very real and very interesting story of Jason Hiland and, eventually, Sub 70 Golf.

Sub 70 Golf

Oshkosh, B’Gosh

What were you doing when you were 22?

I was living in a converted gas station with three buddies and making $175 a week at a dinky radio station in Fitchburg, Mass. Weekends were spent in the pursuit of girls and beer – not necessarily in that order.

Jason Hiland was making much better use of his time.

“I lived with two guys who were computer science majors in college,” Hiland tells MyGolfSpy. “Our first internet connection was in 1993. They very (sic) illegally jerry-rigged it from the university server through the phone lines.”

And it was one of those buddies who gave Jason a glimpse into the future.

“There were no graphics on the internet back then. It was all text,” says Jason. “But my buddy says, ‘One of these days, Chevrolet is going to have pictures of their cars with colors and options so you could literally go on the computer and see what your car would look like. You could then call up the dealer and order that exact car.'”

“So, we figured if we could do this with a car, which seemed really advanced at the time, people are eventually going to want to do this with golf clubs.”

That led to Diamond Tour Golf in 1995. The following May, Hiland launched what may very well have been golf’s first commercial website.

Why Golf?

So why was it Diamond Tour Golf and not, say, Diamond Tour Tennis? Or Skateboards? Or a thousand and one other things?

“I was a golfer,” says Jason. “I grew up an only child in a very small town in Illinois and had to find ways to self-amuse, hitting golf balls against the barn.”

During the summer, Jason’s mom would drop him off at the local nine-hole muni in the morning and pick him up in the evening. He had his pull cart and would play all day long. And he got pretty good.

“I actually played two years in junior college but that’s where it ended. Even at that level, those guys were really, really good.”

Sub 70 Golf

Jason kept his nose in the game after transferring to UW-Oshkosh, working summers for the component company SMT. That’s where the business major learned the business of golf.

“I saw how well SMT was doing as just a catalog business. But if you could move that catalog to the internet, I knew that would work. I didn’t want to go with some old retail stores. That’s old school shit. I wanted to go down this pathway.”

So, with a loan from his parents, Jason launched Diamond Tour Golf as a clone and component company.

The Early Days

Jason describes the early days of Diamond Tour Golf succinctly.

“Batshit crazy. I was working 65 hours a week and lived for a year and a half on like $100 a week. I lived at home, drove a terrible old Ford Escort and put all the money back into the company. I gave myself a year but I knew within the first three months it was going to work.”

Oh, about that loan from mom and dad? Paying that off was Jason’s first priority.

“I paid them back in the first year. I couldn’t live with it if they weren’t square so I worked my ass off. Twenty-two years old and I never missed a day of work to pay them back. Once I did that, I got rid of the Escort and bought a Jeep Wrangler where the top came off. That was much cooler to drive around town than the Escort.”

Jason’s parental support went well beyond finances. They were active supporters of his vision.

“I didn’t have this huge silver spoon. But my parents gave me the confidence I could do whatever I wanted to do and that I was smart enough to do it. That’s what every kid wants: two parents that love him and believe in him. They were like, ‘ You want to go do this? Then go do it. You’re smart enough, you’ll figure it out.’”

Send in the Clones

Don’t mistake clones for counterfeit clubs. They’re very different. Clones sorta-kinda look like brand-name clubs with slightly different names and nowhere near the same tech. They’re perfectly legal while counterfeit clubs – basically forgeries – are not.

The clone business was very different back in the ’90s than it is today. Back then, OEMs weren’t on yearly product cycles and it could be a lot less expensive for golfers to build their own sets. Besides, you-know-who was taking the game by storm. The golf business was booming, creating the ideal scenario for a little internet component company.

“Back then, OEMs would go maybe five years with the same iron so you could do an iron that looked like a ‘pro-line’ iron,” says Jason. “It would be your own component design and you can still cut the pricing quite a bit by going direct to the consumer.”

The Diamond Tour business has evolved with the times. The Turner series (TaylorMade-ish) is still around but Jason says the business model is more like what GolfSmith used to do: create your own series of in-house components.

“People still like to build their own clubs,” he says. “And it’s also an alternative to low-end box sets. We’re delivering much higher quality for the price. Does it have every piece of technology you could possibly have? No, but you can get a damn good set of irons for 150 bucks.”

Like A Hurricane

Let’s fast-forward to 2008. The golf industry, thanks to TaylorMade, is changing and OEMs are moving to faster release cycles. The unintended consequence? Lots of unsold gear that needs liquidating.

Add to that a sudden downturn in the economy and a dash of boldness and you get another business opportunity.

Enter Hurricane Golf.

“People always like a deal,” says Jason. “But if we used our knowledge of the internet to start a company selling major OEM brands at a discount, we felt we could make it work.”

“We would sell everything but our major focus would be buying 1,000 pairs of PUMA golf shoes at the right price and then put it out there for the consumer. Almost like a T.J. Maxx of golf.”

Jason says his team predicted the economy would tighten up a bit in 2008 but that people would still want to play golf. What he didn’t foresee was just how much of a left turn the economy would actually take.

“We didn’t know it was going to be as bad as it was but we knew if we could be an outlet for OEMs for their end-of-year inventory, buy it in big volumes and pay for it, then we could build a strong pipeline for closeouts.”

Lots of Hurricane Golf imitators have cropped up since 2008 but Jason, along with Rockbottom Golf and a few others, pioneered the model.

“There were a lot of online pro shops back then but we had a different niche with a deal-of-the-day type thing. If you could step up and take some volume, there were deals to be had. The economy was rough but we rode it through. There’s opportunity in turbulent water, per se.”

Sub 70 Golf, Aston Martin and The Combatant Gentlemen

In many ways, Sub 70 Golf is the logical progression from Diamond Tour Golf and Hurricane Golf. Inspiration, however, came from the car 007 (#RIPSeanConnery) drove in Goldfinger.

“The company came from the idea that we wanted to build Aston Martins in our garage,” says Jason. “Let’s try something completely different: direct-to-consumer but high-end. Let’s cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i’ to make the equipment as good as we can make it. And let’s see if we can compete with the biggest names out there.”

But could Sub 70 Golf actually sell premium golf equipment at direct-to-consumer prices without the consumer thinking it was, well, cheap? The proof of the concept came dressed in a snappy new suit from Combatant Gentlemen.

“That brand felt cool and edgy,” Jason says. “It didn’t make you feel like you were buying a shitty, discounted suit. The experience felt like I was buying a high-end suit, from the material to the look to the way it was shipped. You feel like you’re buying a premium suit in a smarter way.”

If it works for men’s fashionwear, why wouldn’t it work for golf clubs?

Sub 70 Golf

“You have to get the branding out there and make it different, kind of hip and authentic,” Jason says. “You’re going to be less expensive because you’re eliminating steps in the chain. But the needle you have to thread is being less expensive but still of the same quality.”

For many consumers, the same quality for a lot less money simply does not compute. A set of forged Sub 70 639 irons for $460 in the same performance neighborhood as a set of $1,400 Mizunos? Common sense says fuggedaboudit. But Sub 70’s online reviews, as well as its performance in MyGolfSpy’s Most Wanted testing, say otherwise.

The Sub 70 Golf Way

Sub 70 Golf keeps its costs under control in several different ways. The most obvious, of course, is the direct-to-consumer model which effectively cuts out retail markup. The company itself is very lean and outsources its R&D to its Chinese suppliers, something very common in modern manufacturing.

“We come up with the concepts ourselves, like, ‘we need a product for this specific niche’,” says Jason. “Then we hire their R&D to help us design it. We also hire some guys in the States who are in the golf business to review and modify what our suppliers send us. It’s like hiring consultants instead of having them in house.”

And even though you’re seeing Sub 70 Golf equipment finding its way into bags on virtually every tour, there’s no pay-to-play going on.

“We decided we’re not going to play that game because where does it end? All it does is I have to charge more for the clubs.”

Another advantage Sub 70 Golf has – along with other DTC brands such as Ben Hogan – is that it’s not a slave to the calendar. There are no predetermined product lifecycles.

“We won’t put marketing in front of performance or in front of the consumer,” Jason says. “If we can’t make it better or fill a niche we don’t have, we won’t bring it out. We’re not going to do the traditional golf marketing the way it’s been done. I’m only going to bring on something new when I know the performance is better.”

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The Telephone Man

We mentioned that  Sub 70 Golf is reaching cult-like status on social media. That’s largely due to Jason’s commitment to personal customer service. He’s on the phone every day talking with customers, helping them pick out clubs and answering questions. While talking directly with the owner wows the customer, Jason admits the pace is getting impossible.

“We’re going to bring in help because I’m about pushed to the limit. I’m working 70 to 80 hours a week and I’m glad to do it. It’s an honor to help people with their golf games but I have small kids at home and I want to enjoy life a little bit.”

Ahhh, the old work-life balance. For a guy who’s been putting in those kinds of hours since he was 22, it can be hard to let go.

“Look, we only get one ride on this thing before it’s over,” says Jason, who’s 47. “I have a wonderful wife who stays home with the kids and that makes it easier. But I want to enjoy my family and my community and maybe play some golf. There are times when I literally cannot return emails and phone calls during the day because there’s so much stuff coming it. I’m calling people back at 10 at night.”

Even when the help does come, Jason insists he’s still going to interact with his customers. That personal touch remains one of Sub 70’s biggest differentiators.

“There will always be a part of my day where I take calls from customers. A – I enjoy it. I really love talking with customers. And B – the feedback loop I get is amazing. They tell me if something’s not great and they tell me when something is really good.”

What’s Sub 70’s Future?

Working 80 hours a week running three businesses is anyone’s definition of hard work. But as far as Jason is concerned, he’s having the time of his life.

“I’m having more fun in my 40s than I ever have in my life. It’s a blast.”

Sub 70 Golf is working on several new products including a new driver. In 2021, COVID permitting, Sub 70 plans to expand to Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. There’s also a special irons project with Tommy Armour III.

“We’re business partners on that one,” says Jason. “Tom will be playing those irons on Tour next year. He was one of my heroes growing up and now we’re working on this project together. How cool is that?”

Sub 70 Golf

Jason insists he didn’t build Sub 70 Golf in order to sell it off. But what if someone walked in with a really big check? While Jason says you never say never, that check would need an awful lot of zeroes for him to even think about it.

“I’m in my business prime right now and I feel like I have a good 20 years left in me. Our plan is to do some really cool things and have some fun. We didn’t do any market research. It was just, ‘Let’s make some really good stuff and treat the customers like we’d want to be treated.'” And Holy Cow, in less than two years to go from where we were to having your clubs played on the PGA TOUR? It’s nuts.

“If you don’t smile and realize how cool this is and how much fun it is to do this, then you shouldn’t be doing it, right? I pinch myself every day that this is what I get to do.”

Another Boring Romantic, That’s Me

If every life had a theme song, Jason’s would be John Mellencamp’s “Small Town.”

All three businesses, plus the Hiland family, are headquartered in Sycamore, Ill., a pumpkin festival kind of town of 18,000.

Sub70 Golf

“I had a wonderful upbringing in the Midwest, a rural area with really good schools,” he says. “I loved growing up in a small town and I still live in a small town. It’s in your soul.”

That small-town soul is also Jason’s business ethos. And while he’s not one to dwell on regrets, Jason does drift back to 1995 every now and again.

“I didn’t think about it big enough. Jeff Bezos thought about it big enough. But I thought about making a little golf component company and making a nice living. There was such opportunity and I didn’t think big enough.”

But think of taking the bold step of selling clones online in 1996 or starting a discount golf liquidation company in 2008 or even a high-end/value-priced golf brand in 2018. You can say those were pretty bold steps and fortune favors the bold, right?

“Bold can also get you killed,” laughs Jason. “There are no guarantees. Everyone’s job is filled with risk. But if you look at our 25-year history, we’ve made it work. I’m confident we can make it work for another 25 years. It’s fun making people happy. Does that make sense? You do your very best for the client to help them play as good a game of golf as they can play. It’s very rewarding. If you don’t find it ultra-rewarding, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

“If you can do that and have that passion, everything else takes care of itself.”

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John Barba

John Barba

John Barba

John is an aging, yet avid golfer, writer, 6-point-something handicapper living back home in New England after a 22-year exile in Minnesota. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. “The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.” - BenHogan

John Barba

John Barba

John Barba





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      Richard Rollison

      5 months ago

      Good morning,
      I just purchased my first set of Sub 70 Clubs 749 Irons, Sub 70 849 Pro Driver, Sub 70 949X Fairway 7 Wood, Sub 70 Pro Tour Fairway 3 Wood, Sub 70 Sycamore 002 Mid-Mallet and Sub 70 286 Forged Wedge Raw a complete set and a great looking Sub 70 Golf Staff Bag and of course some accessories. I love the story of Jay and his perseverance to make an idea come to a beautiful reality, this is what sold me! It’s good to see such an Entrepeneur succeed in an industry of giants. I look forward to receiving my order that I placed on 6/28/24 having an investment from a company that is consumer focused! I also have a pending order for your cool hats and a couple of Polo shirts…gotta dress for success! see you on the course soon.

      Kind Regards,
      Richard

      Reply

      Nathaniel

      3 years ago

      Love sub 70. Customer service is great and loves the story behind the company. I am currently playing their 699 pros in 4-6 and 639-CB 7-p and can’t wait to get more items in the bag.

      Reply

      Jelopster

      4 years ago

      I’m getting back into golf at 37 after not playing much the last 10 years or so due to starting a family and career. I decided to go with single length clubs for simplicity sake and picked up a set of Diamond Tour’s In1Zones. I made the mistake of not getting the GW, SW, or LW and by the time I realized I needed them, COVID related supply chain issues put them out of stock. After making the connection between Diamond Tour and Hurricane, I found the SMT EQ single length set. Although these are only sold in full sets on the website, I called and spoke with someone (it may have been Jason) and was able to order the 3 wedge set, custom bulilt to match the shafts, grips, and lengths of my In1Zones. The 3 clubs together cost less than a single Cobra MIM SL wedge. They even let me return the standard length wedge I had ordered with a credit towards the new clubs. I am beyond blown away with the customer service and dedication to making sure I get a great set of clubs that I’m happy with.

      JAY SUB70 : When my level of play increases enough to justify a larger investment, I’ll be hoping Sub70 has a single length set for me to switch to!

      Reply

      Eric

      4 years ago

      I am noticing on reddit lately about “new irons” coming soon. Any updates on when the new irons will be released and any insights on what upgrades they will have to the 699s?

      Reply

      Tony Gadhvi

      4 years ago

      Hi Jay Sub 70,
      Do you make clubs for high handicaps like 18.
      In my experience if the shaft suited me better the club’s performance was better…I play R flex but I think I am somewhat inbetween R flex and S flex and my driver swing speed is 90 miles per hour still I am forced to play R flex as I can’t find in between flex shafts.
      Some years ago an Ohio based shaft company called Fitchip Prescription- Alpha made a few very nice shafts for my Woods and hybrid at a very cost effective price.
      In my opinion only the shaft is the future maximum improvement area left and in other areas only marginal small improvement can be done.
      Looking forward to your support and advise.
      Best wishes.
      Tony

      Reply

      Tom

      4 years ago

      Call sub70. I’m a 3 handicap but I’m 5’6” and not nearly as flexible as in my younger days. Result, short guy with short arms with less flexibility = I can’t hit the stiffs except for maybe a month or two mid summer when I’m playing a lot of golf and things are loose. Jason put me in the kbs tour 110 regular flex with a hard step resulting in a stiffer regular but not as stiff as an actual stiff. This lets me lay back on some shots without sacrificing the lag you get from higher swing speeds and also has been a reminder that I don’t have to swing at 100% even when my body lets me. Split the set up with 699pros 4-7 and 639cb 8-pw. Only complaint is to stay away from the black finish. 8 months in and I’m not sure how they will look in another year. But looks don’t make pars, and everything else is spot on.

      Reply

      Jesse Dula

      4 years ago

      I cannot say enough about Sub70 and their product. I have the 699 Pro’s in black and they are absolutely fantastic. I also have the 699U 2 Iron. It’s a rocket launcher.

      I’m fairly certain you cannot find a better price/performance value proposition in all of golf. .

      Reply

      Gary

      4 years ago

      I became interested in Sub70 maybe 18 – 24 months ago. Jason sent me a couple of the 639CB irons to test on the strength of my online presence as a golf writer/blogger, and I really liked them. Fast-forward to Father’s Day 2020, when I specifically requested gift certificates to Sub70, and used them to buy a set (5i to PW) of the 639 CBs. Life and the world situation being what it is, I have only been able to get out to the range once to hit them, and I my favorable impression of their performance remains.

      That being said, I have to admit that I am not happy to learn, from this article, that Sub70’s clubs are essentially designed and manufactured in China, and only marketed and assembled in the United States. Maybe I didn’t do enough research before I bought (my fault…), but I was under the impression that their products were designed and manufactured in the USA.

      I am seriously considering selling those clubs now.

      Reply

      Jacob D

      4 years ago

      Very interesting story and background. You had me until “sources all is R&D to China” !

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Hey Jacob thanks for the comment! We do our own R&D in-house and also rely on a few other guys based in the USA for input and feedback. We do work WITH overseas designers as well since they are on the ground and have access to the facilities were the manufacturing takes place. It’s a very collaborative effort and we make the final decisions on anything design related.

      Reply

      Rad

      4 years ago

      Hello from Jakarta, Indonesia.
      Is there any way I can purchase Sub70 product and shipped to Indonesia?
      Been interested with this brand for a couple of months.
      Best of luck!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Absolutely. We ship worldwide. If you ever have any questions just let us know. You can always call or email [email protected] as well. Thank you!

      Reply

      Ed M.

      4 years ago

      I was in the market for new irons last winter. I did a ridiculous amount of research. After I came across the Most Wanted list on MGS, I had to find out if Sub 70 was the real deal. Luckily I lived only an hour from their facility in Sycamore, IL. I called to setup a fitting and Jason scheduled it with me. I was blown away by the amount of time and detail he spent with me building my 699 Pro’s. All the way down to the type of ferrule designs they offered! Once courses opened up back up and I was able to get a few rounds in, I went back there a few times to get minor adujstments done to get them dialed in. All at no cost no questions asked! I cannot say enough about the the staff and high quality products they produce. If you are in the market for any clubs, do yourself a favor and consider adding Sub 70 to your bag. You won’t regret it!!!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks Ed! Happy to hear you had a good purchasing experience and are enjoying the 699 Pros. If you ever need anything just let us know.!

      Reply

      Home Brew Ed

      4 years ago

      I went and saw Jason a couple months ago after several friends bought clubs and raved about the service and quality. Jason spent an hour one on one in their facility, and got me fitted for a 699 Pro 4 iron, and a new driver. After watching my stats on the tracman, he went back into the warehouse, and 5 minutes later, said “try this out”. It was a Wilson Cortex, but most importantly he found the right shaft to fit my swing (Fujikura Atmos Black X Stiff.) Instant difference and the results on the course showed!

      Also, he didn’t try to oversell me, as Jason thought I should stick with my Ping i500 irons for 5-UW When my wedges start to wear out, I’m absolutely calling Jason to get them from Sub70. I know in full confidence he’ll make the right recommendation, and I won’t be wasting my time or money.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks for the comment Ed! We tell people all the time that the fittings have no obligation…we aren’t trying to hard sell you anything and truly only want an order to be placed if the customer is happy with the numbers they are seeing, etc. Our fitters always take their time and try to find the best option for each person. If your current set is working and you aren’t going to see any improvement then why waste the money on new golf clubs? Unfortunately most manufacturers want you to believe that you need to upgrade every year to keep up

      Reply

      Dan Corun

      4 years ago

      I ordered the 699’s in September and have played several rounds with them. They are super clubs at any price, but what they cost me (with a shaft upgrade) I consider a steal.. It is no BS that the customer service is outstanding. I’ve talked to Jason a number of times and even though he is really busy, he asked me about my game, made recommendations and never seemed like he was in a hurry to cut me short. Check out their putters too.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks Dan! Happy to hear you have had a good customer experience and are enjoying the clubs. We definitely want people to be happy and proud of their Sub 70 purchases. It’s been a crazy and busy year but we’re doing what we love and trying to keep up the best way can!

      Reply

      Andrew

      4 years ago

      What player(s) have used Sub70 on tour? Not doubting- just really interested- what a great success story!

      Reply

      Tyler

      4 years ago

      Zack Fischer. I think he Monday Q’d into Sanderson Farms Classic.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      That’s correct on the PGA Tour. Our friend Zack Monday Q’d into the Sanderson with a combo set of 639 CB/MB irons. Mark Calcavecchia and Tommy Armour III have had different irons and fairway woods in their bags on the Champions Tour as well

      Mark

      4 years ago

      Great to see the way Sub 70 is growing. I bought my irons from them last year when they’d only been been selling a few months. Jason called when I ordered some demos and I was blown away the owner called and spent time making sure I ordered demos that fit my game.. I live close to their facility and went in for a fitting with Jason. and he was terrific. I’m not the best player but he spent plenty of time with me. All he he cared about was getting the best fit possible. I went back a few months later for an adjustment and the exact same treatment. Never had an experience like this buying anything!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      That’s awesome to hear Mark and thank you for your support! Happy to have you as part of the family!

      Reply

      Derald McDonald

      4 years ago

      I first learned of Sub70 about 9 months ago. And being the “doubtful” individual I am I tried to read everything I could about the company. To keep this comment short I now have a Sub70 639D driver, a 939 Hybrid Five iron and a 56* Wedge. I am getting ready to buy another Wedge very soon. Let me just say this product is excellent, the Sub70 staff are nothing short of amazing and for the owner of the company to call me back with advice on “tweeting” my Driver, well I’m sold; Sub70 lives up to everything they say, excellent product, super competitive pricing and UN-MATCHED CUSTOMER SERVICE. Best Golf Company period.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thank you Derald!!! We definitely want every individual golfer to feel confident and more than satisfied with their Sub 70 clubs. If you ever need anything just let us know!

      Reply

      Charlie James

      4 years ago

      I LOVE my Sub70 699’s.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Great to hear! Thank you Charlie!

      Reply

      Jonathan Rowe

      4 years ago

      Would Sub70 be in (or consider being in) some of the dedicated fitting studios, like Club Champion, GolfTEC, etc? Seems like a win/win/win for Sub70, Fitter, and Consumer.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Hey Jonathan thanks for the comment and question. It’s an interesting topic. Unfortunately the way most fitters are currently setup they would have very little incentive to sell our equipment when they can move other OEM products that are at a much higher price point. We are working to put together demo carts and get them out to other independent facilities that will partner with us. We keep our margins smaller so that we can sell the equipment at a fair price and we won’t increase prices, or let a facility increase prices on our clubs, so that a fitter can make whatever they need to make. We’re confident that we will be able to get fitting carts with a wide array of options closer to a lot of people next year though.

      Reply

      Ryan M

      4 years ago

      Jason and the sub70 guys have been no bs, and absolutely class acts. I have been following them for years, and finally had a conversation with Jason to talk about getting some new irons. He spent over an hour talking to me, and shooting me straight. I cannot wait to see what is in store next with these guys, but I am hoping for some lefty cb’s/mb’s :)

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Hey Ryan thanks for the message! We are definitely planning on expanding our LH offerings. We will have LH wedges in the next month or so. I know LH putters are being worked on soon. We have had some conversations about expanding other products to LH and the 639 series is definitely part of that. We’re getting there…just took some time to get off the ground and make sure the demand was there. Thanks again!

      Reply

      JasonU

      4 years ago

      I’m the proud owner of 699 Pro Satins 4-AW and a 699 Pro UDI 2 iron. I’ve gained at least 12-15 yards over my Cleveland TA2 irons. I love my Sub70’s! My neighbor bought a set after hitting mine. Someone in my league bought them after hitting mine. My buddy just bought the same 2 iron after hitting mine. They’re amazing and for the price, unstoppable. Oh and each time I email directly with Jason and he responds almost immediately. Luckily I’m in the Chicago area so only about an hour drive to Sycamore where Jason fitted me originally. And as soon as the 799’s come out, I’d love to get them in my Dad’s bag!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Hey Jason thanks for the message and referral business you’ve sent our way haha! We truly appreciate it. The 799 irons are going to be a fantastic option for anyone with a lower swing speed that wants to get the ball up in the air with some distance and they’ll be incredibly forgiving. Hopefully we’ll have those in by Spring 2021!

      Reply

      cksurfdude

      4 years ago

      I’m seeing a lot of buzz around their utility irons – which are offered in higher lofts, eg. 5 and 6. I may just have to demo one!! ?

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks for the comment! We’ve expanded the 699U line all the way up to a 7 iron loft now. A lot of customers really loved how easily they launched and the forgiveness they offered so we kept growing that model. It’s a nice option for people who may not like hybrids for whatever reason.

      Reply

      cksurfdude

      4 years ago

      Mike –
      They offer a demo program .. check out their website for details and available clubs. If you don’t see what you want to try – call!

      Reply

      George P.

      4 years ago

      Awesome story on Jason and Sub70 golf. I’m a golf club junkie, so I’m really intrigued about the Sub70 brand. Jason, is there an issue of shipping to Canada? I’m in Winnipeg, Manitoba and would really love to try some of your designs!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks for the interest and comment! We definitely ship to Canada so there’s no problem there. We’re hoping to have a Canadian distributor up and running in 2021 just to cut down on shipping time and cost…but we can ship purchases to you now as well.

      Reply

      Gary Dulin

      4 years ago

      Come a long ways since that ramshackle gas station & boxes of heads, irons & grips strewn all over the floor! King Snakes are still in a buddy’s bag & another buddy saved his “Taurus” 2 iron (!) for his punch out Club. Was a great road trip with my friend Popper to get some sticks to glue together & play.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Haha!!! It’s been a long road and we’ve made it this far…but still plenty of things we want to accomplish with Sub 70 going forward!

      Reply

      Cory Frazier

      4 years ago

      Worked with Jason and his team for a custom 3 wood and sand wedge early in the year. They sent me demo versions on 2 different styles of 3 woods and a wedge in 56 degrees. Based on the testing, I was able to easily select the best 3 wood for me of the 2 and realized that I actually needed a 58 degree wedge (based on the gap I needed).

      When it came time to custom spec the clubs, I provided Jason and team a video of my swing and some Trackman stats from a gapping session I had done and they dialed in the shaft, lie angle and everything else to customize the clubs. And Jason himself spent an hour on the phone with me not just selling me clubs, but talking life, golfing with kids (mine are a bit younger than his, so it was a great conversation) and 3 days later I was hitting 230 yard 3 woods from the tee/fairways (a legit 15-20 yard increase from my old equipment) and zipping balls back on the green from 85 yards out.

      Great clubs, from great people! Thanks again!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thank YOU Cory!!! Happy to hear you are enjoying the 3 wood and wedge. Everyone here (Cody, Mike, Jeff, Dan, Shane, etc etc), and especially Jason, wants everyone to be 100% happy with the Sub 70 clubs. If you ever need anything just let us know!

      Reply

      Terry McGovern

      4 years ago

      I play two SUB70 Wedges and love them. Quality products and down to my known specs. Great company, great products!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks Terry! If you ever need anything just let us know. We appreciate the support!

      Reply

      Ron Schofield

      4 years ago

      My friend in Atlanta found Sub70 online and called me since I live in Chicago. I sent an email to customer service and Jason calls. Who does that? I decided to make the hours drive for a fitting and ordered my set the same day. They showed up in less than a week and I got in one round, in the rain, before the cold set in Chicago. I may get out a second time this weekend if the temperatures hold. Great company, great service and great article. Jason, call me when the putters are available!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks for coming out and visiting us Ron! Looks like we’re going to have some great golf weather for the next 4-5 days so take advantage if you can. If you ever need anything just give us a call, shoot us an email or reach out via social media. Thanks again!

      Reply

      Michael Close

      4 years ago

      Am really looking forward to seeing Sub 70 in Australia. I would definitely be interested to get my hands on a set and see how they go.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks for the interest Michael! We are in the process of setting up an Australian distributor so that should cut down on the shipping costs and time. We’ll keep everyone posted on that situation and hopefully you can try the clubs out soon. Thanks again!

      Reply

      Buckeye Doug

      4 years ago

      I have tried sub 70 clubs. Not overly impressed. will tell you they do stand behind their 45 day no questions asked money back guarantee.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks for giving us a shot Doug. There are a ton of great options for golf equipment out there so we’re never insulted if someone finds something that works better for their game. And it’s actually a 60 day guarantee so you could’ve held onto them for a couple more weeks if you wanted to haha! If you ever need anything just let us know. Thanks again.

      Reply

      Kevin

      4 years ago

      I don’ t have any Sub 70 clubs….yet, but I was an early customer of DTG and Hurricane and highly recommend them. Jason’s customer service is always top notch and I would never worry about purchasing anything that he’s involved with.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thank you Kevin!

      Reply

      Tom

      4 years ago

      Having been one of the testers for the Sub70 699 Pro irons, I can attest for the quality and performance of the clubs. I have seven other sets of clubs at home but these are in the bag each week. Great article, thanks John.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thank you Tom! Glad to hear you are enjoying the 699 Pro irons. If you ever need anything don’t hesitate to contact us.

      Reply

      Steve

      4 years ago

      I just wanted to say that Jason and his team are top notch.
      I bought a driver, 3W and 2 hybrids in early 2019.
      Came back and got a set of 699’s.
      In both cases I went to my local PGA Superstore got fitted then discussed the options directly with Jason. All have been spot on for what I needed in terms of looks, forgiveness, distance, etc. The customer service is way beyond what you anywhere else. I have had several people ask me what brand they are and when I tell them about my experience plus the cost they are all amazed. Keep up the good work.
      Steve Kriger

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thank you Steve! We truly appreciate you choosing and supporting Sub 70!

      Reply

      Justin Blom

      4 years ago

      I was able to talk with Jason during the lull of Covid-19 back in March. At that time, Sub 70 hadn’t exploded on the scene as they have now. Not only did Jason want to help set me up with an iron set that fit me, he simply wanted to just talk about golf since we were all in lockdown and there was nothing else to do. I can’t imagine that he can possibly give that level of attention to a customer now with the company’s increased popularity, but I continue to hear about their high level of customer service even with their increased popularity. The 699 Pros are amazing and helped me cut my handicap in half. They feel great and are super forgiving. I will still give my business to my locally owned golf shop for my other golf needs, but I’ll be heading back to Sub 70 for a nice set of forged irons in the near future!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks Justin! Glad to hear you’re enjoying the 699 Pros. They flat out perform. Thanks again!

      Reply

      LEgeler

      4 years ago

      Have the 699 Pro’s 5-PW and the 699 Pro-U and can’t believe how good they are for the price I paid. On top of that, getting to go in and get fitted to my exact spec’s all free of charge was an amazing experience. Truly a brand to watch out for.

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks for the support!!!

      Reply

      Mike

      4 years ago

      Interesting article and a good story. The only downside for me is that went buying a club, I’m definitely a hands-on, see, fit, touch, hit kind of guy. I’m not seeing the opportunity to do that with these clubs. I really despise how the OEMs have made new club prizes on affordable. Over the past few years I’ve done very well on their pre-owned site and eBay. But that’s after really testing a club model out beforehand. That would be my only stumbling block with this direct-to-consumer stuff.

      Reply

      John Barba

      4 years ago

      Hi Mike – while it’s not the same as hitting a few balls into a net at a retail store, Sub 70, Hogan, Bridgestone, and a few others have a demo program. For $20 you can get demo clubs to try at the range on and on the course for a couple of weeks, and then you send them back.

      It’s not the same, but it’s really not a bad option. And if you know your specs, they can custom build for you.

      https://www.golfsub70.com/sub-70-golf-demo-clubs.html

      Reply

      dr. bloor

      4 years ago

      In my mind, the demo program is far superior to hitting a demo in a store. Turf interaction under different conditions, ball flight, etc.

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks for the comment Mike! As John noted, we do offer a demo program which has a $20 net cost, which covers round trip shipping and handling, and allows you to test the clubs for a couple of weeks. That’s definitely a good option if you don’t live nearby. We’re also working on getting some regional fitting carts out to different facilities around the country. Hopefully that will give people a better opportunity to try the clubs out. Every purchase has a 60 day guarantee as well so you can buy and make sure they’re working for your game. If not we’ll take them back or make adjustments to get them where you want them. Thanks again!

      Reply

      Mike

      4 years ago

      Thanks for responding! Now my interest is peaked.

      J.B.

      4 years ago

      I had a set of King Snake “clones” back in the day – good clubs.

      I purchased a Srixon z565 driver brand new from Jason and Hurricane Golf last year at a nice discount. Great club rated “Best Value” back in 2017. The major OEMs may realease “new” technology every year, but it isn’t significantly better YOY.

      Good to read the Sub 70 success story!

      Reply

      Jay Sub70

      4 years ago

      Thanks J.B.! We definitely want people to be playing the clubs that allow them to play their best golf. People come in for fittings all the time and if they aren’t seeing a considerable improvement then we’ll never push for a sale. We’re confident that our lineup performs right there with everything else though…and if you can get similar or better performance while saving hundreds of thousands of dollars then it makes all the sense in the world. Golf equipment has gotten incredibly good over the last 10-15 years. There are definitely improvements out there and we’re constantly looking for them as well…but most golfers could game clubs from any of 10 brands from the last 10 years and get great performance if they’re the right specs, shafts, etc etc

      Reply

      Colin

      4 years ago

      I have been hearing quite a lot about sub70 recently, I have to say it looks really nice.
      Unfortunately here in Europe we have been left behind and have nothing similar, even to Hurricane.
      I’d love to know when you guys are coming, and I’d love to get on board if an opportunity arose.
      Best of luck.

      Reply

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