Sub 70 Golf is a legitimate direct-to-consumer golf brand based in Sycamore, Illinois. Its current range covers almost the entire bag, from drivers and hybrids to game-improvement irons, forged players irons, wedges, and putters.
Sub 70 clubs are worth considering if you want custom-built equipment, plenty of specification choices, and a practical way to try unfamiliar clubs before committing to a full set.
The catch is that the range is now broad enough that the brand name alone tells you very little. A forgiving 699 v3 iron and a compact 669 MB are designed for very different golfers, even though both carry the same Sub 70 badge.
This review focuses on that buying decision: which current Sub 70 clubs make sense for different players, where the equipment is built, how the demo and return process works, and when another brand may suit you better.
Is Sub 70 Golf Legit?
Yes. Sub 70 is an established American golf equipment company founded by Jason Hiland and based in Sycamore, Illinois. The company sells directly to golfers and custom-builds clubs after they are ordered.
Sub 70 also operates fitting services, a demo program, pre-owned sales, and direct customer support. Those are useful signs for golfers who like the direct-to-consumer model but still want some of the reassurance normally associated with a conventional fitting or retail purchase.
Sub 70 is not simply selling generic clubheads under a private label. It has its own current equipment families, fitting options, custom-build process, and long-running Illinois operation.
What Is Sub 70 Golf?
Sub 70 uses a direct-to-consumer model. Instead of building its business primarily around large retail chains, it sells clubs directly and offers golfers a wide selection of shafts, grips, lengths, lie settings, and other build options.
That model can reduce some of the retail and distribution costs built into traditional golf equipment. It also means you may need to do more homework before ordering, especially if you are choosing custom specifications online.
That sounds straightforward, but there is a catch.
A long menu of shafts and fitting options is only valuable if you know what suits your swing. If you are guessing at length, lie, shaft weight, or flex, a highly customized order can simply lock in the wrong specification more precisely.
If you are unsure, a proper golf club fitting is a better starting point than choosing from a specification chart alone.
Are Sub 70 Golf Clubs Good?
Sub 70 has a credible modern lineup, but there is no useful way to say that every Sub 70 club is automatically good for every golfer. The quality of the buying decision depends on matching the right head and build to the player.
The strongest part of the range is choice. A golfer who wants help with launch and forgiveness can shop in a completely different part of the lineup from somebody who prefers a compact forged cavity back or traditional muscle back.
The real appeal of Sub 70 is not one magic club. It is the ability to choose from clearly different head designs and then build the club around your specifications.
That makes the irons the most useful place to start, because they show how far the brand has moved beyond the narrower range covered in the old Windtree review.
Which Sub 70 Irons Should You Consider?
Sub 70 currently offers several iron families, but five models make the progression especially easy to understand: 699 v3, 699 Pro v3, 669 CB, 669 TC, and 669 MB.
For most golfers, this is the key decision.
| Model | Category | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| 699 v3 | Game improvement | Golfers prioritizing launch, forgiveness, and stability |
| 699 Pro v3 | Players distance | Golfers wanting a cleaner profile with useful forgiveness |
| 669 CB | Forged cavity back | Players wanting forged feel with more support than a blade |
| 669 TC | Forged tour cavity | Confident ball strikers wanting a compact, workable iron |
| 669 MB | Forged muscle back | Skilled ball strikers prioritizing feedback and shot control |
The table gives you the broad map, but the construction differences matter because they affect what each club is trying to do.
Sub 70 699 v3 Irons
The 699 v3 is the game-improvement option in the current range. It uses a hollow construction with a forged C455 face and a 431 stainless-steel body, rather than a traditional one-piece forged head.
That design gives Sub 70 more freedom to position weight and build forgiveness into the head. If your strike moves around the face or you want help launching the longer irons, the 699 v3 is the logical model to investigate first.
The 699 v3 is about making iron play easier, not about giving you the compact look and feedback of a traditional blade.
Sub 70 699 Pro v3 Irons
The 699 Pro v3 keeps a forged C455 face and separate stainless-steel body, but moves into the players-distance category with a more compact shape and less offset than the standard 699 v3.
That makes it useful for golfers who want some of the speed and forgiveness of a hollow iron without the larger visual footprint of a full game-improvement model.
There is one terminology trap worth avoiding. Search results often describe the 699 Pro v3 as a “forged iron,” but the current specification is a forged face combined with a separate body, not a one-piece forged construction.
If one-piece forged construction is important to you, the 669 family is the more relevant part of the Sub 70 range.
Sub 70 669 CB Irons
The 669 CB is a one-piece forged cavity-back iron. It is the most forgiving member of Sub 70’s current one-piece forged 669 family, giving golfers a players-style construction without jumping straight into the demands of a muscle back.
For a golfer moving away from a larger hollow head, that can be an attractive middle ground. You retain a compact players look and forged construction while getting more support on slight misses than the MB provides.
Sub 70 669 TC and 669 MB Irons
The 669 TC moves toward a thinner-topline tour-cavity profile, while the 669 MB is the muscle-back option. Both place more emphasis on feedback and workability than the 699 family.
The trade-off is straightforward: as the head becomes more compact and specialized, poor contact is less protected. Golfers who regularly miss the center of the face have more forgiving options elsewhere in the lineup.
Sub 70 also offers combination sets, which can make sense if you want more help in the longer irons and a more compact shape in the scoring clubs.
If these categories are unfamiliar, our guide to the different types of golf clubs explains how modern iron designs overlap.
Are Sub 70 Irons Forged?
Some are, but not all Sub 70 irons use the same type of forged construction.
The 669 CB, TC, and MB are one-piece forged players irons, while the 699 v3 and 699 Pro v3 use forged faces combined with separate stainless-steel bodies.
That distinction is more useful than simply labeling the brand “forged.” A hollow multi-piece iron can provide launch and stability characteristics that are difficult to reproduce in a traditional muscle-back head, while a one-piece forging may appeal more to golfers who prioritize feedback and compact shaping.
What About the Sub 70 859 Driver?
The 859 is Sub 70’s current 460cc driver and one of the strongest product-specific themes in the supplied Ahrefs research. It uses an adjustable hosel and movable head weights, giving golfers scope to alter the setup around their preferred ball flight.
Sub 70 also uses its Axis of Rotation face and weighting concept in the head. The company makes strong performance claims for the design, but those claims should not be treated as guaranteed distance or accuracy gains for every golfer.
So what matters on the tee?
Head design is only one part of the result. Loft, shaft, playing length, strike location, and the way you deliver the club will determine whether the 859 actually performs better than another driver in your hands.
Adjustability is useful when it supports a fitting decision. It is not a substitute for one.
If you are comparing driver specifications more broadly, our guide on how to choose a golf driver covers the main factors worth checking.
Are Sub 70 Wedges Worth Considering?
Sub 70 currently offers several forged wedge families, including the 287, 286, TAIII, and JB designs. They are not all the same shape or sole concept, which gives golfers more choice than a single generic wedge line.
That choice is useful only when you connect it to the shots you actually play. Loft gapping, bounce, sole shape, turf conditions, bunker sand, and your delivery all matter more than choosing a wedge because one model has the most aggressive marketing description.
The good news is that Sub 70’s custom-build model lets you select from multiple shaft and specification options.
For wedges, the best Sub 70 model is the one that fits your short-game technique and conditions, not simply the newest or most expensive head.
If you are still deciding how many scoring clubs belong in the bag, see our guide to how many wedges to carry.
Does Sub 70 Make Putters?
Yes. The current Sycamore lineup includes traditional blades, wide blades, mallets, longer putters, and several zero-torque designs. That is a much broader putter range than the single TAIII model highlighted in the older article.
The variety is useful because putter fitting is highly individual. A larger mallet may offer more stability and alignment help, while a compact blade can appeal to golfers who prefer a cleaner shape and different feedback.
Zero-torque designs are another option, not an automatic upgrade. The way you aim, return the face, strike the ball, and control speed still matters.
A putter should earn its place through better aim, strike consistency, and pace control, not because a particular balance concept is fashionable.
Does Sub 70 Make Left-Handed Golf Clubs?
Yes, although left-handed availability varies considerably by model. Some current clubs have left-handed options, while others are right-hand only.
For example, the newest 699 v3 and 699 Pro v3 irons are currently listed as right-hand only. The 669 CB has a limited left-handed configuration, and other previous-generation irons remain available in both hands.
Before you settle on a model, check the exact product page rather than assuming every club within a Sub 70 family is offered left-handed.
Handedness is a model-by-model decision at Sub 70, not a brand-wide guarantee.
Where Are Sub 70 Golf Clubs Made?
Sub 70 is based in Sycamore, Illinois, and the company states that its clubs are built there after each order is placed. Customers can request length, lie, loft, shaft, grip, and other build changes.
The older Windtree article went further and claimed that Sub 70 does not outsource any manufacturing or production. The company’s current public information does not provide enough detail about every raw head, shaft, grip, and component to support that blanket statement.
The accurate claim is that Sub 70 custom-builds and assembles its finished clubs in Sycamore, Illinois.
If domestic production matters to you, our guide to golf clubs made in the USA explains why “made,” “manufactured,” and “assembled” can describe different stages of the equipment process.
Can You Try Sub 70 Clubs Before Buying?
Yes, and this is one of the brand’s most useful answers to the usual direct-to-consumer problem. Sub 70 operates a demo program that lets golfers try selected clubs before ordering a custom-built set.
That matters because specifications on a screen cannot tell you everything about head shape, sound, turf interaction, strike feedback, or how comfortable a club looks behind the ball.
Before you order, this part matters.
Demo clubs are there to help you judge the model, but they are not automatically built to your final fitting specifications. Treat the trial as evidence about the head and general concept, then confirm the build details separately.
If you are choosing between two Sub 70 iron families, the demo program is more useful than relying on handicap labels alone.
What Is the Current Sub 70 Return Policy?
Sub 70 currently states that returns can be requested within 30 days of receiving the order and that returns are subject to a 10% restocking fee. The company also lists conditions that can affect eligibility, including certain aftermarket alterations.
That is different from the old Windtree article’s claim of a 60-day, no-questions-asked full refund. Policies can change, so check the current terms again before ordering, particularly if you plan to customize the clubs further after delivery.
Does Sub 70 Sell Pre-Owned Clubs?
Yes. Sub 70 maintains a pre-owned section alongside its new and demo equipment, which can be useful if you want a previous-generation model or a lower-cost route into the brand.
There is one thing to watch, though.
A used custom club may have been built around somebody else’s length, lie, shaft, or grip preferences. Check the full specification rather than assuming the club will fit you simply because the head model is right.
Sub 70 vs. Haywood Golf
Sub 70 and Haywood both appeal to golfers who are comfortable buying outside the biggest retail brands. Both now offer broad equipment ranges and custom-build options, so the old distinction that Haywood mainly sells irons and wedges is no longer accurate.
Sub 70’s strengths include a particularly broad iron catalog, demo availability, pre-owned equipment, and a large putter range. Haywood has a simpler current iron progression from the SV.2 through PD.1, CB2, and MB2.
Choose between Haywood and Sub 70 by comparing equivalent models and fitting options, not by trying to declare one brand universally better.
Our updated Haywood Golf review covers that lineup in more detail.
Sub 70 vs. Takomo Golf
Ahrefs also shows genuine comparison interest between Sub 70 and Takomo. The two brands overlap most obviously around direct-to-consumer irons, but Sub 70 currently offers a particularly broad full-bag range and extensive custom-build choices.
Takomo has built much of its reputation around its iron families, so the useful comparison is usually model against model. A forgiving Sub 70 699 v3 should not be compared with a compact Takomo players iron simply because both brands sell directly online.
If Takomo is also on your shortlist, our Takomo Golf clubs review provides the relevant background before you compare specific heads.
Sub 70 Golf Pros and Cons
By this point, the buying picture is fairly clear. Sub 70 offers plenty of choice and customization, but the same flexibility can make the order more complicated if you do not know your specifications.
Pros
- Broad iron range covering game-improvement, players-distance, cavity-back, tour-cavity, and muscle-back designs.
- Current equipment extends across most of the golf bag.
- Clubs are custom-built to order in Sycamore, Illinois.
- Wide selection of shafts, grips, lengths, and lie options.
- Demo program gives golfers a way to assess selected models before buying.
- Pre-owned inventory provides another route into the brand.
- Several current and previous-generation models are available left-handed.
Cons
- Not every current model is available left-handed.
- Extensive custom options can be difficult to choose without reliable fitting information.
- Local testing opportunities may be more limited than with the largest retail brands.
- Older online Sub 70 reviews often cover previous generations with different specifications.
- The current return policy includes a restocking fee, so the demo route is worth considering before a full order.
Who Should Consider Sub 70 Golf Clubs?
Sub 70 is particularly worth considering if you want more build choice than a standard off-the-rack set and are comfortable researching equipment outside the biggest mainstream brands.
If forgiveness and launch are priorities, start with the 699 v3. If you want a more compact players-distance profile, the 699 Pro v3 is the more logical step. Better ball strikers can then investigate the forged 669 family.
The best Sub 70 buyer is somebody who values specification choice and is willing to use fitting or demo information rather than guessing.
Who Should Look Elsewhere?
Sub 70 may be less convenient if you want to visit a large local retailer and compare several mainstream heads in one fitting session. The direct model works best when you are comfortable doing some of the research yourself.
You should also look elsewhere if the model you want is unavailable in your handedness, or if a different brand gives you easier access to the exact shaft, fitter, or head profile you need.
For golfers who place a high value on widespread resale recognition, large tour presence, or an extensive international fitting network, the biggest manufacturers still hold practical advantages.
Who Owns Sub 70 Golf?
Sub 70 was founded by Jason Hiland, who remains closely associated with the company. Sub 70’s current information identifies Hiland as its founder and describes his long background in the golf equipment industry.
The company remains based in Sycamore, where golfers can arrange fittings and contact the team directly about equipment and build specifications.
Are Sub 70 Golf Clubs Worth It?
Sub 70 deserves a place on the shortlist if you want direct-to-consumer equipment with genuine model variety, extensive custom-build options, and a demo route that reduces some of the risk of ordering clubs online.
The 699 v3 and 699 Pro v3 cover golfers who want more speed and forgiveness, while the 669 family gives confident ball strikers forged cavity, tour-cavity, and muscle-back choices. The driver, wedges, and putter ranges now make Sub 70 a genuine full-bag option.
The strongest reason to consider Sub 70 is choice with a purpose: different head designs, custom specifications, and the ability to test selected models before you commit.
The biggest caution is the same one that applies to any custom equipment purchase. A well-designed club is only valuable if the model and specifications fit your game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Sub 70 Golf Clubs Legit?
Yes. Sub 70 is an established direct-to-consumer golf company based in Sycamore, Illinois. It sells a current full-bag equipment range, custom-builds clubs, offers fittings, and operates demo and pre-owned programs.
Are Sub 70 Irons Good for Higher-Handicap Golfers?
The 699 v3 is the clearest current starting point if you prioritize forgiveness and launch. Handicap alone should not decide the iron, though. Strike quality, launch, shaft choice, and fitting specifications still matter.
What Are the Best Sub 70 Irons?
There is no single best model. Choose the 699 v3 for game-improvement priorities, the 699 Pro v3 for a more compact players-distance profile, or the forged 669 family if feedback, shaping, and a smaller players head matter more.
Are Sub 70 699 Pro v3 Irons Forged?
The 699 Pro v3 has a forged C455 face, but the full head is not a traditional one-piece forging. The face is combined with a separate 431 stainless-steel body.
Are Sub 70 Clubs Made in the USA?
Sub 70 states that its clubs are custom-built in Sycamore, Illinois. Its public information does not establish that every raw component is manufactured domestically, so “custom-built in Illinois” is the more precise description.
Can You Demo Sub 70 Golf Clubs?
Yes. Sub 70 operates a demo program for selected equipment, giving golfers a chance to assess a model before placing a full custom order.