With $799 Set Of Golf Clubs, Stix Seeks To Become Industry Disruptor

Golf has always been casual for Gabe Coyne, an activity the software developer and designer loved to do, but never took too seriously. So how did this self-proclaimed “start-up guy” launch a minimalist, direct-to-consumer golf equipment company called Stix Golf?

When Coyne first picked up the game at 13, he got his first set of clubs for $20 at a rummage sale. Coyne went on to buy his first set of new golf clubs at a big box sports retailer, finding something that “looked good, was priced right,” and that he’d use for the next 20 years.

Like many young adults, Coyne got out for a handful of rounds a year, playing with friends while balancing the demands of work and a family life that grew to include four young boys. As he got older, he wondered if new clubs would improve his game, or at least help him play a little better. When Coyne began shopping for new sticks, he was taken aback at the disparity of in-store pricing that ranged from $250 for a beginner’s box set to $2,000 for a full bag of a-la-cart clubs from one of the game’s major equipment manufacturers.

“I thought to myself, ‘How is this gap so crazy and why aren’t a lot of people playing in the middle? Why is there no great set under $1,000?” said Coyne. “I felt like I discovered a new opportunity for disruption, like Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s did for the shaving industry. I was feeling the same thing about golf — everybody is claiming the latest, greatest tech that will turn me into a tour player, and I know that’s not the case.”

Enter Stix Golf, which offers a one-size-fits-all, matte black 12-piece set of clubs for $799.

“People like good looking, well-made hardware,” reasoned the 37-year-old Coyne. “Our question became, ‘Can we make premium-looking clubs for a wide range of consumers? Can we be appealing to this new generation of golfers?’”

Coyne previously worked as the founding chief technology officer for a company in Seattle that built a platform for professional athletes to run mobile networks. He then became a partner with a venture studio in Chicago, where he had extensive experience testing new business concepts and helping start new companies. “Everything we do is about validating ideas and doing it as quickly and cheaply as possible before building something that isn’t going to work,” he said.

Coyne enlisted an online service to test the value gap in golf, seeing if consumers showed interest in minimalist but solidly-built equipment at a “more accessible price.” When the idea resonated with about 30% of the initial random audience, they ran additional tests that also substantiated their thinking. After raising money and vetting manufacturers, Coyne and his team settled on a Chinese company that had been building clubs for decades, having found the right balance of quality and price.

“People were pleasantly surprised. It’s a basic level of tech that performs very well,” he said. “As much as the industry tries to sell technology to justify price points, many people just fine with basic tech. For 90% of people, these would play just fine. We don’t take the position of being the latest technology.”

Now living outside Chicago, where his fulfillment center is located, Coyne hand-delivered the first three sets of Stix clubs. He’s in contact with many customers via text and often includes hand-written notes in the box when it’s shipped, along with occasional extras such as tees, hats and balls (from fellow direct-to-consumer company Vice) with Stix branding.

“We don’t want to feel we’re the discount play, like here’s a crappy box and bubble wrap,” Coyne said. “We can do cool messages, nice marketing and good box. We can still provide an elevated customer experience and do this a different way.”

Customer engagement remains crucial for an upstart like Stix, which is looking to run events so golfers can see and feel the product. Renting out bays at various golf entertainment venues for 15-minute demo sessions is among the approaches the company is considering.

“We want to learn about customers and perspectives as much as we can to figure out what we can do going forward,” Coyne said. “Part of that is making a big credibility push. Because as much as people like the concept, they may have a hard time pulling the trigger or trusting the brand.”  

Like many others amid the coronavirus pandemic, Coyne said he’s found himself on the golf course this year more than ever. He joined a men’s league for the first time and two of his four sons took part in a clinic, so he got to play with them afterward. And as golf’s popularity and play has surged nationwide, it’s provided an unexpected opportunity for an upstart like Stix.

“The unicorn businesses that blow up say timing is a factor, whether on purpose or by accident. We’ve gotten caught up in this perfect storm,” Coyne said. “We worked on this a year ago, shelved it during Covid, then activated again. Now volume is up. The timing is probably great. We think there’s this interest of a new generation – a more casual golfer who’s not sold on technology marketing and they’re not necessarily trying to fine tune their game, but have fun.”