Ben Hogan Clubs Are Back!

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Take a look:
https://www.benhogangolf.com/


Demo clubs will be available soon.

[Cal Seifert]

It feels like this company goes away and comes back every few years. I liked when they offered irons with the lofts stamped on the soles instead of a traditional iron number.

[Craig Sweet]

Like Ashworth shirts....comeback...comeback...comeback

[David_Tepper]

The ultimate comeback so far is the Musingwear Penguin logoed shirt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_Penguin   

https://19thholemag.com/the-original-penguin-polo-a-lasting-legacy-of-classic-style/   

[Jeff Schley]

The ultimate comeback so far is the Musingwear Penguin logoed shirt.

Funny David.

[Rory Connaughton]

On a nostalgia trip, I purchased a set of the Icon irons a few years ago. I was very surprised by performance, feel and forgiveness for a muscle back.

[PCCraig]

The old Hogan blades were incredible.


These days Mizuno offers the best forged blades on the (typical consumer) market.

[BHoover]

A couple years back, when I caught the vintage club bug, I found a really nice set of 1988 Hogan redline blades on eBay. They are my go-to irons when I get the urge to play vintage permission woods and blades. The irons are surprisingly easy to hit compared to some other sets of forged blades I have sitting in the basement.


The way the Hogan blades look at address is just how a forged iron is supposed to look, in my opinion. That set will never be leaving my possession.

[John Blain]

A couple years back, when I caught the vintage club bug, I found a really nice set of 1988 Hogan redline blades on eBay. They are my go-to irons when I get the urge to play vintage permission woods and blades. The irons are surprisingly easy to hit compared to some other sets of forged blades I have sitting in the basement.


The way the Hogan blades look at address is just how a forged iron is supposed to look, in my opinion. That set will never be leaving my possession.

I spent a good chunk of my career working for the Ben Hogan Co. The 1988 iron is generally considered the best the iron the company ever produced. It had just a little more weight in the sole than most muscle back forgings and that made them just a bit playable.

[David_Tepper]

I have owned several sets of the Hogan Director irons. They were the company's earliest attempt (early 1980's?) to make a more forgiving forged iron, with a wider/heavier sole and a longer blade. They came before the Edge model. They had a real nice feel. I still have a set or two. 

[Brad Tufts]

I played the Hogan Rivera wedge for a few years, even to the point of buying several backups on ebay for $20/each.  I loved the traditional shape and the chrome.  I was looking at the equalizers last night and almost bought one for the hell of it.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I will now resurrect my 56* Rivera Wedge from my garage !
I'll hope demo clubs  arrive soon.

[DFarron]

A couple years back, when I caught the vintage club bug, I found a really nice set of 1988 Hogan redline blades on eBay. They are my go-to irons when I get the urge to play vintage permission woods and blades. The irons are surprisingly easy to hit compared to some other sets of forged blades I have sitting in the basement.


The way the Hogan blades look at address is just how a forged iron is supposed to look, in my opinion. That set will never be leaving my possession.

My favorite blade set ever....

[BHoover]

A couple years back, when I caught the vintage club bug, I found a really nice set of 1988 Hogan redline blades on eBay. They are my go-to irons when I get the urge to play vintage permission woods and blades. The irons are surprisingly easy to hit compared to some other sets of forged blades I have sitting in the basement.

The way the Hogan blades look at address is just how a forged iron is supposed to look, in my opinion. That set will never be leaving my possession.

I spent a good chunk of my career working for the Ben Hogan Co. The 1988 iron is generally considered the best the iron the company ever produced. It had just a little more weight in the sole than most muscle back forgings and that made them just a bit playable.

When Tom Kite won the 1992 US Open, I think he had Hogan clubs in the bag. Do you know what model irons he was using?

[Kevin_Reilly]

Kite had Redlines in his bag at the '92 US Open.

[archie_struthers]

 


Those old Hogan irons were pure. Back in the early mid-70's my good friend had a beautiful set of Hogan Apex blades . They were uber clean to look at !  I used a bunch of retreads from the bag room  but lusted after a set of Tommy Armour silver scots the pro at Woodcrest had as his back ups. He would never release them though I tried everything to get them.


Went to Wilson Staffs in the early 80's and if I remember Gary Player called Hogan at one point asking for some insights into the swing. Hogan allegedly asked Player what clubs he played which might have been Dunlops. Hogan told him then call Mr Dunlop!




ps It might have been mr wilson but the story fits the Hogan mystique

[Niall C]

Archie


I think I heard the same story re Hogan but instead of Player it was Faldo but that could be my dodgy memory.


Niall

[Steve Wilson]

Only tangentially relevant, but even as I type I have on Munsingwear shirt complete with penguin logo.  Didn't know his name was Pete. OMG, as the young folks say.


Secondarily, the only irons I've played from 1989 are Hogan Edges.  Even went so far as to get a second set to take to Scotland and leave at the clubhouse at Golspie.
Of course, in a conversation with those of you who play blades, I feel like the guest in a New Yorker cartoon who is being confronted by the hostess with the line, "I've just learned you are the author of a novel based on a movie, please vacate the premises immediately."

[David_Tepper]

Niall -

Both stories are (probably) true. Player contacted Hogan via a long-distance phone call. Faldo showed up at Shady Oaks and went to the range to hit balls. He wanted Hogan to come out to watch him. Hogan stayed in the clubhouse.

DT   

[archie_struthers]

 


I checked on my memory and it was Player and Dunlop, woo hoo.  I was lucky enough to caddie  for Byron Nelson in one of his last rounds and would have loved to have seen Hogan hit some shots in person . Must have been a sight ...

[David_Tepper]

Archie -

A friend of mine was a high school kid in the Bay Area when the US Open was held at the Olympic Club in 1966. He was a pretty good junior golfer at the time. He volunteered to carry a scoreboard for all 4 rounds of the tournament.

Ben Hogan was in his group for one of his rounds. He told me tee-to-green Hogan hit the best golf shots he ever saw.

DT

[John Handley]

I played the great Hogan ApexII irons in high school in the 1980s.  Awesome clubs.  Too bad few people under 40 even know who Ben Hogan was.  Fundamentally, that's why the reincarnation of the Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, etc. brands end up not resonating this day and age with consumers.

[BHoover]

Being a non-fan of Gary Player, I’ve always loved the story about Hogan basically telling GP to go pound sand.


On the other hand, being a huge fan of Lee Trevino, I especially love that Hogan apparently always admired Trevino’s ballstriking and even sent Trevino sets of Hogan clubs to test.

[Joe Zucker]

This new line up of clubs looks very similar, if not identical, to what the previous company was selling.  I've played the irons and wedges.  The irons are as good as any top OEM (I've played Mizuno, Titleist, Srixon in the last 10 years) in my opinion.  The wedges were not up there in my opinion.  I loved the clean look and head shape, but they were a good step below Vokeys for me. 


Either way, glad they are back as it's a quality product.

[David_Tepper]

"This new line up of clubs looks very similar, if not identical, to what the previous company was selling."

Joe Z. -

My guess is the "new" lineup of clubs is likely inventory that was on hand/unsold when the company last closed down. The new ownership wants to clean out the old inventory before they introduce a new line of clubs. On the other hand, maybe the new owners think the prior designs are so good they don't see the need to change them any time soon.

DT