Equipment
Terry Koehler, the new Hogan irons and what it’s all about
A few weeks ago, we were one of the first outlets to break the news that the Ben Hogan Company will be returning to the equipment sector in 2015. In a roughly 45-minute call with Mr. Koehler, he casually inserted bits of wisdom and insight (and Ben Hogan stories) I felt ought to see the light of day.
What follows is a mix of Koehler’s comments on the direction of the new Hogan company, Mr. Hogan and golf in general. Hopefully it’s of value and interest to Hoganophiles and those interested in the company’s return to the equipment business.
The dream
Terry Koehler told his 90-plus-year-old mother, his dream job was to make golf clubs for the Ben Hogan brand in accordance with the company’s central values: performance, precision, quality, responsiveness and feel. Integrity and honesty.
So, when Perry Ellis acquired the Hogan brand, Koehler wondered what, if anything would come of the equipment. In August of last year, curiosity got the better of him and the founder of SCOR golf dialed up Perry Ellis to ask what their intentions were. That conversation began the path toward the recent announcement that Koehler will oversee the rebirth of Ben Hogan’s golf clubs.
An iron-centric company and a high bar
The anchor of the Ben Hogan company is, and always will be irons, although Koehler sees the company producing a full range of clubs in the future. The Ben Hogan Company won’t be racing to occupy every category and is entirely focused on developing irons initially.
“We’re not going to do anything until we believe that we have something that’s better than what’s out there,” Koehler said.
Thus, until they’ve produced an iron that’s both better than what’s on the market—and up to Mr. Hogan’s standards—they’re not bringing anything to retail. Proceeding slowly is a deliberate choice because of the responsibility brought on by carrying the Hogan mantle for Koehler.
Regarding clubmaking, Koehler said, “Mr. Hogan set a pretty high bar for all of us to aspire to.” Thus, the company’s efforts will be guided by a focus on performance, hard work and precision, rather than a release schedule. Koehler plans to produce the entire golf club, from “grip to head,” not just clubheads.
Koehler on golfers
“One of the things that frustrates me about being in this business is when you ask people, ‘Are you a golfer?’
They say, ‘I’m not any good. I’m a 15 or 16.’
Really, if you can break 90 regularly, you’re a pretty good golfer.
I don’t know where people come up with this self-deprecating thing of ‘I’m not any good.’ Everybody under a 15 or so is a player, hitting golf shots out there.”
On what it’s all about
The payoff of this game is the two or three times a round when that shot did what you wanted it to do. There’s little gratification in a skulled shot that bounces out of a bunker and rolls up 18 feet to the hole. Serious golfers play this game not for the numbers at the end of the day, but for those three or four times when the ball does exactly what you want it to.
The club pro’s duty
Mr. Hogan believed, according to Koehler, that the club professional has a duty to sell equipment to his members, as it’s an essential facet of his charge to help his members improve. Thus, Koehler states unequivocally that the Hogan company won’t put pro shops at a price disadvantage compared to larger retailers.
Two out of three greens isn’t right
If you were going to shoot in the low 60s in the 40s and 50s, given the condition of greens, it was imperative to knock flags down all day, according to Koehler. Players in the Snead, Hogan and Nelson eras weren’t making many 15-to-20 footers. Today, Koehler says, “Hitting greens is an art I don’t think anybody puts enough emphasis on.”
Further it “doesn’t seem right” to him that pros settle for hitting 12 or 14 greens rather than 16 or 18.
On what constitutes success for the Hogan brand going forward…
“Success will mean those people on GolfWRX.com saying we did this right.”
This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.
Joel Thelen
Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.
First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.
Mitchell Meissner
Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.
Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX
Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.
@Lamosteve began:
Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine
Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6
Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
- JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
- jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”
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Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
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Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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Gerald Garrison
Jan 15, 2015 at 9:03 pm
As 40 plus year professional golfer, club builder, teacher and player, I have to say we have gotten away from the art of the golf shot and fallen into “make your mis hits better”. My clients will be very happy that they will now have clubs that reward their work to improve that nothing feel of a well hit shot off a precise made club. About time. Thank you Terry.
Kirk Weems
Nov 9, 2014 at 8:17 am
I am a Hogan Player.
I play the FTX’s in the Summer and the Apex Edge’s during the colder months.
I have hit almost every other club manufactured and always return to “perfection”.
Forged Clubs are Butter!
If you don’t like the feel, I have one thing to say…..
Take lessons cause you are hitting them improperly.
Grant
Jul 9, 2014 at 12:37 am
The Apex’s all the way to the end are works of art. I had the last muscle back set that was produced. They had Topflite shafts in them but were still butter to hit. Sold them recently only because Imhave plenty of blade sets left. Will get another set if they are half as good as what I believe they could be. The old Apex 4. Shafts were gems.
Mad-Mex
Jun 1, 2014 at 10:26 pm
With all due apologies, the feeling of hitting a flush high Hogan Apex 7 iron with a wound liquid center balata Titleist is something that cannot and will not be re-created by todays equipment…… or that of walking up to your ball and seeing it smiling at ya after blading it with a wedge,,,,,,,,,,
Roger
Jun 1, 2014 at 5:43 pm
The Dream, the Passion, the Vision, and an understanding
of the History. Thats a great start.Thanks Terry and Ben.
Brian
May 30, 2014 at 3:35 pm
I am keeping my eyes on this as it develops. I would absolutely LOVE to see this brand back in the game with a top-notch iron and wedge line. Make it in the USA, keep it traditional in looks, use top quality components. I’d love to see a forged, muscle back with quality shaft and real leather grip offered.
Devin
May 30, 2014 at 12:37 am
I am ready to preorder. I have refinished my Hogan 99s a few times now. I can’t wait!!
Nevin
May 29, 2014 at 6:22 pm
I am very much excited to see what they come up with. I loved my old Hogan irons and think that a set updated to 2014 standards would be great. Koehler is doing the Scor wedges and they are really nice. This should be good news for us golfers.
snowman0157
May 29, 2014 at 3:39 pm
I’m excited to see the products. I can only envision 2 style of irons from them: Forged Muscleback and some kind of Forged Cavityback(Mr. Hogan probably wouldn’t approve). It is going to be difficult to recreate the magic of the Ben Hogan company era. I hope they can do it. I miss the good ol’ days.
No one method
May 29, 2014 at 1:35 am
Sort of interesting, but what else was he suppose to say? “we will make clubs that others’ have made and will use marketing that you’ve heard before.”
Restarting the Ben Hogan brand can’t be an easy task. Anything less than Fortworth designed, American forged, and hosel pins will be less than the best.
Skully
May 28, 2014 at 8:38 pm
“On what it’s all about…. but for those three or four times when the ball does exactly what you want it to.”
Nice try. That’s the kind of sales pitch that is precisely failing the entire industry that is causing the drop off in players all around. But it’s a good sales pitch to try and sell a golf club that might do that skulled shot less (but we all know it doesn’t)…. which brings me to:
If golf teachers and mental coaches can actually say the exact opposite of this and make players believe that everybody has those shots, including the Pros, and you have to take those shots in stride and use them as a positive thing and focus only on the final score, because in the end, that crappy shot is a lucky shot that happens all the time that actually helped keep the score low.
Steve
May 28, 2014 at 11:30 pm
Everybody plays the game for a different reason; the reason presented in the article is no less valid because you have a difference of opinion. To me, it sounded as if Koehler was reflecting genuinely upon his experiences with the game.
As a scratch golfer, I, too, tee it up in search of those fleeting “perfect” shots. I appreciate Koehler’s candid, positive responses – and choose not to read an (imaginary) agenda into his statements.
Shirley
May 29, 2014 at 12:50 pm
If “in search of” isn’t “imaginary,” then I don’t know what is. Because you’re simply imagining what a perfect shot might feel like to you, which might be completely different to how it feels to somebody else.
However – if you know and accept that in fact bad shots do happen to everybody, including the #1 players of the world – well then the supposed “3 or 4 bad shots” a round are precisely that! They happen.
You obviously don’t play golf.
Matt
May 28, 2014 at 11:13 am
I can’t wait to see what they come up with.