The Ben Hogan Golf headquarters are in a relaxed old warehouse about 10 minutes south of downtown Fort Worth. The parking lot sits adjacent to an open field of unkempt grass, and the Ben Hogan logo hangs proudly above the door, unseen by most.

All of that is by design.

The Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company originally started in 1953, but in September of 2017, it was reborn. This time with a completely different business model and an eye for saving customers money. That means lower overhead and cutting out the retail middle man.

“Our product is better than most and it’s less expensive than most. That’s because of our direct to consumer business model,” says Scott White, Ben Hogan Golf’s President and CEO.

Customers who want to play Ben Hogan irons, hybrids, or wedges can simply create a custom set online at benhogangolf.com. No need to pay markup costs buying at your local pro shop or golf mega store. The direct-to-consumer model keeps costs down and allows the player to have a custom set of forged irons for much less of the cost of a comparable set. And the clubs are built just for you. Just send in your specs and the clubs are out the door and headed your way in five to 10 business days.

Steve Dreyer, Director of Manufacturing, started with the company in 1985. He knew Mr. Hogan personally and has been a part of the company’s many evolutions. “I’ve seen many transitions. No doubt we are back to what Mr. Hogan wanted,” Dreyer says. “What Mr. Hogan stood for — he stood for a fine quality, built right, forged iron, built one set at a time.”

And if you want to give these clubs a try before pulling the trigger, that’s no problem. The company offers a 14-day, two-club demo program to help you feel comfortable with your purchase. That is also all organized online through the website. Customers can select the clubs they are interested in, pay twenty dollars for shipping, and they’ll soon get two irons in the mail.

Currently, Ben Hogan Golf offers three different custom built iron sets ranging from $575 to $770 per set, as well as utility irons, wedges and hybrids. The website also offers a wide array of bags, hats, and accessories, all sporting the legendary Hogan signature logo.

The new business model is working. Clubs are flying out of the factory and being shipped all over the world. As a response to overseas demand, the demo club program is setting up a new location in the United Kingdom so European players will be able to try these clubs out before purchasing as well. It seems consumers are falling in love with Ben Hogan irons again.

That wasn’t always the case. Before this resurgence, the company was floundering in and out of bankruptcy. “We were using the same playbook as every other original equipment manufacturer,” White said. “We were in retail. We had a sales force. It was an expensive proposition and we just found that we can’t keep doing it this way.”

In 2017, the company decided they needed a different strategic plan, so they began working towards a transition of sorts. All options were on the table, including permanent closure of the company. But while that was happening, revenue was still needed to keep the doors open and the lights on.

“So we went to our database and contacted everyone who had purchased Ben Hogan products in the previous two years,” White said. “We told them we were going through a reorganization and are pulling out of retail. But you are loyal to us so if you want to buy our equipment directly, we will sell it to you at basically wholesale pricing.”

The response was overwhelming. The company couldn’t keep up. There was no website or organizational process in place yet. Just customers who wanted Ben Hogan clubs at lower prices, calling on the phone. So White, Dreyer, and Tyler Brewton, Director of Brand and Product Marketing, decided there must be something to this factory direct thing. “We have a premium product and no one else in the golf industry is doing what we are doing from the equipment side,” Brewton said. “We are making premium golf equipment and we sell it with no retail markups.”

“It’s the great Ben Hogan product you know and love. Now there is no middleman,” explained White. “There’s no markup. You buy it at roughly half the cost of comparable product at retail. We have only been at it for 18 months but it has really resonated.”

Perhaps the most important piece to the equation, however, is the ever-present aura of Mr. Hogan. Walking around the no frills factory warehouse, it is impossible to not feel his presence. His signature is on every piece of equipment and photos of his famous swing hang on the walls. Even one of his old wooden office chairs sits in the corner of the break room.

“We are very conscious of the fact that it is his name on the bag. His name on the clubs. We walk around here and see his signature and his photos every day and think we need to keep making this guy proud,” White said.

And the dedication to excellence that Mr. Hogan was famous for is still going strong in Texas. “Mr. Hogan was a businessman,” said Dreyer. “And the product leaving this building is nothing but the best. Because that is what Mr. Hogan expected. It had to be the best.”

Where the company will go from here remains to be seen. “Right now we are forged irons and wedges,” said White. “We are always going to be a niche brand that appeals first and foremost to the more accomplished players. That is kind of what the Ben Hogan brand is known for. But we are going to get into other product categories which will fuel growth.”

The future looks bright in Fort Worth.

Mr. Hogan would be proud.