Equipment

Terry Koehler, the new Hogan irons and what it’s all about

Published

12 years ago

May 28, 2014

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.”

Related Topics:

Up Next

Keegan proves he’s still a pro with a short putter

Don't Miss

Puma introduces Faas Lite Mesh 2.0

Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

14 Comments

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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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,,,,,,,,,,

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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!!

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
- 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.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - 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.
    
    Reply Report comment
Matt

May 28, 2014 at 11:13 am

I can’t wait to see what they come up with.

Reply Report comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

Neal Shipley, AKA, the “Big Fridge’s,” custom stamping

Published

11 hours ago

Jun 1, 2026

Alistair Cameron

Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.

That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.

On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.

“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”

On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”

“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.

Check out Shipley’s full what’s in the bag and the rest of his wedge stampings here on “Inside the Ropes” from Colonial.

Equipment

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: L.A.B. Purple DF3 with Masters cover

Published

18 hours ago

Jun 1, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.

From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules