Equipment
Report: Callaway to revive the ‘Apex’ name
Members of our forums have been buzzing for weeks about the possibility of a Callaway forged iron that would bear the name “Apex,” a nod to the fan-favorite forged irons produced by the Ben Hogan golf brand, which Callaway purchased as a part of its acquisition of Top Flite Golf Co. in 2003.
Last week, we snapped photos of a prototype Callaway driver and two prototype irons at the Deutsche Bank Championship. According to a report by Golfweek’s James Achenbach, the larger iron model, which had yellow tape placed in the cavity to hide its logo, will be called “Apex.”
Unlike the Ben Hogan Apex FTX irons released in 2004 (pictured left), the new Apex irons are a multi-material iron with a deep undercut. That makes them more similar to Callaway’s 2010 Diablo Forged iron (pictured right), which were forged from 1020 carbon steel but featured welded 455 carpenter steel faces to increase ball speed and forgiveness.
In 2012, Callaway sold the Ben Hogan brand to apparel company Perry Ellis Inc., which has been the official licensee of Callaway apparel since taking over for Ashworth in 2005. According to Achenbach, Callaway retained the rights to certain Ben Hogan-related trademarks, however, such as Apex and Edge.
Callaway has yet to release any details on the Apex irons, but we expect that they will begin to surface in the near future. You can see more photos of the Apex irons in the gallery below.
Click here to see what members are saying about the irons in the forums.
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- Kevin Streelman what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist TSR3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
5-wood: Ping G (17.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 10 X
Irons: Wilson Staff Model CB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Wilson Staff Model (48-08, 54-08), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-L @59)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (48), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (54, 58)
Putter: Scotty Cameron TourType SSS TG6
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Streelman’s clubs here.
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The year was 2012. Gangnam Style ruled supreme, its infectious beats and ludicrous horse-riding dance moves hypnotizing us with their stupidity. Everyone was talking about the Mayan calendar, convinced that the end of days was near. Superheroes soared on the silver screen, with the Avengers assembling in epic fashion. Katniss Everdeen survived The Hunger Games. And the memes! The memes abounded. Grumpy Cat triumphed. We kept calm and carried on.
In much the same way that automotive enthusiasts love classic cars, we at GolfWRX love taking a backward glance at some of the iconic designs of years past. Heck, we love taking iconic designs to the tee box in the present!
In that spirit, GolfWRX has been running a series inspired by arguably the greatest fighting game franchise of all time: Mortal Kombat. It’s not “choose your fighter” but rather “choose your driver.”
Check out some of the standout combatants of 2012 below.
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Nike VRS
Often harshly critiqued during its years releasing golf equipment (right, Phil Mickelson?), Nike’s tenure in the club-and-ball business gets a gloss of nostalgic varnish, with many of its iron and putter designs continuing to attract admirers. Among the company’s driver offerings, the 2012 VRS — or VR_S, if you will — drew high marks for its shaping and toned-down appearance. The multi-thickness, NexCOR face was no joke either.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Callaway RAZR Fit
Callaway’s first foray into moveable weight technology (married with its OptiFit hosel) did not disappoint. With a carbon fiber crown, aerodynamic attention to detail, and variable and hyperbolic face technologies, this club foreshadowed the tech-loaded, “story in every surface” Callaway drivers of the present, AI-informed design age.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Cleveland Classic 310
Truly a design that came out of left field. Cleveland said, “Give me a persimmon driver, but make it titanium…in 460cc.” Our 2012 reviewer, JokerUsn wrote, “I don’t need to elaborate on all the aesthetics of this club. You’ve seen tons of pics. You’ve all probably seen a bunch in the store and held them up close and gotten drool on them. From a playing perspective, the color is not distracting. It’s dark enough to stay unobtrusive in bright sunlight…Even my playing partners, who aren’t into clubs at all…commented on it saying it looks cool.” Long live!
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Titleist 910
While there’s no disputing Titleist’s “Titleist Speed” era of drivers perform better than its 2010s offerings, sentimentality abounds, and there was something classically Titleist about these clubs, right down to the alignment aid, and the look is somewhere between 983 times and the present TS age. Representing a resurgence after a disappointing stretch of offerings (907, 909), The 910D2 was a fairly broadly appealing driver with its classic look at address and classic Titleist face shape.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
TaylorMade RocketBallz
The white crown. The name. You either loved ‘em or you hated ‘em. TaylorMade’s 2012 offering from its RocketBallz Period boasted speed-enhancing aerodynamics and an Inverted Cone Technology in the club’s titanium face. Technology aside, it’s impossible to overstate what a departure from the norm a white-headed driver was in the world of golf equipment.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Ping i20
Long a quietly assertive player in the driver space, Ping’s i20 was more broadly appealing than the G20, despite being a lower-launch, lower-spin club. Ping drivers didn’t always have looks that golfer’s considered traditional or classic, but the i20 driver bucked that trend. Combining the classic look with Ping’s engineering created a driver that better players really gravitated toward. The i20 offered players lower launch and lower spin for more penetrating ball flight while the rear 20g tungsten weights kept the head stable. Sound and feel were great also, being one of the more muted driver sounds Ping had created up to that time.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
GolfWRXers, let us know in the comments who “your fighter” is and why!
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/29/24): Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that 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, there is a listing for a Krank Formula fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft.
From the seller: (@well01): “Krank formula fire 10.5 degree with AUtoflex SF505. $560 shipped.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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Sheen
Jul 15, 2015 at 7:31 pm
Interesting business & marketing case :
APEX is symbolic product identifier of Ben Hogan ironw, which casts the image of best performance and high quality forged iron like top notch product. In this case, it only can do the role of premium line endorser of Callaway Iron for whom considering or might to buy Callaway irons by comparing with Taylormade, Cobra etc…but NOT Titlelist or Mizuno something high flying payer’s brand supplier.
So it would be NOT best strategy for Callaway. Just could be GAP closing strategy.
But on the other hand, if Ben Hogan Equipment used this name, and reintroduced powerful old hit products such as APEX pus, Edge pro and Redlines through re-trimming in modernized version, I could image very fantastic marketing case of ‘Oldest but Goodiest’.
Any Opinions?
Jeff
Oct 8, 2013 at 11:56 am
Just seen the X2 Hot clubs today and I like them, the orange paint scheme along with the hyper speed frame face should perform quite well on paper. Also seen the putters for 2014 as well, nice to to see callaway releasing the versa tank line, should be a good seller. Also nice to see new additions to the versa and white hot pro lines, with new putter shapes such as the jailbird and havoc putters.
joe
Sep 12, 2013 at 12:30 pm
oh boo hoo. complain complain complain. the golf club could be named peewee herman. long as it performs, shouldnt matter. “the ben hogan” name. WHO CARES?!
Go Low
Sep 12, 2013 at 11:21 am
Callaway is out of touch with reality. they have no appreciation for the workmanship that was put in the apex line by the Hogan company.
Callaway does not realize that there is suck a srong market if they make something similar to the Ben Hogan 50th Anniversary Irons. It is a disgrace they butchered the Apex name….What a Shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JHM
Sep 13, 2013 at 3:28 pm
If there is such a strong market, why did the Hogan brand fold. Seems to me Callaway is very in touch with what the public will purchase.
Chris
Sep 12, 2013 at 11:02 am
Callaway has some interesting stuff in the pipeline…Apex and Apex Pro, X hot 2 irons, X hot 2 Driver with Aldila Atx blue and green in Pro model….milled metal x coming in February….new product looks pretty darn good to me, but I agree maybe the Apex name should have been on a blade.
Kyle
Sep 10, 2013 at 2:56 pm
I can honestly say that each and every one of you will be proven wrong. The Apex irons to be released from Callaway are fantastic. Callaway just had their sales meeting regarding 2014 product. There will be two Apex irons released. Both of them forged from a newly refined forging process which allows Callaway to introduce a new, and much faster, face design. Testing down at ECPC have shown to produce enhanced spin robustness as well as extra distance. There will be an Apex Pro series which is not the one featured. I understand that many and most of the Apex fans are desiring a beautiful blade like construction in look as well as feel. The forged Pro model, which has not been released in images will satisfy those desires in my opinion. The Apex Pro will offer the look and feel that Hogan fans are looking for. From everything I have seen and heard, this is going to be a monster year for Callaway. At least they are not offering a gimmick “speed slot” in their irons. X 2 Hot irons and fairway woods will be the best performers. Let’s hope callaway can keep up in the marketing and social community to allow their superior performance to get noticed by consumers and customers alike. On top of the two apex lines, which are both forged, there will also be a revamp in the forged players clubs series as well. I do not believe any tour level drivers or irons were discussed in the meetings. The new X Hot line will offer an even faster face design!! The new process for constructing the face gives Callaway the ability to obtain higher CT testing. Whereas before, they could not reach any closer to the limit in fear of variances causing some product to be above the CT limit. The new process allows them to approach that limit safely and provide more distance. But even more importantly, the new face designs on fairway woods and also being introduced in the new hybrids and the concepts will also be introduced in the irons. The new design does increase ball speed but most importantly is much more consistent and much better performing on off center hits than previous models. MUCH!! more consistent. Anyways, I’ll get off this little rant of mine. Keep an eye out for 2014 Callaway product. There is much more to come than you may know. Wait for the actual release photos before making a judgement. They are beautiful!!
OhioGolfDude
Sep 11, 2013 at 1:57 pm
2013 was a big step forward in regards to design and performance of all Callaway products. I personally love the look of the unbadged iron in the pix, and if the non-pro version performs anything like the DF did, look out. Current trends seem to point that even hackers like the forged feel, but could use the extra forgiveness (even players like Stenson using the Legacy black). I’m currently gaming the Razr XF and these are some of the best feeling and performing irons I’ve used.
tom
Sep 11, 2013 at 11:06 pm
AMEN brother! At least hit the dang thing first before you start complaining, people.
Matthew
Sep 10, 2013 at 1:35 pm
You guys do know that there were cavity versions of the Apex right? I don’t see what all of the fuss is about. There just isn’t enough of a market for Callaway to make two different verisons of blade irons.
Andrew
Sep 9, 2013 at 12:47 pm
Ely would not have approved…. hell, he would not have approved of much of what is coming out of the company these days…
michael
Sep 8, 2013 at 11:03 pm
Callaway should be ashamed in using the apex name on any club that does not have the Hogan name attached to it. Those irons were some of the best made period. The pictures of the next generation is a disgrace to the name and to the great golfer Ben Hogan. I have often wondered why the irons have not been made they were again some of the highest quality irons made even better than the Titleist Irons that were made and I had a set in the 1980s and 1999’s.
I hope that someone will make the irons again.
Devin
Sep 8, 2013 at 6:40 pm
YUCK… Its probably going to come with the all too famous UNIFLEX shaft as well. Just as Callaway had made a turn for the better they try something like this. If Phil talks about what a dream his new “APEX” irons next year at TPC Scottsdale it wouldn’t even surprise me.
jgpl001
Sep 8, 2013 at 6:32 pm
A real step backwards
Callaway – let the Apex rest in peace
MBAISLEY
Sep 7, 2013 at 3:46 pm
I agree 100% with the previous comments. I will be sorely disappointed if the Apex name winds up on this club. And that isn’t to say that I don’t like the looks of the new club….. I am actually quite interested to see more of it. (I can’t hit blades like I used to…. have to take advantage of some of these forged cavity irons that are out these days.)
Mainly, I am just sad that the Hogan brand is gone from the equipment scene. I wish Callaway could’ve found a way to keep the Hogan line of forged irons alive. I guess it just wasn’t profitable to do it.
I feel the same way about the unfortunate demise of the MacGregor brand.
I played MacGregor forged irons for a long time, dozens of different models (V-foil, MT, Don White customs, 1991 VIPs, CB92 VIP Tours, JNPs, Muirfields, you name it), but I stopped buying MacGregor stuff when Golfsmith bought the brand. Golfsmith’s “VIP” forged iron isn’t a piece of junk, but it isn’t up to the standard that I have always associated with MacGregor forgings.
Moreover, it’s been 4 or 5 years since MacGregor was sold to Golfsmith, and they’ve only offered a single forged iron…. the aforementioned VIP. How about some new stuff, Golfsmith? I’d be willing to give it a chance (but my hopes won’t be too high).
Maybe if Callaway hits one out of the park with this new iron, I’ll forgive them for calling it Apex. But they’d better give it their very best effort!!
purkjason
Sep 9, 2013 at 8:02 am
I still have the Macgregor Muirfields and the Macgregor Jack Nicklaus Celebrity Iron Set. I agree that Macgregor is a timeless classic of forged beauty and quality. I still take these irons to the driving range when I need to improve my ball striking. I wish Jack Nicklaus could buy Macgregor and show the American People once again that Macgregor can rise to its past glory against all the OEM Marketing Scam giants.
Roger
Sep 7, 2013 at 1:43 pm
Could be time for an Apex appreciation thread
from those of us who have bagged a set and appreciate a Classic.
Clearly, the clubs pictured are a dissapointment.
Callaway have produced some superb products lately!
Plenty of time for Team Callaway to LISTEN to what WRX’ers
feel is a Club Design that pays respect to Mr Hogan’s legacy.
Jack
Sep 7, 2013 at 9:23 am
I guess we have a consensus. Apex should be on players irons. Maybe it doesn’t even matter cuz it won’t be Ben hogan brand anyway.
Mike
Sep 7, 2013 at 7:46 am
Calling that pig “apex” is an abomination!
BigBoy
Sep 7, 2013 at 2:26 am
Callaway engineers/designers wouldn’t have a clue about why Hogan called it the Apex nor do they have the ability to design such an iron…hack engineers=hack clubs.
John
Sep 6, 2013 at 11:35 pm
Make a iron for strikers to give a nod to hogan…
snowman
Sep 6, 2013 at 11:20 pm
No Way that shovel should called Apex. The Hawk would not be pleased.
TravisLG
Sep 6, 2013 at 9:55 pm
I hope this is all a rumor…
JD
Sep 6, 2013 at 8:06 pm
A bloody disgrace that the classic Apex name is tagged onto that monstrosity. Shame on you Callaway.
Tyler
Sep 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm
+1
Andrew
Sep 6, 2013 at 7:16 pm
Definitely NOT the right product to wear that badge…
Matthew Bacon
Sep 6, 2013 at 1:47 pm
Diablo Forged look cheap where the Apex was classic
Jim Santelli
Sep 11, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Callaway destroyed the Ben Hogan name! Walmart in Texas is carrying Ben Hogan branded clothing and now this. Won’t even look at another Callaway product ever!
wes
Sep 19, 2013 at 10:27 am
Callaway doesn’t own the Ben Hogan name…