FORUM MEMBER REVIEWS! Ben Hogan Ft. Worth 15 Irons/TK15 Wedges

[Kenny B]

And Rev, first off thank you, and second I see your stance. Obviously there are lower costing clubs our there to buy. You have to make the decision on whether you think these irons provide what you're looking for.

 

I can say that replacing the irons seems like the minimum choice to make, and you need to kind of go through the same process as Friday and decide whether or not the matching wedges to your irons is worth it.

 

One thing I do really like is having matching shafts in my irons ans wedges. It really helps to maintain the same feel between clubs!

 

Rev and I are in the same situation.  We aren't going to replace our SCORs.  Although from your review, it sounds like the wedges are every bit as good and play similar to the SCORs, I see no reason to change.  Since my SCORs go to 42* or the equivalent of a 9-iron, I would only consider replacing my 5-8 Ping i20's.  I might even consider only the 6, 7, and 8 equivalent unless I can easily hit the 5 equivalent.  Four clubs would be about $650 which is worth considering if they feel and work great.

 

Now we get to the shaft.  In my SCORs I have the Genius 9 graphite, a proprietary SCOR shaft made by using the UST ProForce 95 shaft.  I love the shaft and how the SCORs work with it; excellent distance and control.  This shaft is not offered with the Hogans.  They went with the Recoil 600 series which is lighter.  The Recoil 95 is an upgrade and that may be close, but I will need to swing a 38* Hogan with each shaft along side my 42* SCOR.  Depending on the fitter, that may be possible with the 600 series but I seriously doubt anyone will have the upgrade shaft available.  So, if I decide to get the Hogans, it will be a guess what shaft to choose.  Could be a "swing and a miss".

[Sschaffer24]

Kenny a few thoughts here...

 

First off, I totally get where you and Rev are coming from. Why replace the same club with the same club if it's doing it's job for you? It's one thing if they're worn down or something of that nature, but they sound perfectly serviceable.

 

This is where I beat my drum again as well. I'd make a large bet that a lot of the guys and girls at Hogan are carry overs from the Scor team. I'd be very curious to see how they work through this with you concerning the shafts and find the right fit for you.

 

As a very inexperienced shaft guy, it sounds like the Recoil 95 shafts would be the perfect fit. I think a phone call and a visit are in order!

[RookieBlue7]

Rev and I are in the same situation.  We aren't going to replace our SCORs.  Although from your review, it sounds like the wedges are every bit as good and play similar to the SCORs, I see no reason to change.  Since my SCORs go to 42* or the equivalent of a 9-iron, I would only consider replacing my 5-8 Ping i20's.  I might even consider only the 6, 7, and 8 equivalent unless I can easily hit the 5 equivalent.  Four clubs would be about $650 which is worth considering if they feel and work great.

 

Now we get to the shaft.  In my SCORs I have the Genius 9 graphite, a proprietary SCOR shaft made by using the UST ProForce 95 shaft.  I love the shaft and how the SCORs work with it; excellent distance and control.  This shaft is not offered with the Hogans.  They went with the Recoil 600 series which is lighter.  The Recoil 95 is an upgrade and that may be close, but I will need to swing a 38* Hogan with each shaft along side my 42* SCOR.  Depending on the fitter, that may be possible with the 600 series but I seriously doubt anyone will have the upgrade shaft available.  So, if I decide to get the Hogans, it will be a guess what shaft to choose.  Could be a "swing and a miss".

Were it me, personally, I'd order them stock and have the shafts swapped out myself.  You like the SCOR you have now with the Genius.  I'd order the ProForce RV2 95 Gold shafts for them.  That's if I wanted to do the work and felt confident that I could get the shafts in the heads and that those are what I'd definitely want to go with.

 

If I wasn't 100% certain, I'd contact Bobby Ennis with the UST Mamiya Tour Studio, though, just to make certain that would be his recommendation as well, as no one out there knows UST product better than Bobby.  I've got his personal number if any of you need it and want to contact him to ask him.  He'll be able to direct you in the right way and he can sell you the shafts you'd need as well.  If you want to get in touch with him, shoot me a PM.  He's very open to helping people and he can recommend the shaft for you and either sell it to you or you can check and see if Hogan offers it.  

[Kenny B]

Kenny a few thoughts here...

 

First off, I totally get where you and Rev are coming from. Why replace the same club with the same club if it's doing it's job for you? It's one thing if they're worn down or something of that nature, but they sound perfectly serviceable.

 

This is where I beat my drum again as well. I'd make a large bet that a lot of the guys and girls at Hogan are carry overs from the Scor team. I'd be very curious to see how they work through this with you concerning the shafts and find the right fit for you.

 

As a very inexperienced shaft guy, it sounds like the Recoil 95 shafts would be the perfect fit. I think a phone call and a visit are in order!

 

Shawn,

I plan on making the trip to a fitter in Seattle, and I will certainly call Hogan before making any decision.

 

 

Were it me, personally, I'd order them stock and have the shafts swapped out myself.  You like the SCOR you have now with the Genius.  I'd order the ProForce RV2 95 Gold shafts for them.  That's if I wanted to do the work and felt confident that I could get the shafts in the heads and that those are what I'd definitely want to go with.

 

If I wasn't 100% certain, I'd contact Bobby Ennis with the UST Mamiya Tour Studio, though, just to make certain that would be his recommendation as well, as no one out there knows UST product better than Bobby.  I've got his personal number if any of you need it and want to contact him to ask him.  He'll be able to direct you in the right way and he can sell you the shafts you'd need as well.  If you want to get in touch with him, shoot me a PM.  He's very open to helping people and he can recommend the shaft for you and either sell it to you or you can check and see if Hogan offers it.  

 

 

Thanks Rookie,

Depending on what I get from Hogan, I may contact you.  I got the info on the SCOR UST shaft from Jamie Pipes.  He worked for UST, but is now on staff at Ben Hogan Golf.  He has been very helpful.  I don't think UST makes the 95 anymore; only the 75.  It seems that they are invested in the Recoil shafts, which are probably as good or better.  It may be the best approach to find the optimum shaft for the Hogans, and bite the bullet and reshaft the SCORs to match.  

[RookieBlue7]

Shawn,

I plan on making the trip to a fitter in Seattle, and I will certainly call Hogan before making any decision.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Rookie,

Depending on what I get from Hogan, I may contact you. I got the info on the SCOR UST shaft from Jamie Pipes. He worked for UST, but is now on staff at Ben Hogan Golf. He has been very helpful. I don't think UST makes the 95 anymore; only the 75. It seems that they are invested in the Recoil shafts, which are probably as good or better. It may be the best approach to find the optimum shaft for the Hogans, and bite the bullet and reshaft the SCORs to match.

 

I'll tell you the Recoils load much differently as far as the 95/115/125 are concerned. They also have higher torque values. You can still get the ProForce 95's, I'm sure Bobby has them or access to them honestly. If you were going recoil, I'd go 600 series as they load much more like your traditional graphite than the weight numbered series do. The weight numbered series are much more like steel.

[Kenny B]

I'll tell you the Recoils load much differently as far as the 95/115/125 are concerned. They also have higher torque values. You can still get the ProForce 95's, I'm sure Bobby has them or access to them honestly. If you were going recoil, I'd go 600 series as they load much more like your traditional graphite than the weight numbered series do. The weight numbered series are much more like steel.

 

THAT's what I need to find out.  I have always like the feel of the weight of steel.  I think that is why I love the SCOR UST 95g shaft.  But I lost the ability to properly load a steel shaft a few years ago.  Ball straight; not very far, and not very high; and it was hard on my elbows!  

 

The SCORs are much better.  High ball flight, good distance (for me), and very controllable.  I did try the lighter 75g SCOR shaft before I bought them, and didn't like it very much.  I will head to a fitter in the next month or so, and see if the Recoils will work, but I am somewhat concerned that the 600's will feel too light.  If they don't have one, maybe I will order a 600 shaft and try it out.

 

Thanks for all the info.

[RookieBlue7]

THAT's what I need to find out. I have always like the feel of the weight of steel. I think that is why I love the SCOR UST 95g shaft. But I lost the ability to properly load a steel shaft a few years ago. Ball straight; not very far, and not very high; and it was hard on my elbows!

 

The SCORs are much better. High ball flight, good distance (for me), and very controllable. I did try the lighter 75g SCOR shaft before I bought them, and didn't like it very much. I will head to a fitter in the next month or so, and see if the Recoils will work, but I am somewhat concerned that the 600's will feel too light. If they don't have one, maybe I will order a 600 shaft and try it out.

 

Thanks for all the info.

The 680 isn't too light. I'd start there. The 660 felt nice to me when I tried it in an Apex head a while back. It was an s flex so I had to let off a little bit they're solid shafts

[Sschaffer24]

Man,

 

Rookie you always impress me with your knowledge on all of the shafts out there. Just pure awesome. This kind of stuff (the conversation Kenny and Rookie are having) is what I love about golf forums.

 

I hope you find something that works well for you man!

[Sschaffer24]

SNC,

 

great review dude! Loved the in depth comparisons to your current gamers! Man do I wish I had your distance...

[revkev]

Really great discussion guys. While I make a reasonable living I don't have unlimited resources so there's no way I'm replacing my SCORs with Hogan equivalents. The SCORs work great. I would have to try a hogan mid iron, something in the 20's with the proper shaft before I would consider pulling the trigger. For cripes sake I've shot a competitive 69 with my current bag, I can't even begin to understand why I'm even talking about this.

 

Oh yeah I'm a golfer and my last two sets of irons have been uglier than sin these are beautiful, that"s why.

[Sschaffer24]

Rev,

 

This site lets thoughts creep in that we all try to avoid. One day you see this group of guys talking about this type of shaft that works great, and all of a sudden you find yourself dreaming about the possibilities of a new set of golf shafts. Or, in this case, some new irons. 😋

[revkev]

Rev,

This site lets thoughts creep in that we all try to avoid. One day you see this group of guys talking about this type of shaft that works great, and all of a sudden you find yourself dreaming about the possibilities of a new set of golf shafts. Or, in this case, some new irons.

So instead of the devil MGS made me do it?

 

I like it.

[Sschaffer24]

Haha. This is any golfers version of temptation. 😋

 

The problem is, it's just a nice place to visit.

[Jmikecpa]

So I am guessing by this conversation I should add a part to my review on the Recoil shafts.

[Sschaffer24]

Wise decision on that Jmike. Haha.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

sncgolf03's review is up. Check it out here!

[mizuno_lover]

Great review snc.  The comparison photos you took spoke a thousand words - simply awesome.  As forum members we are privileged  to be able to have these unbiased reviews that tell it like it is rather than the regurgitated and rehashed releases from the OEM's that come out on other sites.  Well done, well done indeed

[revkev]

So I am guessing by this conversation I should add a part to my review on the Recoil shafts.

Sean's review was a work of art. Yours is the one I'm waiting for though. I'm happy Rookie weighed in on the shaft. He's never steered me wrong going back to the reshaft on a set of Adam's Idea Pro's. I wish I could wrestle those away from my kid. They are sweet looking clubs and the 9 iron goes 180.

 

Oh wait that's when he's swing it.

[MattF]

Nice review snc. Love the look of them, but, like you said, the price is a killer

[sncgolf03]

Thanks guys, I know I always appreciated comparison pictures so I tried to do something similar. Especially when there aren't too many places that have the Hogan's to see, hopefully it helps people get a better feel of how they look.

 

As far as the price goes, like I said, it is a little sewed because we were getting 10 and 11, compared to most people buying an iron set of 7 or 8 clubs. The irons themselves aren't too far off from clubs like the Taylormade RSi TP and Callaway Apex lines. And they are cheaper than a lot of the other specialty companies. The $159 per club is honestly just more than I can spend on any club regardless of how much I love it!

[revkev]

Great job SNC - I like the fairness with which you are reporting.  Having written that let's be honest - If I'm purchasing 8 irons I still need wedges and given that I'm going to have graphite in my shafts - $1900 - I'd be run out on a rail (why is it that the guys with the most education have the highest level of debt?).

 

8 Wilson irons for $800

3 wedges              $300

 

$1100 vs. $1900

 

That's huge, I know the blick is that these clubs are for a lifetime but they're not.  They are beautiful but the average player in our category is changing irons every 2-3 years.  Let's all of us be honest for a moment - in a year our eyes start to wander and after 2 we are moving on. 

 

I'm thinking that Hogan is going to have issues at this price point - when it was just the wedges it was okay because that's 2 or 3 clubs and you can get enough people to demo 1, love it, keep it and order a partner or two for the bag.  Unless they get these irons into the hands of a couple of tour players, spend a fortune on advertising and/or saturate the big box stores so that people can see the clubs - I'm not seeing a huge success story here no matter how good the clubs are. 

 

On the positive side I'm very heartened that both of the reviewers have found in the wedges what those of us who bag SCOR have known for a while.  You can't beat the versatility of these clubs - no more worries about making sure that you have different bounces in your wedges for different conditions/shots.

[Sschaffer24]

Rev,

 

While I agree that the price is high and the comparisons in pricing don't favor the Hogans, there are a few things I think we all need to keep in mind to just balance the scales a little bit. Small details I think some of us forget.

 

My set retailed for right around $1,900. That was for 11 clubs. 21-61. If I were purchasing these at retail I would at most order the 25-61. Which would have lowered my price $160ish. At this point I may have even trimmed that down to just the 29-61 or even the 33-61. Not sure. But I definitely wouldn't have spent $1,900 on that setup.

 

But lets use the 11 clubs as an example.

 

If someone were to go with a forged set of another brand (to get a comparable setup), lets go with Mizuno, you're looking at $999 for 3-pw. That's without any kind of shaft or grip upgrade. To add 3 mizuno wedges (remember we want to go with forged wedges to keep things the same) they run $129 a piece. Totaling $387. We are now at $1386. Factor in the upgrade in grips to NDMC's (for hogan they were plus $11 per club. over 11 clubs equals another $121) and the shaft upgrade to C Tapers are plus $15 per clubs equaling another $165. 

 

So assuming that the Mizuno costs would be the same for those upgrades, which I can't see through Mizuno's website, we would be at $1,672 without shipping.

 

So we are within $250 between the two sets. Which to me isn't bad. Just to make sure the math is comparable between the Hogan offering and a similar set from another comparable brand. Obviously we as golfers have options and could choose to go with cast offerings through other brands, not get the grip and shaft upgrades and so on, but I just want to make sure the perspective is the same between the Hogan brand and other offerings.

[revkev]

But I know that Seve and Sir Nick bagged Mizuno as did Tiger when he first started playing.  There are currently guys on tour who bag Mizuno.  I can go into any reputable golf shop and touch a mizuno iron.  I can demo them anywhere I'd like.

 

There's the difference.  Personally Hogan has credibility with me for two important reasons.  The lesser reason is that I knew them when I was younger, the greater reason is the SCOR connection.  Without those two hooks though, I'm buying Mizuno because I'm spending my hard earned cash on the known quantity that I can also look at and take out for a spin.

 

To be clear my concern isn't whether or not these are high quality clubs - I'm not in a position where I could spend $1,900 and from my perspective I already have 4 clubs out of the 8 or 9 that I need - I'm only looking at 4 or 5 more irons so it's more of a 600-700 consideration for me. 

 

I'm concerned for Hogan - I'm struggling to see how they will put a dent in the market place at their price point without people seeing their product on TV and having the opportunity to demo it.

[jbil8802]

A bit off topic but I played with an older gentleman yesterday that was gaming Hogan Apex Edge irons. First time I've ever seen any older ones in person.

[fozcycle]

A bit off topic but I played with an older gentleman yesterday that was gaming Hogan Apex Edge irons. First time I've ever seen any older ones in person.

 

Back in the 1980's one of my regular partners gamed the Apex Radials......very nice.

 

 

 

 

I'm concerned for Hogan - I'm struggling to see how they will put a dent in the market place at their price point without people seeing their product on TV and having the opportunity to demo it.

 

I have the same concern.  The SCOR wedges are in my bag as well, but I can't conceive of shelling out that much cabbage for the mid irons.  I will just reshaft what I have (Mizuno & Cobra) and make the best of it.

[Sschaffer24]

But I know that Seve and Sir Nick bagged Mizuno as did Tiger when he first started playing.  There are currently guys on tour who bag Mizuno.  I can go into any reputable golf shop and touch a mizuno iron.  I can demo them anywhere I'd like.

 

There's the difference.  Personally Hogan has credibility with me for two important reasons.  The lesser reason is that I knew them when I was younger, the greater reason is the SCOR connection.  Without those two hooks though, I'm buying Mizuno because I'm spending my hard earned cash on the known quantity that I can also look at and take out for a spin.

 

To be clear my concern isn't whether or not these are high quality clubs - I'm not in a position where I could spend $1,900 and from my perspective I already have 4 clubs out of the 8 or 9 that I need - I'm only looking at 4 or 5 more irons so it's more of a 600-700 consideration for me. 

 

I'm concerned for Hogan - I'm struggling to see how they will put a dent in the market place at their price point without people seeing their product on TV and having the opportunity to demo it.

 

Rev,

 

I agree with you completely and honestly feel the same exact concerns. Your points are entirely valid, and without being able to see and swing the clubs there is going to be an extremely uphill battle that the company faces with that price point.

 

Honestly if I were spending that kind of money on the sets of irons BEFORE my testing experience I would have easily and definitely purchased the Mizuno irons. I have an extreme soft spot for them in my heart. Now? I'd go Hogan. But honestly the extra $300 would give me pause if I knew through a fitting that I could get similar experience out of the Mizuno clubs.

 

As these hogans are though and how they perform for me, they would be the clear winner.

[RookieBlue7]

Rev, who said tour players haven't hit them or aren't going to? I'm working on trying to get mine in the hands of a guy or two that plays out of the local CC. Of course one of them is kind of busy across the pond right now

[revkev]

Rev, who said tour players haven't hit them or aren't going to? I'm working on trying to get mine in the hands of a guy or two that plays out of the local CC. Of course one of them is kind of busy across the pond right now

No one, I'm saying they need to do it. I have little doubt about the quality of these clubs, my concern is that they get the word out properly. Here's my dirty little golf secret. When I was a young adult and bagging my Ping Eye 2s, I always lusted for a set of Hogans. No way my wife was letting me do it. I begged for the Pings and played lots of great golf with them

 

Regardless, I want to see this brand succeed and become a force again. I don't dont think it will without a tour presence. A big one!

[Jmikecpa]

Rev, who said tour players haven't hit them or aren't going to? I'm working on trying to get mine in the hands of a guy or two that plays out of the local CC. Of course one of them is kind of busy across the pond right now

Gerina Piller has the wedges in the bag and moving towards a full set.

[Kanoito]

If someone were to go with a forged set of another brand (to get a comparable setup), lets go with Mizuno, you're looking at $999 for 3-pw. That's without any kind of shaft or grip upgrade. To add 3 mizuno wedges (remember we want to go with forged wedges to keep things the same) they run $129 a piece. Totaling $387. We are now at $1386. Factor in the upgrade in grips to NDMC's (for hogan they were plus $11 per club. over 11 clubs equals another $121) and the shaft upgrade to C Tapers are plus $15 per clubs equaling another $165. 

 

So assuming that the Mizuno costs would be the same for those upgrades, which I can't see through Mizuno's website, we would be at $1,672 without shipping.

 

So we are within $250 between the two sets. Which to me isn't bad. Just to make sure the math is comparable between the Hogan offering and a similar set from another comparable brand. Obviously we as golfers have options and could choose to go with cast offerings through other brands, not get the grip and shaft upgrades and so on, but I just want to make sure the perspective is the same between the Hogan brand and other offerings.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the C Tapers at Mizuno are the stock shaft (so no charge) and when I got my MP59 set, I was able to choose any grip I wanted without extra charge. Same goes for the T5 wedges. I was thinking about swapping the MP59 for the MP54 and things haven't changed... still no upcharge for grips/shafts.