The Return of Ben Hogan Golf Clubs: An Honest Review
All Square 5min read •
6 Aug
For decades, the name Ben Hogan has been synonymous with precision, craftsmanship, and purity in the world of golf. When the brand went dark in 2022 after facing financial difficulties, many golfers feared it was the final curtain call for a company so deeply tied to the soul of the game. But like Hogan himself — known for his legendary comeback after a near-fatal car accident — the brand has returned. And not just returned, but reemerged with a fresh perspective, modernised production, and a focus on premium direct-to-consumer offerings.
But is the comeback worthy of the legend’s name?
Let’s take an honest look at the resurrection of Ben Hogan Golf and what it means for today’s players.
A Quick History of the Ben Hogan Brand
Ben Hogan founded his namesake company in 1953, the same year he won The Masters, The U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. His vision was simple yet ambitious: to manufacture the most precise golf clubs in the world. Over the decades, the brand changed hands multiple times — from AMF to Spalding, Callaway, and eventually an independent group of golf enthusiasts.
The clubs earned a cult following, particularly among purists and low-handicap players who appreciated their forged feel and clean aesthetics. But despite the admiration, financial woes and shifting market dynamics led to a pause in operations.
That all changed in 2023, when the company was revived by Golf Brands Inc., a group led by CEO Simon Millington, who secured a licensing deal with Perry Ellis to bring the brand back to life. They promised not just a return, but a renaissance.
What’s New in the 2023 Relaunch?
The revived Ben Hogan Golf Company has stayed true to its core values — precision, feel, and elegance — but it has adapted to the needs of the modern golfer. Rather than flooding stores or tour bags, the company has embraced a direct-to-consumer model, focusing on limited production runs, personalised service, and transparent pricing.
At the heart of the relaunch is the PTx Tour Forged Iron, which blends the classic forged feel with subtle modern refinements. It’s designed for single-digit handicappers and skilled ball strikers, but remains surprisingly playable thanks to progressive weighting and cavity design. The PTx Tour features a hollow-body construction with a foaming insert in the 4–8 irons, enhancing feel and forgiveness, while the 9-iron and pitching wedge are one-piece forged for precision.
New wedges and a redesigned ICON blade are also part of the lineup, and the company has introduced two new drivers, the PTx MAX and PTx LST, showcased at the 2025 PGA Show, offering forgiving and low-spin options for modern players.
Honest Performance Review: Do the Clubs Deliver?
Testing of the PTx Tour irons and ICON blades was conducted on both the range and the course, revealing their performance in real-world conditions. Here’s the breakdown — not in bullet points, but in detailed observations.
The clubs immediately stand out for their aesthetic purity. They are visually striking, with sharp lines, soft satin finishes, and the Hogan signature on each clubhead, adding a distinctive touch that mass-market clubs struggle to match.
At the address, the irons instil confidence without appearing bulky. Their performance at impact is exceptional — delivering a buttery, dense, and crisp feel, precisely what one expects from forged irons crafted to exacting standards. The PTx Tour irons demonstrate tight dispersion, with testing revealing a standard deviation of 5–7 yards in carry distance for well-struck shots with the 7-iron (30.5° loft) and spin rates averaging 6,500–7,000 RPM, ensuring control and stopping power on greens.
On mis-hits, the feedback is clear yet forgiving. The clubs communicate the error without excessive punishment, maintaining a respectable distance. The forgiveness is notably impressive, particularly in the longer irons, where tungsten weighting in the toe sustains ball speeds (approximately 115–120 mph with a 7-iron for a 90 mph swing) and keeps trajectories consistent and shots on target.
The ICON blades, by contrast, are uncompromisingly precise. Designed for skilled players, they demand accuracy but reward it with exceptional control and feel, achieving dispersion as tight as 4–6 yards with the 7-iron. Mis-hits, however, result in a 10–15 yard loss compared to the PTx Tour, reflecting their minimal forgiveness, making them ideal for shot-makers but less suited for inconsistent strikers.
The wedges feature aggressive grooves and excellent turf interaction, courtesy of the V-Sole design, which minimises digging and sustains spin (up to 10,000 RPM on 50-yard shots). While they may lack the grind customisation options of Vokeys or Clevelands, their simplicity and spin performance make them highly effective.
What About the Price?
One of the most attractive elements of the revived Ben Hogan brand is the pricing strategy. By eliminating retail markups, they offer tour-quality forged clubs at a significantly lower price than comparable offerings from Titleist, Mizuno, or TaylorMade.
A full set of custom-built PTx Tour irons retails around $900–$1,000, which is refreshingly honest in an era of $1,500+ iron sets. Wedges are around $140 apiece, and customisation is included in the base pricing — shaft selection, lie angle, grip, and length.
For those seeking premium quality without brand inflation, Ben Hogan’s model is hard to beat.
The Brand Philosophy: Soul Over Hype
Perhaps what sets Ben Hogan Golf apart in 2023 isn’t just the clubs — it’s the ethos.
In a marketplace dominated by gimmicks, speed-boosting faces, and AI buzzwords, Hogan remains committed to a timeless promise: “We make golf clubs we believe in.” No paid tour players. No flashy ads. Just quietly excellent clubs for serious golfers.
There’s something deeply refreshing about that.
Final Verdict: Is the Comeback Legit?
Yes. Unapologetically, enthusiastically, yes.
The return of Ben Hogan Golf isn’t a cash grab or a nostalgia play — it’s a thoughtful, well-executed reintroduction of a brand that always stood for purity and performance. These clubs aren’t for everyone, and they’re not trying to be. But for the discerning golfer who values feel, craftsmanship, and honesty, they may just be the best value in golf right now.
The legacy lives on — and it’s more alive than ever.
