Shame to see this (Ben Hogan bust)

[FourPutt]

https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-new...XRFpTl-bKo3obRJQQ1ZjXD_-3hy-m9WMOQLpkxdj82RQ#

I had a set of their cavity back irons (Edge, I think) back in the early 2000s When I was playing the first time around. Nice clubs - not sure what their stuff was like in recent years, but either way a shame to see them go out of business.

 

[Oddsocks]

Sad times, I thought when the were reborn it was under the support of callaway.

 

[FourPutt]

Oh not sure - I hadn’t heard that. Seems like a big enough name that it could be bought/saved by someone perhaps.

 

[Oddsocks]

I’d love to see someone like orka buy them and continue their name. I’d hate them to become an AG or Sports direct brand.

 

[FourPutt]

I’d love to see someone like orka buy them and continue their name. I’d hate them to become an AG or Sports direct brand.

Indeed, that would be my worry - that they become another Nicklaus. I don‘t even know if AG still do those or if they went all in with Benross now?

 

[Oddsocks]

There is the subsidiary business that is now buying brands such as Rife, stromberg and no doubt a few others, it wouldn’t surprise me.

Captive audience with big margins trading off its historic brand.

 

[Backsticks]

For younger viewers, back in the day they would have been a niche choice of the connoisseur, for forged irons particularly. A kind of less common version of how Mizuno are perceived today. Still have a set of 1980s Apex.

 

[williamalex1]

SILH, my thoughts are with you

 

[garyinderry]

I've never met anyone playing any of the new gear. The hybrids looked nice. If I had been in the market I may have tried them. Clean and simple.

Sad to see it go but not surprised.

 

[RRidges]

Sad times, I thought when the were reborn it was under the support of callaway.

It was, but they eventually passed them on.
They became a direct-to-consmer brand and were apparently reasonably successful. Then Covid came along!
I expect some investment company will pick them up reasonably cheaply and resurrect them as the brand has significant value.

 

[Crow]

They were making good clubs.
Their issue was that the irons look too traditional, most golfers today want whizz-bang looks and the brands used by tour players, although most will deny the latter point.

 

[Oddsocks]

The issue is with no tour presence the newer starters and younger audience do not recognise it as a brand, they probably do no even no who hogan is.

This is further compounded by their following slowing dying through natural causes.

They simply never maintained their brand so it was always going to happen.

 

[Ethan]

It is partly generational too. Hogan is a figure in history for many of today's golfers.

Many of us older players will have played Hogan clubs years ago. They never really went for the mass market average hacker, though.

 

[jim8flog]

I will say that I never picked up a set of Hogan that I liked the look of except for the Edge. Another one of those iconic brands that had quite a niches market at the time mainly aimed at better players.

I think Callaway did a good job in trying to keep the brand going with some good designs in more recent releases but probably too little too late.

 

[Slab]

The clubs look nice in a kind of oldie retro kind of way but that’s not much of a sales base to run a successful business on unless each set sell for 5 figures (a bit like that adidas gucci golf bag that just launched today, not really gonna be taken seriously by the buying public)
Its just not very ‘futureproof’ to tag on to a player name from that far back in golfs history

 

[Robster59]

Hogan seemed to concentrate on the more traditional look, which is no bad thing, but most people will go for one of the "big" brands. I had a set of Hogan Edge CFT. Nice clubs with a forged titanium face which absolutely shredded the cover of any ball they came into contact with.

 

[Hoganman1]

I've played Hogan for years (hence my thread name). I bought a set of Edge EX last year and love them. I hate to see them go, but competing with Callaway, Ping, Titleist and Taylormade is very difficult. I wonder about PXG as they are reducing prices. Anyway, I'm thankful I have a set and will keep playing them as long as I can.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Where did they focus their marketing? Honestly can’t say I’ve seen anything from them to suggest they were still in the golf equipment market.

 

[Oddsocks]

Where did they focus their marketing? Honestly can’t say I’ve seen anything from them to suggest they were still in the golf equipment market.

It had a cult following from the fossils, they die the brand dies.

 

[Mel Smooth]

It had a cult following from the fossils, they die the brand dies.

Seems a strange move for what once was a well established brand.
All they have to do is send some clubs out to a few dozen influencers around the world, give them some blurb to describe them, and they’re hitting a fairly big audience. It seems to work for the likes of Caley, Sub 72 etc, so I’m sure it would have worked for Hogan.