Ben Hogan Personal Model Irons.

[almico]

Model 5000 Ben Hogan Personal Iron Set. New in box and complete with medallion and ephemera. Too nice to hit? 

 

 

[ElephantTusk]

Unpopular opinion on here, but yes, too nice to hit. Gorgeous set. 

 

Plenty of lightly used sets on ebay if you want a set to swing (I have one myself actually, in addition to a set of '56 Precisions), but this set deserves a wall display case. 

[bcstones]

sell it or use it....

[Maine Golfer]

Thanks for sharing, those are cool. 

[almico]

Thanks for the input guys. I don't have to make the "to hit or not to hit" decision just yet. I also picked up a NOS set of Haig Ultras with TT (frequency matched?) DG shafts that can scratch the new/old club itch for the time being. Labels marked S400 02J-042264. 

[Hickory4ever]

As @bcstones said, golf clubs are meant to be played. They are not ornaments.

[Maine Golfer]

Its your life, but i'd play the Haig Ultras 

[almico]

27 minutes ago, Maine Golfer said:

Its your life, but i'd play the Haig Ultras 

 

I was a clubmaker from the late 90s thru the 00s and beyond. I got into the trade from collecting old clubs that inevitably needed repairs in order to play. The forging that always made me smile was these Haig Ultras. Simple a beautiful design to my eye.

 

When I saw this NOS set I just had to have them. I've spent $250 on much less in this lifetime.

 

But when I opened the box this morning to measure and analyze the 5 iron, I was very surprised to see it was not there. I looked at the first club and saw the 2:

 

 

 

Then I went to the other side of the box and saw the PW:

 

 

It was then that I noticed that there were only 8 slots in the styrofoam and if I'm not mistaken, 2-9 + PW = 9...WTF?! In my defense, it was 5:30am and I was only halfway through my first coffee, so confusion set in.

 

 

Then I noticed that there was a 5-iron sized indent into the foam above the grips, and the 5 iron must have been displayed on top of the rest. Either way, it was not in the box.

 

 

I texted the person I bought the clubs from and ...whew...she had just found it amongst a stack of putters. It must have been removed for ogling at some point and not returned to the box. In her defense, she is dealing with a very respectable collection from her Uncle's estate and is inundated with golf clubs. 

 

S400 might be a bit stiff for me, but I think I have to try. 

 

 

Edited July 18 by almico

[almico]

On 7/17/2025 at 8:57 AM, ElephantTusk said:

Unpopular opinion on here, but yes, too nice to hit. Gorgeous set. 

 

Plenty of lightly used sets on ebay if you want a set to swing (I have one myself actually, in addition to a set of '56 Precisions), but this set deserves a wall display case. 

 

I'm seeing that. 😁

 

I have plenty of clubs to hit: Mizuno MS-1, MS-11 and MP-29s to list a few. And now these Haig Ultras. So I don't need to hit these Hogans. But it sure would be fun. I remember loving the Apex shafts on a set of Bounce Soles I had years ago. 

[ezgoer]

Yes made to be played but…I have to admit right up front my bias towards this club over any other. I believe to be the best looking iron ever made. Damn time machine modern looking and first appearing 1956 give or take. These and the Mac TA 965’s (I think) draw a straight line directly to today’s players clubs in design. I think this club could/should be sold today with grinding and maybe the hidden tungsten weight tricks modern players irons receive. 

 

Not sure the modern golfer knows who Hogan is/was unfortunately. Probably think he played hickory’s.
 

I don’t know what kinda money these numbered sets actually change hands for but the prices I see people asking are miles out of my reach. Heck even an avid collector would swallow pretty hard when paying those asking prices.

 

Awesome if you’re lucky enough to have one of these very few ultra collectible clubs, sickeningly unattainable if you don’t.

 

Kinda a crime but hell of a display piece! 
 

Those Ultra’s are an awfully nice fall back option! 

Edited July 20 by ezgoer

[Foozle]

11 hours ago, ezgoer said:

Damn time machine modern looking and first appearing 1956 give or take. These and the Mac TA 965’s (I think) draw a straight line directly to today’s players clubs in design. I think this club could/should be sold today

I couldn't agree more! Well said!

I think the Starburst/Sabre/Personal model is possibly the most beautiful iron ever made. It is a slight refinement on the Precision notably softening the rather sharp snd high toe of the Precision but wow, did Hogan get it near perfect right off the bat! This model achieved that perfection.

The 965 is, as I see it, a refinement of the TA Silver Scot Tourney 3852 which predates even the Precision by at least a decade. Despite being 85 years old, these look modern.

Both are landmark sets in the history of golf and as @ezgoersays, set the template for the modern blade.

I shun the term "players iron" as they should be enjoyed and appreciated by all. I am no "player" and I love these clubs. 

Edited July 20 by Foozle
Correction

[mocokid]

7 hours ago, ezgoer said:

Yes made to be played but…I have to admit right up front my bias towards this club over any other. I believe to be the best looking iron ever made. Damn time machine modern looking and first appearing 1956 give or take. These and the Mac TA 965’s (I think) draw a straight line directly to today’s players clubs in design. I think this club could/should be sold today with grinding and maybe the hidden tungsten weight tricks modern players irons receive. 

 

Not sure the modern golfer knows who Hogan is/was unfortunately. Probably think he played hickory’s.
 

I don’t know what money these numbered sets actually change hands for but the prices I see people asking are miles out of my reach. Heck even an avid collector would swallow pretty hard when paying what these go far. Kinda a crime but hell of a display piece! 
 

Those Ultra’s are an awfully nice fall back option! 

You mean the MacGregor 985, I think.  

[ezgoer]

So i just paged through the green bible. So much in there you easily get sidetracked but I think the TA 3852 goes back to 1938 & runs to 42.

7 year war break, much longer than I thought.

TA 985 appears 1949 followed by 915 then finally 945 in 1954. I’ve never had any of those TA’s in my hands but in pictures they appear pretty modern other than the face grooves. I do have a set of mid 50’s M85 Wingbacks and it’s interesting how small and LCG those actually are. Long irons especially small looking. Also quite a different more rounded sole design than the next Mac generation. 
 

 

[bcstones]

Nope....don't care about the price. Yup, they are beautiful AND playable. I'd play 'em.

as for the Ultra's...no problem w/playing them. I have a couple of Haig Ultra (or perhaps one is an Ultradyne II?), anyway they will soom be going up on the PapaSierraGandpa site. The only Haig Ultral set I'll keep ithe 1974 Haig Ultra 66 - imo, the best designed of them all, a pure mussel-back.

[HoganApexBlades]

On 7/18/2025 at 9:33 AM, almico said:

 

I was a clubmaker from the late 90s thru the 00s and beyond. I got into the trade from collecting old clubs that inevitably needed repairs in order to play. The forging that always made me smile was these Haig Ultras. Simple a beautiful design to my eye.

 

When I saw this NOS set I just had to have them. I've spent $250 on much less in this lifetime.

 

But when I opened the box this morning to measure and analyze the 5 iron, I was very surprised to see it was not there. I looked at the first club and saw the 2:

 

 

 

Then I went to the other side of the box and saw the PW:

 

 

It was then that I noticed that there were only 8 slots in the styrofoam and if I'm not mistaken, 2-9 + PW = 9...WTF?! In my defense, it was 5:30am and I was only halfway through my first coffee, so confusion set in.

 

 

Then I noticed that there was a 5-iron sized indent into the foam above the grips, and the 5 iron must have been displayed on top of the rest. Either way, it was not in the box.

 

 

I texted the person I bought the clubs from and ...whew...she had just found it amongst a stack of putters. It must have been removed for ogling at some point and not returned to the box. In her defense, she is dealing with a very respectable collection from her Uncle's estate and is inundated with golf clubs. 

 

S400 might be a bit stiff for me, but I think I have to try. 

 

 

I have the matching Sand Iron for your Walter Hagen Crenshaw Grind Haig Ultra irons. PM me if you're interested.

[almico]

On 7/20/2025 at 2:12 AM, Foozle said:

...I shun the term "players iron" as they should be enjoyed and appreciated by all. I am no "player" and I love these clubs...

 

I think the term "game improvement club" is misused. If you want the ball to go the direction, shot shape and distance of your choice, you need to hit it on the "screws", better yet, the middle of the screws. That is the dead center of gravity of the clubhead. Yes, perimeter-weighted clubs have a small center of gravity too. But you can barely feel an off-center hit because of the wide distribution of mass. There is a larger sweet spot for feel, but not for energy transfer. There is just no substitute for compressing and nutting the golf ball. These "players" heads will communicate a solid hit far better than modern perimeter-weighted irons and are therefore, the real game improvement clubs. IMHO. 

[almico]

20 hours ago, HoganApexBlades said:

I have the matching Sand Iron for your Walter Hagen Crenshaw Grind Haig Ultra irons. PM me if you're interested.

 

Oooo. Let me get them in the practice rotation and see if they make it into my bag. If so, I'll reach out. 

[Foozle]

2 hours ago, almico said:

These "players" heads will communicate a solid hit far better than modern perimeter-weighted irons and are therefore, the real game improvement clubs.

I am with you on that. If players want to improve they should use blades. "Getting away" with poor shots through game improvement tech is the road to no where.

In terms of communication, one reason I stayed with blades and persimmon when I returned to golf around 2013 after a 17 family enforced break, was that communication. To elaborate, I suffered vision problems, ultimately having both retinas detach and be super glued back on! During that period I could not see a golf ball more than perhaps 20 - 30m away. For once in my life I could genuinely say I was hitting the ball out of sight!🤣

Trying to play with "modern" clubs I had not a clue where the ball had gone. With my original blades and persimmons I knew exactly where it had gone by feel alone and could pretty much walk up to my ball everytime.

Thankfully my vision is now fully restored but I have no intention of playing anything other than blades and persimmon; I enjoy the honesty of them even when the truth hurts!

 

[bcstones]

1 hour ago, Foozle said:

I enjoy the honesty of them even when the truth hurts!

totally agree w/all you said & expecially your last sentence...I think it's why I enjoy @Jiggered YouTube videos.

Edited July 23 by bcstones

[almico]

I'm on board with the persimmon as well. Gear effect is a wonderful thing on off-center hits. These are in my bag:

 

[lightning_rod]

On 7/18/2025 at 7:33 AM, almico said:

In her defense, she is dealing with a very respectable collection from her Uncle's estate and is inundated with golf clubs. 

 

Care to point a fellow collector to the seller ?? PM sent

 

[James the Hogan Fan]

On 7/18/2025 at 4:25 PM, Hickory4ever said:

As @bcstones said, golf clubs are meant to be played. They are not ornaments.

Those are in a presentation box as a numbered limited edition. I mean US Mint proof coin sets can be spent down at the 7-11, but to me those are almost the definition of ornaments.

[bcstones]

5 hours ago, James the Hogan Fan said:

Those are in a presentation box as a numbered limited edition.

Doesn't matter to me....sell 'em to a collector or play 'em

[ezgoer]

On 7/23/2025 at 5:18 AM, almico said:

 

I think the term "game improvement club" is misused. If you want the ball to go the direction, shot shape and distance of your choice, you need to hit it on the "screws", better yet, the middle of the screws. That is the dead center of gravity of the clubhead. Yes, perimeter-weighted clubs have a small center of gravity too. But you can barely feel an off-center hit because of the wide distribution of mass. There is a larger sweet spot for feel, but not for energy transfer. There is just no substitute for compressing and nutting the golf ball. These "players" heads will communicate a solid hit far better than modern perimeter-weighted irons and are therefore, the real game improvement clubs. IMHO. 

On 7/23/2025 at 5:18 AM, almico said:

 

I think the term "game improvement club" is misused. If you want the ball to go the direction, shot shape and distance of your choice, you need to hit it on the "screws", better yet, the middle of the screws. That is the dead center of gravity of the clubhead. Yes, perimeter-weighted clubs have a small center of gravity too. But you can barely feel an off-center hit because of the wide distribution of mass. There is a larger sweet spot for feel, but not for energy transfer. There is just no substitute for compressing and nutting the golf ball. These "players" heads will communicate a solid hit far better than modern perimeter-weighted irons and are therefore, the real game improvement clubs. IMHO. 

I like this thinking. Foozle and BC’s thoughts also. Currently GOING THROUGH IT. I’ve completely lost track of the swing plane. Self imposed break from the course and I’ve been beating  balls at the range. Sticking to Mac JNP’s and Staff II laminates. The JNP CB’s are a little vague compared to MB’s but still give feed back. Huge difference between a so so strike and a good one un like my modern SGI’s.
 

I don’t hate modern clubs. Find myself playing them less and less though. They sure haven’t helped me play better golf. Right now I don’t want to go anywhere near them.