Ben Hogan Apex II

[Jack Pearsall]

Of the Hogans he has owned, the redlines (both models) and the PCs, he kept the Apex IIs. They were just too lovely to let go.

[the.batman]

First off great finds and my hat is off to you for offering them to your friend. That was quite the haul for your first classic purchase. Several things besides the irons are worth more than the $20 you spent.

 

Thanks. I am going to clean them up and take them to the range and see how they hit. Would like to start playing with them some and convince some friends to start doing "classic matches". Most of my friends think the old clubs are pointless but I hope to hit them well and maybe even play some friends with the vintage clubs vs. their normal sets. Should be fun anyhow and for $20 it won't break my law student budget.

 

Stand by- if you hit enough balls flush with those irons you may be dumping your bag out and dropping them in! I'm green with envy! My brother played those irons for years.

[Lizardkinged]

Man I know this is an old thread, but I thought I got a deal @ $100 bucks for a LH 2-pw set. $20 bucks is killer. Should be getting mine before Friday.

[Lizardkinged]

I've received mine. Can really crank them in the long clubs farther than I expected. Unfortunately the lofts are all bent up in the scoring clubs and need to be taken in for an adjustment. So no biggy. Decided to throw a set of crosslines on them. Got some with the old script in red on black with red accent/alignments and caps. I'll toss some pictures up after I take them in. In the process of this... I've found out that my Clevelands are actually -1/2in... so now I'm in the process of extending with some aluminum extensions and re gripping those with the red/black crosslines too.

 

What an adventure. I'll get some pics up of both sets after.

[kenkohl]

Well, this thread has been an inspiration. Seven years ago I replaced my Apex II’s with Nicklaus High CTs. Today, I pulled out the Apex IIs..it didn’t take too long to get the feeling back, for the most part. Beautiful to look at and beautiful to play.

Nice thread, gentlemen, thank you

[chandlerdgregg]

> super20dan said:

> the equaliser or pitching wedge is the star of the set. one could not ask for a better desighned club-even today. some day i would like to play a set of apex 2 with original apex shafts. my set was reshafted with true temper dynamic gold and a poor job at that. they just dont feel like my other hogan sets

 

super20dan - I'm restoring my dad's 1979 Apex II's, 2-9, and wondering if there's a similar shaft to the originals (stiff). I've been polishing the heads and they're actually in great shape but so many of the shafts are messed up. Also wouldn't mind putting on a retro ferrule for show.

[NRJyzr]

An old thread, but a good read. :)

 

And for @chandlerdgregg .... Hoganistas can speak better to this subject, but I believe Apex shafts were, pre-late-90s, made by Brunswick. Which became Royal Precision, then Rifle, and eventually purchased by True Temper. The Precision shaft would be a good choice for them, possibly, except that they have long ago ceased production.

 

This is purely my speculation, but I would guess the KBS Tour shaft would be a decent replacement for the Apex shaft. It's typical of the Bralys' design choices, with a somewhat softer tip and stiffer butt section than what you'd find in Dynamic/Dynamic Gold shafts.

 

If you get along with Dynamic Gold, I wouldn't hesitate in putting them in a set of Apex irons. Some may consider this sacrilegious. ;)

[SteveNZ]

> @chandlerdgregg said:

> > super20dan said:

> > the equaliser or pitching wedge is the star of the set. one could not ask for a better desighned club-even today. some day i would like to play a set of apex 2 with original apex shafts. my set was reshafted with true temper dynamic gold and a poor job at that. they just dont feel like my other hogan sets

>

> super20dan - I'm restoring my dad's 1979 Apex II's, 2-9, and wondering if there's a similar shaft to the originals (stiff). I've been polishing the heads and they're actually in great shape but so many of the shafts are messed up. Also wouldn't mind putting on a retro ferrule for show.

 

Check out https://bbandfco.com/ for ferrules B)

 

 

[EricBowles]

Congratulations on your new clubs. My first top of the line set of clubs was the 1974 Hogan Apex irons. I still have them - a 1-9 and PW set with 4 shafts. I recall they were 1/2 or 3/4 inches longer than standard length of the day. I ordered them with GolfPride Crown Cord grips.

 

I played the clubs to finish high school and beyond. My first tournament with the clubs they were so stiff I hit a cut shot for three days instead of my normal draw. At this point the grooves are nearly worn off several of the clubs. I estimated that I hit more than a million shots with that set of clubs.

[James the Hogan Fan]

> @NRJyzr said:

> An old thread, but a good read. :)

>

> And for @chandlerdgregg .... Hoganistas can speak better to this subject, but I believe Apex shafts were, pre-late-90s, made by Brunswick. Which became Royal Precision, then Rifle, and eventually purchased by True Temper. The Precision shaft would be a good choice for them, possibly, except that they have long ago ceased production.

>

> This is purely my speculation, but I would guess the KBS Tour shaft would be a decent replacement for the Apex shaft. It's typical of the Bralys' design choices, with a somewhat softer tip and stiffer butt section than what you'd find in Dynamic/Dynamic Gold shafts.

>

> If you get along with Dynamic Gold, I wouldn't hesitate in putting them in a set of Apex irons. Some may consider this sacrilegious. ;)

 

Hard to imagine Hogans (AMF) using shafts from their arch-rival Brunswick, but I guess thats more of a bowling thing.

[NRJyzr]

> @"James the Hogan Fan" said:

> > @NRJyzr said:

> > An old thread, but a good read. :)

> >

> > And for @chandlerdgregg .... Hoganistas can speak better to this subject, but I believe Apex shafts were, pre-late-90s, made by Brunswick. Which became Royal Precision, then Rifle, and eventually purchased by True Temper. The Precision shaft would be a good choice for them, possibly, except that they have long ago ceased production.

> >

> > This is purely my speculation, but I would guess the KBS Tour shaft would be a decent replacement for the Apex shaft. It's typical of the Bralys' design choices, with a somewhat softer tip and stiffer butt section than what you'd find in Dynamic/Dynamic Gold shafts.

> >

> > If you get along with Dynamic Gold, I wouldn't hesitate in putting them in a set of Apex irons. Some may consider this sacrilegious. ;)

>

> Hard to imagine Hogans (AMF) using shafts from their arch-rival Brunswick, but I guess thats more of a bowling thing.

 

That's a good point. I may not have my timeline straight, as I think the Precision shaft was making itself known in the mid 80s; the Apex shaft existed long before that point.

 

My personal theory of the Apex shaft being similar to the Precision is largely borne of their bend points, which are similar. It's been a very long time since I've hit an Apex shaft, and even then it was the wrong flex for me. :)

[WoodHeads]

> @"James the Hogan Fan" said:

> Hard to imagine Hogans (AMF) using shafts from their arch-rival Brunswick, but I guess thats more of a bowling thing.

 

I have no clue how old I'm bumping this, but I never really saw the two as rivals in bowling: An AMF assembly unit was like an American made automobile: quick to break, but easy to fix; by contrast, Brunswick was more like a Japanese car: simple to maintain, will last forever, but if something major goes wrong, call an expert.

 

Beyond that, I think AMF was a foundry company, while Brunswick's primary focus was the three Bs: billiards, bowling, and boats. It doesn't surprise me if AMF did use Brunswick shafts, since Brunswick had the marine materials. After all, many bowling installs would be some Frankenstein combination of Brunswick ball returns on the front end and AMF ball chutes on the back.

[James the Hogan Fan]

> @WoodHeads said:

> > @"James the Hogan Fan" said:

> > Hard to imagine Hogans (AMF) using shafts from their arch-rival Brunswick, but I guess thats more of a bowling thing.

>

> I have no clue how old I'm bumping this, but I never really saw the two as rivals in bowling: An AMF assembly unit was like an American made automobile: quick to break, but easy to fix; by contrast, Brunswick was more like a Japanese car: simple to maintain, will last forever, but if something major goes wrong, call an expert.

>

> Beyond that, I think AMF was a foundry company, while Brunswick's primary focus was the three Bs: billiards, bowling, and boats. It doesn't surprise me if AMF did use Brunswick shafts, since Brunswick had the marine materials. After all, many bowling installs would be some Frankenstein combination of Brunswick ball returns on the front end and AMF ball chutes on the back.

 

I know a couple bowling alleys where an Qubica AMF scoring setup is bossing A2's around, and another where Brunswick scoring system is in charge of an 82-70. I have found if I bowl enough, I can manage to drive either machine into fits. The A2 has a miserable tolerance for off-spot/out-of-range pins, the 82-70 seems to get pins lodged in the ball-return door. For whatever reason I find the 82-30 to be the best as far as scoring, at West Seattle Bowl anyway. But that is a topic for a different forum.

 

I really don't know about the shafts, in the end.

 

And you only bumped it about a month

[WoodHeads]

The 82-30 assemblies will be higher scoring due to the kick backs that the curtains attach to being solid wood. This allows the curtain to be bolted and stiff, as opposed to modern ones which kind of float. Also, the gutters near the pin deck seem shallower, so more tripped corner pins.

[Duckfandan]

 

Found this set on Craigslist today for $50, should I pull the trigger?

[mocokid]

For $30 yes, get rid of the tubes though.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Crikey, a set of Hogans like that would fetch at least 4 times the price here. And that's a lowball estimate.

[BIG STU]

Absolutely!!!! and that is straight from a confirmed Macgregor man and somewhat Hogan Man. I would pay that for the shafts alone!! I have a set of Tour Forged Murifields in the corner of the shop with S-400s just begging---- OOH did I really say that? But seriously if I found a set in that shape for that price I would more than likely play them

[Duckfandan]

Pick them up today. Completely original, grips and all.

[Duckfandan]

Rust came off real easy

[zonadub]

Color me jealous. My very first set of Hogan’s were the white cameos with speed slot persimmons.

Congrats on the awesome find.

[NRJyzr]

Those are some reasonably attractive golf clubs, I must say

[pymmdcp]

Beautiful!!!

[Duckfandan]

Did the Apex II irons come with a sand wedge? I’m not sure what loft the equalizer is, but it seems like I need a lofted wedge for around the green. Is this a full set of Apex II irons, or am I missing a sand wedge?

[Fellaheen51]

The E wedge was 50*. No set SW. The '72 - '83 Special SI (Sunburst on back, Sand Iron stamped on sole) would be period correct. They show up on the Bay periodically.

[Duckfandan]

Thank you!

[Duckfandan]

 

Added the sand iron for my final bag, thanks Fellaheen51 for the period correct pic

[deejaid]

Nice looking wedge to finish off the bag. I have two of those 1970’s era Hogan Special sand irons. Very good playing wedge for me. I hope it works as well for you.

[Moeinorman]

Just bought today a 3-Equalizer apex ii set, for about 36 dollars (in Argentina). Use ´em or sell ´em. What do you recommend? Also bought MacGregor Muirfield Jack Nicklaus and MacGregor Toruney MT LRV.

[NRJyzr]

54 minutes ago, Moeinorman said:

Just bought today a 3-Equalizer apex ii set, for about 36 dollars (in Argentina). Use ´em or sell ´em. What do you recommend? Also bought MacGregor Muirfield Jack Nicklaus and MacGregor Toruney MT LRV.

if their condition is good enough to play, and the shafts suit your swing, I say play them.  🙂