Ben Hogan WITB 1953 Questions?

[MattStrube]

Thanks for the idea

 

> @"Ironmaster Oddities" said:

> most, if not all of the info I have read indicates that Hogan played the Spading Dot (red?), not the Titleist DT Red. Tim Vaughn,

> aka tVons is a treasure trove of all things Hogan. PM him and he maybe really helpful.

> Uncle Bob

 

 

[MattStrube]

Getting some help...I contacted the USGA and they are going to try and help out. I asked for a few Great Player Bags, so we’ll see what they come up with.

 

From: Maggie Lagle

Date: May 3, 2019 at 10:45:22 AM PDT

To: True Motion Sports

Subject: RE: Equipment Inquiry

 

Hi Matt,

 

Thank you for contacting the USGA Golf Museum. I will certainly look into your request.

 

Please understand that as USGA championship season is now in full swing, the number of requests we receive is quite high, and I may need several days to conduct a complete survey of our collection for information.

 

I should have something to you by the end of next week.

 

Thank you in advance for your patience. Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions.

 

Maggie Lagle

Historian, USGA Golf Museum

 

United States Golf Association

77 Liberty Corner Road

Liberty Corner, NJ 07938

www.usga.org

[email protected]

 

This email may contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it without disclosing it to anyone and notify us immediately.

[MattStrube]

I’m pretty confident in the irons as being MacGregor 1662 based on the Merion photo. Starting to think about the bag. While it seems like a crazy detail, I’d like to get the full experience. From what I have found, Hogan seemed to use brown leather and canvas or a full leather bag. I’m not going for exact same bag, just close...Same era and same look.

 

 

This has been helpful to see all the different models.

 

[NRJyzr]

> @RobotDoctor said:

> I would bet a SW would definitely not be 60* back then. My guess is they would be more like 56* without custom modification.

 

 

One of folks from another golf forum is a collector of old wedges, has multiple bags of them. Some of them really are 60*

[RobotDoctor]

> @NRJyzr said:

> > @RobotDoctor said:

> > I would bet a SW would definitely not be 60* back then. My guess is they would be more like 56* without custom modification.

>

>

> One of folks from another golf forum is a collector of old wedges, has multiple bags of them. Some of them really are 60*

 

I thought the 60 degree wedge was an modification made in the 80s. Who would have thought?

[dlygrisse]

> @RobotDoctor said:

> > @NRJyzr said:

> > > @RobotDoctor said:

> > > I would bet a SW would definitely not be 60* back then. My guess is they would be more like 56* without custom modification.

> >

> >

> > One of folks from another golf forum is a collector of old wedges, has multiple bags of them. Some of them really are 60*

>

> I thought the 60 degree wedge was an modification made in the 80s. Who would have thought?

 

Specs were all over the place back then. Who knows how they might have bent them as well?

 

 

[dlygrisse]

In Power Golf Hogan talks about the 16 clubs he carries, then decides what he needs for the course. Including a 1,2,3 and 4 wood. Here is a pic with 4 headcovers.

> @RobotDoctor said:

> Ben Hogan didn't have a 4 or 5 wood. He used a 1 iron. I believe he was using prototype Hogan Precision irons, most likely 1-PW. He would most likely have gamed a Driver-3wd combination, again, Ben Hogan prototypes. His putter would have been some kind of center shafted putter, probably his current gamer from MacGregor.

 

 

[dlygrisse]

Here is a pic from 1953 at Carnoustie.

 

[RobotDoctor]

That definitely shows three woods. I would bet 1, 3 and 4. I can understand Hogan making selections based on the course conditions. He was a master tactician.

[MattStrube]

> @RobotDoctor said:

> That definitely shows three woods. I would bet 1, 3 and 4. I can understand Hogan making selections based on the course conditions. He was a master tactician.

 

For Sure...I have some irons that I believe were the same model (retail version) that he played that should get the job done. Climbing Mt. Shasta this weekend, and then back to golf thoughts. :smiley:

[Thoreaubred]

I read somewhere that his driver was 48 degrees. 

[HoganApexBlades]

These are supposedly the irons that were used in 1953.

 

 

[TiScape]

A WITB with no Ventus. Feels odd!

 

🤣

[iBanesto]

Some quick browsing I was only able to find these photos from 1940 which are "close ups" of his clubs. Click on the photo to zoom closer.

 

 

[mat562]

Some serious butchery going on with the grinding wheel.