Having previously played Ben Hogan irons for a time back in my junior days, I was excited to hear that I would be receiving the Ben Hogan PTX Tour irons to review.
These irons are aimed predominantly at the low to mid handicap range and are looking to take their place as some of the best golf irons of 2024.
In terms of technology, the traditional looks disguise quite a feature packed head. There is a significant difference in construction between long, mid and short irons in the PTX Tour model. More specifically, the 4 through 8 iron have a somewhat hollow construction and use what Ben Hogan describe as a foaming insert to improve feel and acoustics, whereas the 9 iron and pitching wedge are a fully one piece forged iron.
The look of the PTX Tour irons is nothing short of spectacular, so much so that I called these out as my favorite looking iron in a recent 'Best Low Handicap Iron of 2024' video on the Golf Monthly YouTube channel. Both from a shelf appeal point of view and maybe even more so behind the ball, they hit all the right notes for me. There are some really cool nods to history with the extra long ferrules and the knurling on the hosel, which I think really add to the character and aesthetic.
The overall proportions of the head are really good too, nice and compact from heel to toe, minimal offset and a lovely rounded toe. The leading edge throughout has been ground pretty straight which is a look I always enjoy.
I was eager to see how these irons would perform during testing, so I headed out to the practice ground of Saunton Golf Club with my SkyTrak+ launch monitor and my TaylorMade TP5x practice balls.
Starting with the wedge and 9 iron, the feel was pretty much what I expected from a forged blade. Very soft, with a nice level of feedback at impact giving you a very clear indication of your strike location. I found these two irons in particular really easy to manipulate in terms of trajectory which is a useful option to have in the scoring clubs.
The mid-irons were a touch livelier. Not a massive difference, but certainly noticeable, they just seemed to pop off the face a little quicker and launch a touch higher than their short iron counterparts. In many people's minds this will be a great thing as added speed and launch is something that is often coveted in the mid to long irons, however in this category of iron, I am looking for consistency and reliability throughout the set and felt the performance could blend slightly more seamlessly from the short irons into the rest of the set in terms of launch data.
That aside, the numbers were very good, competitive with any of the best irons for low handicappers in all of the important ball data categories such as ball speed, spin and carry distance.
As a direct to consumer brand, Ben Hogan Golf has cut out a lot of the associated costs of other major OEM’s, and as such can provide a slightly lower price point. A 4-PW set will set you back $999.99/£801.49 which for a set of this quality represents real value.
With direct to consumer brands such as Takomo growing in popularity and indeed quality, I can see the Ben Hogan PTX Tour irons being a hit. The classic looks are an absolute joy and I thoroughly enjoyed my testing sessions with them.
