Hogan's heros....floundering...

[Rockford35]

Well, the guy at our local shop just got back from Phoenix with all the dirt for 07.

Apparently, Callaway is phasing out Hogan. A few iron sets, hybrids (tour style only) and no more driver or fairways. Apparently, those sales cut into Callaway's bottom line and they figure they can convert them to Cally stuff for 2007.

He heard, although preliminary, that Hogan will have only 3 sets of irons. A blade/MB, the combo set and a game improvement iron. No more putters, no wedges.

It's sad to see someone like Hogan get eaten, but I guess that's the nature of the business.

On the brighter side of things, he said the FTi was nice looking and very easy to hit. Never saw the hybrids, but the X20 Tours are gonna be the sticks to buy for players this year. Real hosels, no bore thru, Project X shafts stock.

He did mention that the SUMO is ugly as feck. But he did say that the other Nike (SQ 2?) was decent looking, better than the current SQ (which isn't hard to imagine....you could glue a dead, bloated racoon to a stick, paint it magenta and it would looke better.)

He also said (good for Canadians) that prices would be dropping to reflect the surge in the Canadian dollar over the past few years. So look for less sales in the US from Canadian markets in the next few months.

HiBore 460...he hinted at this....they're tight lipped, but impressed that we would even know about it....

R35

 

[BigJim13]

I am a huge fan of Hogan, love my hogan irons and am looking to buy a set of blades to have once i can start playing seriously again. It is sad to see Hogan go the way they are but it is not surprising since Cally bought them out. Oh well, capitalism at its best....

 

[ualtim]

Callaway.......sucks.


First they take over Top Flight and phase out my Stratas so they can charge me more for the HX's and now they are getting rid of the Hogan line so they can sell more clubs that look like they were designed for the space program?

I still hate Ping more, but Callaway is definitely second on the list.

 

[Rockford35]

I'm a Callaway fan, so it's somewhat bitter sweet. I like the Hogan stuff and was hoping that Cally gathering them under the umbrella would just create more of a forged market offering from Callaway.

It has, but unfortnately at the expense of a longtime friend.

I could care less about Top Flite.

R35

 

[SiberianDVM]

Darn. If I win the lottery, I'll see if Callaway is interested in selling Hogan.

 

[obagain]

I know people that don't need to win the lottery that made a proposal to callaway and they are not interested.
They bought hogan to get rid of the name. They have destroyed it and it would be nearly impossible to revive it.
I didn't think they were going that direction but early this year you could see the wrighting on the wall.

 

[Farquod]

First they take over Top Flight and phase out my Stratas...

You and me both, bud. Still have about 4 dozen Strata Professionals down in the basement, unopenend.

 

[ualtim]

You and me both, bud. Still have about 4 dozen Strata Professionals down in the basement, unopenend.

I got ya, there. I stocked up on some close out sales. 5 Dozen Strata Professionals and 5 dozen Strata Tour TL's. I am debating on buying more TL's while they are still in stock at $11.99 per dozen.

Apparently, Callaway is in the practice of buying out competitors and then eliminating their products. Stratas, gone. Ben Hogan, going. I just hope they don't buy out Golfsmith or else I will really be screwed.

 

[JEFF4i]

A darn disappointment, Hogan clubs have been one of the oldest and greatest out there.

Darn Callaway, why must they hate everything I love?

 

[sidvicious]

hmmmm,

i think the thread on this may be a bit miguided.

are there any hogan people around? any developers, grinders, engineers, marketers, etc? does anything go with hogan other than the hogan name plus the existing product line?

i play hogan clubs - the apex blades. they're my number one set right now. i am a hogan fan.

but it sounds like the company dwindled. faded into opaque.

business is business. you can bet that if calloway could profit from keeping hogan as "hogan" then it would.

i love my hogan blades, but i also know that calloway makes quality stuff as will. i have a set of x14 pro series. i just don't play game improvement stuff anymore.

if you haven't noticed, game improvement is where its AT. i haven't counted but i'll bet GI outsells PC [players clubs] 20-1.

GI, like microsoft and wal-mart, has succeeded. there is no conspiracy.

 

[warbirdlover]

Well let's see....

We hate Ping for all the reasons in the threads.

We hate Callaway for destroying Hogan

We hate Titleist, Nike and TaylorMade because they're too big

We still don't hate Mizuno, Cobra, Cleveland, McGregor and Wilson

RIGHT?

Just kidding, but like everything else, I'm not surprised by what happens with the golf industry. Kind of like the auto industry!!

 

[Rockford35]

We hate Callaway for destroying Hogan

I don't hate Callaway. I'm a big Cally advocate. In a year when Hogan is gone, no one will notice (unfortunately). But, as it's been pointed out, it's the nature of the beast.

When Cally starts releasing clubs like the new X20 Tours, people will forget about Hogan....trust me...:idhitit:

R35

 

[Youngun5]

those X20's will be 3x the hogan equivalent's price.....

hogan had badass stuff at some great prices....although i don't have anything of theirs they were always a front runner in any product search i was doing...

callaway is making improvements, but i still dislike their practices, that and Lefty.... its unfortunate Hogan got in the way....a terrible end to a great company

 

[sidvicious]

i play hogan blades, but i'm wondering,

exactly what is it [business practice??] that people don't like about calloway? the tone of this thread suggests calloway is the bad buy for succeeding.

 

[dave.]

Players love Hogan for 2 reasons I think;

The mystique of the man.He saw his father commit suicide,then as a scrawny weedy kid he had to got o work as a 12 yr old,he started as a paper lad nad at 13 started hitting golf balls in between caddying,after a 6 mile walk to the club.He then ground out a swing with hundreds and thousands of balls.He then started a club company after he got miffed with his sponsor.He rejected hundreds of clubs when they first went into production,unlesss they were perfect,they were binned.And if course he made traditional blades,beautifully made and great to look at.

Secondly,the clubs are traditional,and there are still many players over 40 who staretd playing with blades,and Hogans were the best and most highly sought after.

His clubs have heritage,which doesn't mean anything to Callaway.But if they had some vision they would realise the power of the Hogan brand.Its huge,as a brand Hogan has something Callaway will never have,history,mystique,heritage and many other strengths.They are simply short sighted,a brand this powerful will never go away.Someone else will come along and buy the rights,and thye WILL sell,for a long time.