Ben Hogan Golf was founded in 1953 by Hogan and two friends.
It was a timely year to launch a golf equipment brand — Hogan won five out of the six annual tournaments including The Masters, U.S. Open and The Open.
After two decades of producing exceptional golf equipment, Hogan launched the Apex line of irons. This compact blade was designed for the best players.
In this article, you’ll find a complete list of Ben Hogan Apex irons by year.
Ben Hogan Apex Irons By Year
Here is a full list of every Ben Hogan Apex iron release:
| Image | Ben Hogan Iron Model | Release Year | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ben Hogan Apex '06 Irons | 2006 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex FTX Irons | 2004 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex 50 Irons | 2003 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex Edge Pro Irons | 2002 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex Edge '02 Irons | 2002 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex Edge '01 Irons | 2001 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex Plus Irons | 2000 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex '98 Irons | 1998 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex '94 Irons | 1994 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex '92 Irons | 1992 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex BH Grind Irons | 1990 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex Redline Irons | 1988 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex PC Irons | 1984 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex II Irons | 1979 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex '73 Irons | 1973 | Buy on Global Golf |
 | Ben Hogan Apex '72 Irons | 1972 | Buy on Global Golf |
Ben Hogan Apex Irons: 1970-1979
The first Apex iron was introduced in 1972. This design was a compact blade with a thick muscle back, and was intended for low-handicap golfers.
In the video below, The Vintage Golfer tests out the original Apex iron model:
The following year, Hogan introduced the 1973 version of the Apex irons.
The ’73 Apex irons are a modern classic. While there is virtually zero forgiveness built into the blade, a flushed shot out the middle is as good as it gets. As Bill Bush of Driving Range Heroes states, “The sound of a pure shot was second to none. Frankly, I can’t remember the last time I heard anything like it.”
Throughout the 1970s, the Apex iron was iterated several times. Notoriously, Ben Hogan was a perfectionist. Each version embodied his desire for perfection.
Ben Hogan Apex Irons: 1980-1989
In 1984, Hogan launched the Apex PC irons. These handsome forged blade irons had a very thin sole and top line — the definition of a butter knife.
Four years later, the Apex Redline irons were released. Named after the red underlined logo on the back of the club head, these were interestingly the only Hogan irons to feature square grooves in the clubface.
Ben Hogan Apex Irons: 1990-1999
In 1990, the Apex BH Grind was developed. These irons were produced for two years, and featured a small blade with a square toe design. The BH “Ben Hogan” emblem on the back of the head sits in the middle of the sunburst logo.
1992 saw the launch of the Apex ’92 irons. This model saw small incremental adjustments, with the intention of refining an already classic blade design.
The rest of the decade saw the release of the Apex ’94, and ’96 irons. With these, slightly more weight was positioned at the bottom of the head. This lowered CG, producing “the most playable blade design available” at the time.
Ben Hogan Apex Irons: 2000-Present
After Ben Hogan passed away in 1997, the company was sold to Spalding. At the turn of the millennium, club designer Jeff Sheets was tasked with creating the next iteration of the vastly successful Apex line.
In 2000, Sheets designed the Apex Plus irons. He was tasked with producing a players’ game forgiveness model, which can be seen at Jeff Sheets Golf.
In the mid-2000s, the Ben Hogan brand tapped into the lucrative game improvement market with the introduction of cavity back irons.
The Apex FTX irons were launched in 2004, and featured a muscle back cavity blade in the long irons and a straight blade in the short irons. This combination added valuable forgiveness where it’s needed most, without sacrificing the buttery feel thanks to the forged 1020 carbon steel head material.
Nowadays, Callaway has the rights to the Apex name after the acquisition of Ben Hogan assets from Spalding in 2003. While it has served the name justice with many successful releases, purists will always associate Apex with Hogan.
The Ben Hogan brand has recently been revived by Golf Brands Inc. Perhaps we’ll see another iteration of the Apex iron, continuing over 50 years of heritage.
