“Masters of Craft: The Art of Golf Equipment by Honma and Ben Hogan”
“East Meets West: Honma and Ben Hogan—A Tale of Two Icons”
Honma Golf: The Gold Standard in Premium Club Craftsmanship
Japan’s Master Craftsmen of Elite Golf Performance
Celebrate 60 Years of Mastery
Step into the legacy of Japanese clubmaker Honma—where six decades of precision, passion, and innovation converge in every swing. The BERES line has long stood as the gold standard of artistry and performance, and the Beres 09 2-Star Hybrid and Fairway Wood continue that proud tradition with remarkable finesse. Designed for golfers who demand both beauty and results, these clubs redefine what it means to play with premium equipment.
Honma Beres 09 2-Star Hybrid and Fairway Wood: A Masterclass in Artistry and Performance
Few names in the golf world carry the heritage and prestige of Honma. The Beres 09 series, specifically the 2-Star Hybrid and Fairway Wood models—each paired with the ARMRQ 2S R and ARMRQ FX shafts, respectively—embodies the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence. Recently tested by the PGTAA’s elite testing group, these clubs earned across-the-board praise for their exceptional aesthetics, responsiveness, and remarkable forgiveness at all swing speeds.
A Distinctive Approach to Design – Built for Mastery
True to Honma’s Takumi craftsmanship, every Beres 09 club is individually built, not mass-produced. The 2-Star Hybrid ($400) and 2-Star Fairway Wood ($600) are elegant, performance-driven tools—crafted for the discerning golfer.
Honma’s internal weighting philosophy is clearly on display:
- Hybrid : A 14-gram weight placed at the back of the heel creates more power on impact and high trajectory. Paired with meticulously engineered sole thickness for optimal center of gravity, each club creates stable, high, straight shots.
- 5-Wood: Designed with a draw-bias and precision directional control, it allows players to shape shots with confidence and reduce right-side misses.
This attention to internal weighting design gives players an advantage by matching specific shot goals to club behavior.
Revolutionized Distance, Seamless Control
The proprietary ARMRQ shafts play a crucial role in elevating performance. The ARMRQ 2S R in the hybrid and the ARMRQ FX in the fairway wood utilize multi-axis metal hybrid armor and high-elasticity carbon fiber to ensure optimal energy transfer. The result? Smoother swings, reduced dispersion, and maximum distance—without sacrificing feel.
PGTAA testers across a range of skill levels noted:
- Effortless launch and high, powerful flight
- Significantly reduced spin, especially on longer 5-wood shots
- A “tour-level” feel with game-improvement forgiveness
- Supreme hybrid control from both tee and fairway positions
Crafted for the Golfer Who Demands the Best
Luxury, precision, and performance converge in every detail—from the hand-painted accents to the unmatched materials. These are not just clubs; they are instruments of performance and beauty, built for players who recognize the value of Japanese craftsmanship and cutting-edge innovation.
Honma didn’t just build these clubs for the swing. They built them for the player—and it shows.
Final Verdict from the PGTAA Testing Group
“The Beres 09 2-Star Hybrid and Fairway Wood redefine premium performance. They’re stunning to look at, sublime to swing, and give back everything you put into them—and then some.”
For golfers ready to elevate their game and make a lasting statement with every shot, Honma’s Beres 09 series stands in a class all its own.
Ben Hogan’s PTx Max Driver and 3-Wood: A Precision-Engineered Powerhouse, Endorsed by the PGTAA’s Elite Testing Group
Ben Hogan Golf has once again raised the bar in the metal wood category with the release of its new PTx family, designed to deliver modern performance while honoring the company’s storied legacy of craftsmanship and innovation. Among the standout offerings are the PTx Max Driver and PTx Max Fairway Woods, which have quickly become favorites within the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America (PGTAA) testing group—praised for their forgiveness, ball speed retention, and impressive playability across a range of skill levels.
PTx Max Driver – High MOI, Low Stress, Maximum Control
If forgiveness and distance are your non-negotiables off the tee, the PTx Max Driver is built for you. This model delivers one of the highest Moments of Inertia (MOI) in its class— over 10,000 g-cm² —providing extreme stability and minimizing twisting on off-center strikes. Even mishits find the fairway with surprising consistency.
Key performance elements include:
- Carbon Fiber Crown & Dense Sole Weight: This combo shifts the center of gravity low and deep, resulting in higher launch and easier ball flight.
- Aerodynamic Speed Slot: Enhances clubhead speed without any swing modification.
- Variable Face Thickness: Retains ball speed across the face for better distance control.
The PGTAA testing group noted how the PTx Max driver rewarded slight mishits with impressive directional stability and ball speeds nearly identical to center strikes. Ideal for golfers who want power and forgiveness without a steep learning curve, this driver is available in 9° and 10.5° lofts for both right and left-handed players.
$379.99
PTx Max 3-Wood – Reliable, Long, and Straight from Anywhere
The PTx Max Fairway Woods, especially the 15° 3-wood, offer a seamless transition from tee to turf. With its shallow face profile and carefully sculpted head shape, the 3-wood inspires confidence whether you’re launching it off the deck or setting up for a tight par-4.
Highlights include:
- Stainless Steel Construction: Promotes a solid, yet smooth feel at impact.
- Carbon Fiber Top and Internal Weighting: Lowers spin and improves forgiveness on uneven strikes.
- Side Speed Slot: Improves aerodynamics to give a little more clubhead speed without needing more effort.
During testing, the PGTAA group found the 3-wood particularly easy to launch from both fairway and light rough—offering predictable carry distances and exceptional forgiveness. For golfers who demand a versatile long-game tool, this club delivers.
$219.99
Technical Specs That Fit the Golfer, Not the Other Way Around
All clubs in the PTx Max lineup come with a wide selection of premium aftermarket graphite shafts (Ladies/Senior, Regular, Stiff, X-Stiff) and custom grip options (Ladies, Standard, Oversize) from top manufacturers. Deluxe Ben Hogan headcovers are included in standard, ensuring your investment stays protected in the bag and on the road.
PGTAA’s Verdict: A Welcome Return to Form from Ben Hogan Golf
The PGTAA testing group, consisting of certified teaching professionals and scratch players alike, gave the PTx Max Driver and 3-Wood resounding praise for delivering game-enhancing forgiveness, confidence-inspiring visuals at address, and tangible distance gains. These clubs aren’t just for Hogan loyalists—they’re for anyone who wants results without compromise.
Explore the complete lineup—including the PTx Max Hybrids and PTx LST driver—at
👉 www.benhogangolf.com
For professional instructors and golfers seeking to sharpen their performance edge, the Ben Hogan PTx Max lineup earns our highest recommendation.
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Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America. Visit www/facebook.com/PGTAA to see all the latest mental strategies, travel and equipment reviews. Currently he also works with between 10 to 12 PGA Tour players on the mental side of golf.
He is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and serves both as a Consultant and Mediator to the golf industry. He is also the author of numerous books, including “333 Best Web Sites for Golfers” and his previous book, “How to Build Business Relationships through Golf”, is still in the Top Ten Golf Business Book’s best seller list. His current books, “The Right Mind for Golf”, “The Right mind for Putting”, The Right Approach to Golf”, and “The Bank Nine – Embracing Golf as a Senior”, is available on at the Torrey Pines Golf Course or https://www.pgtaa.com/product-category/books-and-apparell/.