Ben Hogan Golf - SOLD!

**MiniBlueDragon** · February 16, 2012

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/perry-ellis-international-inc-completes-133500621.html

Quote:

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Perry Ellis International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PERY - News ) (“the Company”) announced that it has completed the purchase of the world-wide intellectual property rights of the Ben Hogan family of brands from Callaway Golf Co. (NYSE: ELY - News ). The Company will also assume all license arrangements, including South Korea & Japan, for apparel and accessories under the Ben Hogan brand name.

Ben Hogan (1912 – 1997) "The Hawk" is one of the legendary giants of golf history with over 69 PGA Tour victories and 9 major championships. Following his most successful season, Hogan started his golf club company in the fall of 1953 in Fort Worth, TX. Today, the brand name remains renowned among players and fans around the world and still stands for the superior quality he demanded throughout his career.

“We are extremely pleased with the addition of the Ben Hogan brand to our current golf portfolio as it reinforces our strategic focus on our core competency in golf lifestyle apparel. We are working to launch the Ben Hogan brand, within major retailers looking to capitalize on the white space on their floors and in the marketplace,” commented Oscar Feldenkreis, president and chief operating officer of Perry Ellis International.

About Perry Ellis International

Perry Ellis International, Inc. is a leading designer, distributor and licensor of a broad line of high quality men's and women's apparel, accessories and fragrances, as well as select children's apparel. The Company's collection of dress and casual shirts, golf sportswear, sweaters, dress pants, casual pants and shorts, jeans wear, active wear, dresses and men's and women's swimwear is available through all major levels of retail distribution. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, owns a portfolio of nationally and internationally recognized brands, including: Perry Ellis(R), Jantzen(R), Laundry by Shelli Segal(R), C&C; California(R), Rafaella(R), Cubavera(R), Centro(R), Solero(R), Munsingwear(R), Savane(R), Original Penguin(R) by Munsingwear(R), Grand Slam(R), Natural Issue(R), Pro Player(R), the Havanera Co.(R), Axis(R), Tricots St. Raphael(R), Gotcha(R), Girl Star(R), MCD(R), John Henry(R), Mondo di Marco(R), Redsand(R), Manhattan(R), Axist(R), Farah(R), Anchor Blue(R) and Miller's Outpost(R). The Company enhances its roster of brands by licensing trademarks from third parties, including: Pierre Cardin(R) for men's sportswear, Nike(R) and Jag(R) for swimwear, and Callaway(R), TOP-FLITE(R), PGA TOUR(R) and Champions Tour(R) for golf apparel. Additional information on the Company is available at http://www.pery.com .

**ohiolefty** · February 16, 2012

This seems smart. Perry Ellis using the Hogan name (and logo) to market a new line of golf clothing, I'd assume. I just wish they made clubs, too :-(

**LuciusWooding** · February 16, 2012

It seems they're taking over a once-great brand of clubs, and marketing clothes and accessories. Seems like the clubs won't be part of the product line anymore... That's too bad. I'd really like to see the brand re-emerge as more than a clothing line. I know they'd make money at it, too. Half the people on this site idolize the man, so selling irons and wedges shouldn't be a problem, since they'd have mostly boutique brands to compete with.

I have an old Hogan 1 iron sitting in my old bag. It's nigh-impossible to hit, both in terms of skill required and the modern ball, but I decided to pick it up because 1 irons will be totally extinct soon, even used.

**sean_miller** · February 16, 2012

Originally Posted by LuciusWooding

It seems they're taking over a once-great brand of clubs, and marketing clothes and accessories. Seems like the clubs won't be part of the product line anymore... That's too bad. I'd really like to see the brand re-emerge as more than a clothing line. I know they'd make money at it, too. Half the people on this site idolize the man, so selling irons and wedges shouldn't be a problem, since they'd have mostly boutique brands to compete with.

I have an old Hogan 1 iron sitting in my old bag. It's nigh-impossible to hit, both in terms of skill required and the modern ball, but I decided to pick it up because 1 irons will be totally extinct soon, even used.

I like Ben Hogan clubs, but in this day Hogan branded clubs would not be a big seller. Clothing has higher markup and it's worth the risk.

**LuciusWooding** · February 16, 2012

They wouldn't be a big seller like Taylormade or Callaway, but I am confident they could release a limited line of products as a boutique brand, targeting good players. They'd have to stick with player's irons and wedges, maybe putters, and go the premium route.

**GaijinGolfer** · February 16, 2012

No big deal. Hogan stopped being a relevant brand years ago.

**x129** · February 16, 2012

There are already a half dozen makers in that niche. Much smarter to just stamp a logo on some clothes....

Originally Posted by LuciusWooding

They wouldn't be a big seller like Taylormade or Callaway, but I am confident they could release a limited line of products as a boutique brand, targeting good players. They'd have to stick with player's irons and wedges, maybe putters, and go the premium route.

**mvmac** · February 16, 2012

Originally Posted by LuciusWooding

They wouldn't be a big seller like Taylormade or Callaway, but I am confident they could release a limited line of products as a boutique brand, targeting good players. They'd have to stick with player's irons and wedges, maybe putters, and go the premium route.

I agree, I think Callaway missed the boat on that one. Something along the lines of what Scratch does with custom orders would have been awesome. Too late to do it now though

**LuciusWooding** · February 16, 2012

Stamping a logo on some clothes is already what Perry Ellis does. And there are even more clothing lines than boutique clubmakers. Hogan wasn't a legend because of his clothing, and Perry Ellis already makes clothes, so I don't see why the combination of the two was worth what PE paid.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it will make money; just get some Indonesian children to make the shirts for $.86, sell them for $125, and a few thousand units later there's a big profit. But PE does that already.

**newtogolf** · February 16, 2012

I agree, Callaway never embraced the Hogan line of clubs nor did it the justice the name deserves. I'm guessing it was a financially driven decision to keep the share holders happy given the losses they've posted over the last three years.

In his day, Hogan was known for his style of dress, always formal with perfect creases in his pants and shirts but not sure many people know that today. It will be interesting to see what Perry Ellis does with the name, but for some reason I fear it will be on a line of clothing they push in Bob's Stores and other discount clothing outlets and not true high end.

Originally Posted by mvmac

I agree, I think Callaway missed the boat on that one. Something along the lines of what Scratch does with custom orders would have been awesome. Too late to do it now though

**sean_miller** · February 16, 2012

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I agree, Callaway never embraced the Hogan line of clubs nor did it the justice the name deserves. I'm guessing it was a financially driven decision to keep the share holders happy given the losses they've posted over the last three years.

In his day, Hogan was known for his style of dress, always formal with perfect creases in his pants and shirts but not sure many people know that today. It will be interesting to see what Perry Ellis does with the name, but for some reason I fear it will be on a line of clothing they push in Bob's Stores and other discount clothing outlets and not true high end.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvmac

I agree, I think Callaway missed the boat on that one. Something along the lines of what Scratch does with custom orders would have been awesome. Too late to do it now though

I've read that Callaway bought the golf operations of Spalding (who owned the Ben Hogan brand) for the golf ball business. They wanted Top Flite, not Ben Hogan. Spalding made great clubs - as good or better than anything churned out by Ben Hogan or the AMF version of Ben Hogan. It didn't work. People want to be sold a bill of goods (longer, faster, higher, whiter) that was inconsistent with the image Hogan equipment had spent the preveious 40+ years "perfecting". What was Callaway supposed to do with the Ben Hogan brand exactly? Sure they made a mockery of it near the end (some really chintzy stuff still shows in the clearance rack at Golf Town from who knows where) but it was a dead brand by then. Like Spalding, Tommy Armour, and several other brands. It's not often a brand can revitalize itself just based on it's clubs. You need a gimick, like a signature painter's hat or being the number one ball on Tour. Hogan used to have that and even though they tried, near the end of the Callaway years, Hogans weren't making balls and or decent clubs let alone the best or number one at anything. I wish Perry Ellis good luck, and if they come out with a Ben Hogan logoed cap cut like like a modern cap (i.e. larger - like Hunter Mahan's caps) I'll certainly check them out.

**newtogolf** · February 16, 2012

I don't have insight to how Callaway was run back in the days it acquired the Hogan line, but Hogan was known for his blades so I would have used the Hogan name and forgings for Callaways players irons and used their Big Bertha / X-Series for their cavity backs and SGI's. They did make a mockery of the name at the end and that's where I have the biggest issue, but as you stated they wanted Top Flite so it all makes more sense now. Thanks.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I've read that Callaway bought the golf operations of Spalding (who owned the Ben Hogan brand) for the golf ball business. They wanted Top Flite, not Ben Hogan. Spalding made great clubs - as good or better than anything churned out by Ben Hogan or the AMF version of Ben Hogan. It didn't work. People want to be sold a bill of goods (longer, faster, higher, whiter) that was inconsistent with the image Hogan equipment had spent the preveious 40+ years "perfecting". What was Callaway supposed to do with the Ben Hogan brand exactly? Sure they made a mockery of it near the end (some really chintzy stuff still shows in the clearance rack at Golf Town from who knows where) but it was a dead brand by then. Like Spalding, Tommy Armour, and several other brands. It's not often a brand can revitalize itself just based on it's clubs. You need a gimick, like a signature painter's hat or being the number one ball on Tour. Hogan used to have that and even though they tried, near the end of the Callaway years, Hogans weren't making balls and or decent clubs let alone the best or number one at anything. I wish Perry Ellis good luck, and if they come out with a Ben Hogan logoed cap cut like like a modern cap (i.e. larger - like Hunter Mahan's caps) I'll certainly check them out.

**x129** · February 17, 2012

This is probably the way they should have gone. It would be a lot better to say I play the Hogans instead of Razr X Muscleback (because there are like 7 razr x irons out there)

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I don't have insight to how Callaway was run back in the days it acquired the Hogan line, but Hogan was known for his blades so I would have used the Hogan name and forgings for Callaways players irons and used their Big Bertha / X-Series for their cavity backs and SGI's. They did make a mockery of the name at the end and that's where I have the biggest issue, but as you stated they wanted Top Flite so it all makes more sense now. Thanks.

**The Tin Man** · February 25, 2012

Originally Posted by x129

This is probably the way they should have gone. It would be a lot better to say I play the Hogans instead of Razr X Muscleback (because there are like 7 razr x irons out there)

Hogan also recycled model names over the years.

The brands dead let it R.I.P.

**GaijinGolfer** · February 26, 2012

Originally Posted by LuciusWooding

Stamping a logo on some clothes is already what Perry Ellis does. And there are even more clothing lines than boutique clubmakers. Hogan wasn't a legend because of his clothing, and Perry Ellis already makes clothes, so I don't see why the combination of the two was worth what PE paid.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it will make money; just get some Indonesian children to make the shirts for $.86, sell them for $125, and a few thousand units later there's a big profit. But PE does that already.

The thing is though that some golfers are still in love with the Hogan name and would buy a polo shirt with the Hogan logo on it for $100+. The problem is though that the days of Ben Hogan were a long, long time ago that the vast majority of weekend golfers have little idea of who Ben Hogan was and why his was signifigant.

**keb** · February 26, 2012

The Gatsby Ben Hogan Caps are coming!!!

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Ben Hogan Golf - SOLD!

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