Ben Hogan and his intensity

[PEZGolf]

  We are all products of our experiences and our reactions to them.  There are countless stories about the Hawk (Ben Hogan), and his deep concentration, commitment to hard work ("dig it out of the dirt"), and sternness (remember when Gary Player called him for advice, and he told him to call Mr. Wilson since he played those clubs, instead of ones manufactured by Ben's company).  His personality was molded by tragedy.  I still marvel at the great misfortune that befell him at an early age.

   No, I am not talking about the car accident that almost killed him in 1949.  Instead, I am talking about his Dad.  Here is what James Dodson wrote in his great biography, "Ben Hogan, An American Life":

 

   "In a nutshell, Hogan's real secret had little to do with any technical refinements he'd worked out during his arduous climb to golf's summit, and ENTIRELY (caps are mine) to do with a boy's endless search for the vanished happiness of his rural childhood.  Until the moment a confused and dispirited Chester Hogan placed a .38 to his heart, and pulled the trigger one darkening winter afternoon in 1922, possibly with his youngest and most impressionable child looking on, Ben's life as a blacksmith's boy was largely something of a rural American idyll. After that instant of unimaginable horror, his life became a Dickensian ordeal of survival, a personal quest to somehow get back the perceived paradise he had suddenly and savagely lost. The engine of this holy quest, riven with secrecy and shame, was a pathological yearning that quickly honed his survival instincts  but left him feeling somehow complicit in his father's death and dogged to the end of his days by a fear of never quite measuring up.  (Ben was 10 years old in 1922).

  Dodson goes on to tell how Ben's wife found out about this family secret---"The family secret held such painful dominion over him, in fact, that Valerie Hogan never learned anything about the circumstances of Chester's death until she and Ben had been married more than a decade---and ONLY then because she overheard his mother and sister discussing the suicide at a family holiday gathering during the late 1940's." 

 

     When I first read these passages, I sat in silence for a while, in shock about such an awful, awful experience.  I thought to myself, "How would I have reacted if this had happened to me and my Dad?"  I had no real answer, except that it would have been really shattering.  To this day, I can still remember when my brother passed away at the age of 20 after a tragic fall off a 60' cliff, and we were in the hospital for his last 4 days, as he held on in a coma.  I was numb for over 3 months, and can still remember our last conversations.  He was, and is, my brother and my best friend.  The only real comfort is that we will be together again.  Ben Hogan totally dedicated himself to golf, and had a look and intensity that no other golfer has had.  Is it any wonder, really?

[natureboy]

13 minutes ago, PEZGolf said:

  We are all products of our experiences and our reactions to them.  There are countless stories about the Hawk (Ben Hogan), and his deep concentration, commitment to hard work ("dig it out of the dirt"), and sternness (remember when Gary Player called him for advice, and he told him to call Mr. Wilson since he played those clubs, instead of ones manufactured by Ben's company).  His personality was molded by tragedy.  I still marvel at the great misfortune that befell him at an early age.

   No, I am not talking about the car accident that almost killed him in 1949.  Instead, I am talking about his Dad.  Here is what James Dodson wrote in his great biography, "Ben Hogan, An American Life":

 

   "In a nutshell, Hogan's real secret had little to do with any technical refinements he'd worked out during his arduous climb to golf's summit, and ENTIRELY (caps are mine) to do with a boy's endless search for the vanished happiness of his rural childhood.  Until the moment a confused and dispirited Chester Hogan placed a .38 to his heart, and pulled the trigger one darkening winter afternoon in 1922, possibly with his youngest and most impressionable child looking on, Ben's life as a blacksmith's boy was largely something of a rural American idyll. After that instant of unimaginable horror, his life became a Dickensian ordeal of survival, a personal quest to somehow get back the perceived paradise he had suddenly and savagely lost. The engine of this holy quest, riven with secrecy and shame, was a pathological yearning that quickly honed his survival instincts  but left him feeling somehow complicit in his father's death and dogged to the end of his days by a fear of never quite measuring up.  (Ben was 10 years old in 1922).

  Dodson goes on to tell how Ben's wife found out about this family secret---"The family secret held such painful dominion over him, in fact, that Valerie Hogan never learned anything about the circumstances of Chester's death until she and Ben had been married more than a decade---and ONLY then because she overheard his mother and sister discussing the suicide at a family holiday gathering during the late 1940's." 

 

     When I first read these passages, I sat in silence for a while, in shock about such an awful, awful experience.  I thought to myself, "How would I have reacted if this had happened to me and my Dad?"  I had no real answer, except that it would have been really shattering.  To this day, I can still remember when my brother passed away at the age of 20 after a tragic fall off a 60' cliff, and we were in the hospital for his last 4 days, as he held on in a coma.  I was numb for over 3 months, and can still remember our last conversations.  He was, and is, my brother and my best friend.  The only real comfort is that we will be together again.  Ben Hogan totally dedicated himself to golf, and had a look and intensity that no other golfer has had.  Is it any wonder, really?

You have my sympathy for your own family's loss.

For Ben, his experience with his father and having to fight his way into the caddy corps for a few extra cents a day likely ingrained a sense of life as an often bleak place with bare knuckle competition. That said it's clear from some of his interviews that he certainly had heart. He told Player to call Mr. Dunlop, because he knew he had to fight for his business and his employees. I've heard the on-course demeanor was mostly because Ben was so internalized in his concentration rather than being unfriendly. He had pals on tour, many of whom helped him with his game and with job connections when winnings were thin.

Did he have a role in starting the junior circuit 'Hogan Tour' to help new players coming up? That would certainly indicate reaching a hand back to help those who had been in his shoes as a struggling pro. 

[imsys0042]

To me Ben Hogan was someone with a big heart who also had issues dealing with other people.    I think he felt he was an underdog to other people.   But it's telling in all the pictures after golf rounds how much he smiled, but not during.  

He was a complicated man, but definitely I can see him not telling his wife some of these things.  

[caniac6]

I must admit I am conflicted with my feelings about Hogan. Sometimes he did some very nice, kind things for people, and sometimes he sounded like just a terribly mean man. Arnold Palmer said Hogan never called him by his name, and at his first Masters, Hogan was heard to ask how Palmer qualified with a swing like that. I think he was just kind of a weird guy.

[PEZGolf]

On ‎12‎/‎16‎/‎2015 at 7:31 PM, natureboy said:

You have my sympathy for your own family's loss.

For Ben, his experience with his father and having to fight his way into the caddy corps for a few extra cents a day likely ingrained a sense of life as an often bleak place with bare knuckle competition. That said it's clear from some of his interviews that he certainly had heart. He told Player to call Mr. Dunlop, because he knew he had to fight for his business and his employees. I've heard the on-course demeanor was mostly because Ben was so internalized in his concentration rather than being unfriendly. He had pals on tour, many of whom helped him with his game and with job connections when winnings were thin.

Did he have a role in starting the junior circuit 'Hogan Tour' to help new players coming up? That would certainly indicate reaching a hand back to help those who had been in his shoes as a struggling pro. 

Good question.  I will find out if he did more than lend his name to that Tour.  Back in the 1990's, one of the tournaments on that Tour was held at the Seven Oaks Golf Course, that is owned by Colgate University. It is only a 45 minute from our home, and is not far from Syracuse.  I covered it for my golf magazine, "Golf News" (I was the Editor).  Tom Garner (who was from Texas)  won it, and the Tour lasted a few years, before its name changed with a change in sponsors.  First, it became the Nike Tour, and then the Buy.com Tour (for 3 years), and since 2014,  the Web.com Tour.  In 1990, the Ben Hogan Tour had 30 tournaments!

   Since Mr. Hogan passed away on July 25, 1997, I am sure he was involved with the Tour that bore his name (it had that name from 1990 to 1993).

[Patch]

I think Hogan used his rough persona to intimidate other golfers. He may have had a mean streak in him, but I dont know how actually true that is. 

When I was kid working at the Seaside Oregon golf course Hogan would visit a friend of his from time to time. At the time I had no idea who Hogan was. I had no interest in the game. Just a paying part time job.

What I do remember about him was when ever him and his friend were together they always had good time. 

As for his secret, I dont think there was a secret. I think he just came up with something for the magazine money. More than likely he made a grip change to get away from that troublesome hook he acquired in the caddy yard winning all those coins for the longest drives. Perhaps that was his secret. 

Other stuff I have read about him says that his brother Royal was a better golfer, but did not care for the game as much as his brother did. 

There are a lot of good books available on Hogan. Most are all good reads. The only problem is separating fact from fantasy. 

[newtogolf]

I've read many books on Hogan, there is some debate as to whether or not he witnessed his father committing suicide but nonetheless all parties agree he was in the house at the time which is still a very traumatic event for a young boy.

Hogan was a generous man, especially to those in need.  There are reports of him collecting money for those who suffered a tragedy or unexpected loss in their life and paying off medical bills for Shady Oaks employees.

As for his rough persona, Hogan worked very hard for everything he had and seemed to resent those that didn't have to work as hard as he did.  He was very protective of what he learned during his many hours of daily practice and sincerely felt it gave him an edge over his competition so he wasn't wiling to freely share it with others.  Some of the books on Hogan's life also indicate his wife Valerie became over possessive of Ben and tried to isolate him from others which didn't help to dispel his rough persona.

[PEZGolf]

On Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 3:12 PM, newtogolf said:

I've read many books on Hogan, there is some debate as to whether or not he witnessed his father committing suicide but nonetheless all parties agree he was in the house at the time which is still a very traumatic event for a young boy.

Hogan was a generous man, especially to those in need.  There are reports of him collecting money for those who suffered a tragedy or unexpected loss in their life and paying off medical bills for Shady Oaks employees.

As for his rough persona, Hogan worked very hard for everything he had and seemed to resent those that didn't have to work as hard as he did.  He was very protective of what he learned during his many hours of daily practice and sincerely felt it gave him an edge over his competition so he wasn't wiling to freely share it with others.  Some of the books on Hogan's life also indicate his wife Valerie became over possessive of Ben and tried to isolate him from others which didn't help to dispel his rough persona.

PEZ SEZ:  Thanks for the post about the Hawk.  I have a list of about 40 favorite golfers, and Mr. Hogan is in the Top 5.  The interesting aspect of my list is the wide variety of personalities.  In the outgoing category, I include Payne, the Merry Mex, the Haig, the King (as Jake Trout has reminded us so often---Arnold is and always be, the King), Slammin' Sammy Snead, Freddie Couples, Fred Funk ("chicken hawk"), the FUZ, Doug Sanders, Jimmy Demaret (he may have fooled around, but boy, could he play), Gary Player (the Black Knight) has always been good with journalists and fans), Phil, Jordan Spieth, etc.

      In the quiet, or "gentleman" category, I include Dustin Johnson, Davis Love III, Wayne Levi, Byron Nelson, Tom Watson, and Jack.   There are others, in both categories, but this is a partial list.  Bobby Jones bridges over both groups (he was a movie star with his short films that were very popular in his day, and are still entertaining to watch).

     Personally, I fit into the outgoing category, but there are times (eg. in a tournament, especially the Club Championship), when I clam up and stay focused.  Sometimes, I overdo it, and get too intense.  We all know that leads to tension, and there is NO worse ailment in golf than mental or physical tension.

 

 

[natureboy]

On 12/16/2015 at 9:27 PM, caniac6 said:

I must admit I am conflicted with my feelings about Hogan. Sometimes he did some very nice, kind things for people, and sometimes he sounded like just a terribly mean man. Arnold Palmer said Hogan never called him by his name, and at his first Masters, Hogan was heard to ask how Palmer qualified with a swing like that. I think he was just kind of a weird guy.

I respect and admire Hogan for golf and his overall character, but he was far from a saint. I think he had a bit of the hyper-competitive jerk in him. He needled Paul Runyan for his ungainly chipping style, he needled Bobby Locke and Sam Snead in Power Golf (&/or possibly in 5 Lessons?). May possibly have had some role in Bobby Locke leaving PGA. He obviously wasn't nice to the new guys. I think he was a classic Depression survivor - a lot of insecurities at the core and willing to try to get under a perceived competitor's skin to hold that potential disaster at bay...'better him than me'.

Sometimes when you get bullied, you pass it on unwittingly. A lot of guys of his generation figured, I got hazed so it's my turn to do the hazing now. Some grow to enjoy it. Sort of like what happens in many frats. Also there seemed to be a sense of 'With what I've been through, I've earned a right to be a little imperious about my image.' That's what I see anyway.

I heard Ken Venturi tell a story about how Snead tried to get in his head. Trevino told a story about how the veterans in a group started out chatty, but then went silent on a new pro who was playing well and started leading the tournament. When the pressure of the silent treatment got to this new pro and his game fell apart, Trevino broke the silence and said, "Tough day, huh kid?" I think this is part of life (or at least was) among some / many / groups of tour pros. They are very competitive or at least driven types by and large and there's a lot at stake. Even Zach Johnson doesn't divulge his 'winning ideas' / 'strategies'.

 

On 12/19/2015 at 2:23 PM, Patch said:

I think Hogan used his rough persona to intimidate other golfers.

I agree - sometimes. See above. He did have friends on tour. I don't think the silence during a round was a gamesmanship ploy, though. When he did that stuff it was off the course (to the best of my knowledge). I think he was just very, very inwardly focused when playing on all the details and strategies at hand in the round, immersing himself in the great complexity and challenge of the game.

 

Quote

As for his secret, I dont think there was a secret. I think he just came up with something for the magazine money. More than likely he made a grip change to get away from that troublesome hook he acquired in the caddy yard winning all those coins for the longest drives. Perhaps that was his secret. 

That's not really fair to Hogan or very likely given the emotion with which he talks about the work involved and the satisfaction of his breakthrough in filmed interviews. At the very least it was a secret to him and he shared it when he wasn't going to need it in competition anymore.

Edited December 21, 2015 by natureboy

[Patch]

I think folks who want to know more about Hogan would do well and look for information put out by Jack (John) Schlee. I have read that Schlee was a student of Hogan. I know they knew each other. Schlee also wrote a book (Maximum Golf) that some say was a tribute of some sort to Hogan. I'd recommend googling both names together and see what comes up. 

[PEZGolf]

17 hours ago, Patch said:

I think folks who want to know more about Hogan would do well and look for information put out by Jack (John) Schlee. I have read that Schlee was a student of Hogan. I know they knew each other. Schlee also wrote a book (Maximum Golf) that some say was a tribute of some sort to Hogan. I'd recommend googling both names together and see what comes up. 

PEZ SEZ:   Thanks for the post.  I am going to do that now. By the way, I have these two books:  "Mr. Hogan" by Kris Tschetter and "Afternoons with Mr. Hogan" by Jody Vasquez, who used to shag balls for the Hawk at Shady Oaks.  Please note that both of them refer to him as Mr. Hogan.  His personality and ambience made people he dealt with show the utmost respect to him.  These books show the "human" side of the Hawk (notice how I am referring to him).  It is reported that he had a name plate on his desk with the name "Hennie Bogan".  What does that tell us about the man himself. 

       It is interesting that other golfers were NOT called by the formal Mr. before their last name:  for example:  Bobby Jones (Bobby or Bob), Slammin' Sammy Snead, Jimmy Demaret (NOT Jim), and Gene Sarazen.  The Hawk did have a human side to him, and as my post states, he did have reasons to appear stern and gruff.  I think the Scots had it right when they called him "the Wee Ice Mon". That moniker was accurate about his height and his demeanor.