- Two headlining models: Honma BERES Black and Aizu.
- BERES Aizu showcases Honma’s signature model offerings of 2 Star through 5 Star including a women’s 3 Star model offering.
- The entire BERES lineup features drivers, fairway woods, hybrid utilities and irons.
Honma embraces a distinct position within the golf manufacturing world. Throughout the years, Honma has showcased three specific golf club lineups: TR, T//World and BERES, all of which have prominent roles within Honma’s product offerings. Each caters to different golfers. However, they all possess Honma’s DNA: craftsmanship, aesthetics and design and performance. With the new BERES, they continue a long heritage of luxurious, master-crafted golf clubs, but with a bold twists.
Honma BERES – RUNWAY, PLEASE
At first glance, aesthetics, craftsmanship and overall design stare you right in the face.
With the BERES Black, you have classic black and gold signature coloring. From pictures alone, it appears to be a showstopper. In order to keep the overall appearance flow, the stock ARMRQ MX shaft features matching black and gold graphics. The design is consistent from the metalwoods down to the irons.
Don’t worry. The star of the show is next.
Aizu, 2 Star through 5 Star and 3 Star Women’s encompass flair. Honma’s master craftsmen bring forth the traditional Japanese “Aizu” Lacquer design with this lineup. Each product lineup within the Aizu model features its own unique, creative color scheme and design. There are two different crown prints on the metalwoods. Additionally, there are designs on the iron cavities. Both bring a fashion show to the golf course.
NOT JUST LOOKS
With this BERES release, don’t let the looks capture all of your attention. The lineup is packed with new performance technology. In terms of a target market, the BERES lineup caters towards slower-swinging golfers. As a result, the emphasis is on speed, high launch, and low spin through new tech in the metalwoods: L-CUP Face, Triple Sole Slots, Evolved Radial Face and Crown Structure.
Furthermore, the focus on performance translates to the irons which feature a 3-D L-CUP Structure in the 5-9 Iron, a Sole Slot, Face and Cavity Structure.
L-CUP FACE
For the gearheads reading this, the purpose of this new centerfold is to maintain higher CT value. For those of us who believe in K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid), its main goal is to maintain higher ball speeds across the face. This face design and its benefits are a byproduct of not having to weld the face onto the clubhead.
In the irons, the same principle applies. Furthermore, because of the structuring, a thicker sole design is created with a lower center of gravity.
TRIPLE SOLE SLOTS
Who doesn’t like stability and the potential for increased initial ball speed? Well, that is exactly what the intended job of the Triple Sole Slots. With this three-slot design, it helps the entire slot regain its shape at impact. By simultaneously regaining its shape, the Triple Sole Slots work as one to create more stability and potential ball speed benefits.
Ti811 THIN CROWN DESIGN
This ultra-low specific gravity titanium alloy crown is more than just aesthetics. It is an uneven, thin-wall design. This piece of tech combines with the L-CUP Face and Radial structures to produce high-launch, low-spin characteristics with added draw bias.
ARMRQ MX SHAFTS
One of Honma’s prized components are their premium golf shafts. The ARMRQ MX shaft has a proprietary (we all love that word) design featuring 10 Axis Sheet Metal Hybrid Armour Technology. As we’ve seen, Honma offers 2 Star through 5 Star in the Aizu lineup. With the ARMRQ MX shaft, Honma achieves a counterbalance shaft. In so doing, the ARMRQ MX allows them to have a progressive shaft offerings as you progress from BERES 2 Star to BERES 5 Star.
Honma BERES – LUXURY … AN UNDERSTATEMENT
If one thing is certain, BERES is the epitome of craftsmanship. The BERES line is stunning and you will definitely be paying for the highest quality of craftsmanship. The Aizu models pay heritage to Japanese Aizu artists. With this endeavor, master craftsmen achieve Honma’s most technologically advanced construction with a tribute to Takumi expertise.
In today’s society, there are price points that leave you scratching your head. For example, NFTs. Non-Fungible Tokens have seen insane selling prices as of late. But that strengthens the case for the price people will pay for art. Honma’s BERES lineup is no different. These clubs are art in its purest form and, with that said, come with appropriate pricing (by Honma’s standards).
Here are some prices, just to entice you a bit:
- BERES Aizu 5 Star Driver – $5,000 at retail.
- BERES Black Driver – $1,149 at retail.
- BERES Aizu 2 Star Irons – $399 per iron at retail.
- BERES Aizu 5 Star Irons – $4,950 per iron at retail.
Yes, you read that last one correctly.
END OF THE RUNWAY
It wasn’t long ago that Honma had one of golf’s best talents, Justin Rose, as an ambassador. During that timeframe, Honma was making a persistent push to get a foot into the North American market. Partnerships don’t always work out as we intend them to and the rest of that story is history. However, Honma is confident that their crown jewel, BERES, can lead to an even greater impact and foothold on the North American market. Their BERES lineup is rooted deep in history and offers an elegant blend of craftsmanship and performance for those seeking distance and forgiveness. With the BERES, the journey begins.
Carolyn
2 days agoGreat looking clubs…..then again a $29 Timex watch keeps time just like a $25,000 Rolex……at best a Honma driver makes a $550 Taylormade driver a Bargen…
Mehdi
13 hours agoWhen looking at my Rolex a hundred and fifty times a day, I look at everything except the time. I have an iPhone for that.
John Burnsworth
2 days agoThanks for the article. Like many readers not for me but still nice to read and understand how different manufacturers look at segmenting their markets. Quite an interesting set and performance from previous version was pretty good so maybe I will be lucky enough to see a set in someone’s bag.
David
2 days agoDon’t sky you drive
Stephen Pearcy
2 days agoThe same marketing model as PXG – some people will buy it just because it is more expensive. In this case, however, it looks like these were that expensive to make pretty.
Adrian J Cemel
2 days agoHats off to ya, Phillip.
GolferinUsa
2 days agoIf you have to ask yourself why these clubs are so expensive, they are clearly not for you.
Those hating on the clubs sound like the whiny kids whose parents couldn’t afford to buy them what they wanted for Christmas.
dr. bloor
2 days agoNo gaudier than some of the stuff that comes out of Tyson Lamb’s and James Patrick’s workshops, although the TR20 irons are more my cup of tea. They seem to be trying to hit two markets at the same time in the US, and just undermining their message.
Patrick Pece
2 days agoYou can buy a decent wrist watch for $50.00 or a Patel Phillipe for a million. Same goes for vehicles; a decent pickup truck for $40,000.00 or Bugatti Veyron for $2.5 million. Clearly Honma wouldn’t have built these clubs without knowing their market. Me, I’d be afraid somebody would steal them.
Owen
2 days agoAgain, the MGS commenters are missing the point Honma is making with the Beres line. These clubs are Art, Luxury, Ultra-Premium. NOT FOR JOE-SHMOE GOLFER, This is where Honma can win in the market (not by grabbing huge market share from Titleist, Taylormade, Callaway, etc).
The clubs look amazing and the Honma shafts are historically fantastic. The TR line is pure butter…Hope I can see these Beres clubs in action one day!
Phillip Bishop
2 days ago**STANDING OVATION**
Sawyer
2 days agoThey are nice to look at and will take them if you are giving them away.
That way I can sell them, get fitted for a new driver, and help afford the golf habit for 3 of us.
MrHogan
2 days agoThey certainly are a work of art and hard to believe there is actually a market for something as elaborate and expensive..
More for the Jeff Bezos and Elon Musks of the world.
John
2 days agoBeres has been a thing for the Asian market forever. Definitely eye-watering prices and aimed at a certain segment of that market. Not for me, but no one’s forcing me to buy them either. Cool concepts and OTT for sure.
Francis
2 days agoThese are definitely not for me, out of my price range, and they look a bit gaudy — but guess that’s the intention.
With that said, I don’t think all of the vitriol in the comments section is warranted. There are other product categories where the “top luxury” brand market their supposedly hand-crafted quality and style for prices that are out of reach for 99% of folks.
Think Rolls Royce Cullinan, or a Hermes handbag. Neither achieve their utility / intended purpose in a way which is better than lesser priced rivals, but they’re there. And it’s totally fine.
MGoBlue100
2 days agoNice writeup! Not for me either as a player or a purchaser, but cool to look at and read about!
azstu324
2 days agoI think a big part of the article must have been left out by mistake.. Guys check the floor.. or maybe Harry snagged it on the way to the john knowing that TP was low, and in the frantic flurry of a Mexican food-squirts emergency crisis..?
Clearly the price also includes a 1st class flight to Japan to visit the foundry to learn about all of the steps of the forging process, and then to Honma HQ to learn about the intricate painting and design.. and finally the shaft fabrication factory right? All the while, enjoying a fine-dining experience at some of Japan’s finest eateries? Right??… (insert very confused emoji)
golferintheusa
2 days agoSeems like a whole lot of energy is going into writing up a hateful comment. If it’s not for you, just like Hermes or a Bentley may not be for you, then move on. All you’re doing is showing that you are in fact an admirer of the brand by taking time to spew your hate.
Remember: Just because you can’t afford it, doesn’t mean it’s not worth every penny.
azstu324
2 days agoThe comment wasn’t meant to be hateful in the slightest so much as it was playful. I’m not even mad at the article and think that it’s some interesting stuff. I really like Honma as a golf brand and have used their stuff in the past and its been nothing but great. As much as I may have missed the mark writing up a comment that suites your reading fancy, I do admire the Honma brand as a GOLF company but am struggling to understand them as an “art” reproduction company. Assuming I have all the money in the world to burn, if I want art imitating golf, I buy a painting of a famous hole or golfer from history to hang in my study. If I want golf imitating art, I buy some vintage hickory irons and have them restored sparing no costs, and hang them on the wall. I think Honma is kind of lost in their pursuit of one or the other with this line. Would a wealthy golfing purist really buy a set of these clubs to play OR hang on the wall? probably not. So then what’s Honma’s actual drive here?
Phillip Bishop
2 days agoHarry does love his Mexican food.
golferintheusa
2 days ago“The Aizu models pay heritage to Japanese Aizu artists. With this endeavor, master craftsmen achieve Honma’s most technologically advanced construction with a tribute to Takumi expertise.”
It’s in the article. It’s clearly a nod to their heritage.
Solid article btw, Philip. Though I wanted to ask: Justin who? Let it go; he’s old news and where is he now anyway? Irrelevant it seems.
scott
2 days agoTo make a driver that is less forgiving, less distance and cost six times more Honma should revisit their business model. American Golfers will pay for every yard they can get but this club offers beauty ?
James Shepard
2 days agoFor those prices it better come with a swing coach.
azstu324
2 days agoThese prices make Bob Parsons look like a saint
MarkM
2 days agoIs it the new year or April Fools?!
Phillip Bishop
2 days agoNew Year and with it, First Look Articles.
Tom
2 days agoBut how do they play? At those prices, should get a hole in one on every hole every time!
Phillip Bishop
2 days agoWe tested their previous BERES 2 Star Irons in our 2021 Most Wanted Super Game Improvement Category. Performance wise, they finished 3rd.
https://mygolfspy.com/2021-most-wanted-super-game-improvement-iron/
denisb
2 days agoreally! what use does this adverisement serve?
Mikee
2 days agoJust because a would never drive a Rolls Royce doesn’t mean I don’t like to look
Robert Foster
2 days agoCan’t wait to see the silk hand made club covers with juvenile Koala bear lining
Dr Tee
2 days agointeresting but ridiculous and irrelevant to 99.999% of your readership and golfing world
Robert G Dwyer
2 days agoWhat a load of crap ! Put some stickers on the clubs and see how many suckers you can swindle (snake oil come to golf) If you are that stupid buy some.
Stephen Dinham
2 days agoFor that price I’d want a pro to hit the shots for me.