Callaway Irons by Year: Every Model from 1981 to 2026

What comes to mind when you think of Callaway irons? Two lines of Callaway irons have lasted several generations, Big Bertha irons, which date to the mid-1990s, and Callaway’s Apex irons. First introduced in 2013, Callaway Apex irons might seem relatively young, but they’re actually among the oldest irons in golf, dating back to the 1970s when Ben Hogan Golf sold Apex irons before Callaway bought Ben Hogan. 

The history of Callaway irons – as illustrated by those Apex irons – is colorful. Here’s the complete list of Callaway irons by year and some of the highlights Callaway irons have created through the years.

Callaway Big Bertha Irons

Callaway’s Big Bertha irons, like Big Bertha drivers, are built to be forgiving. Since they’re introduction in 1994, they’ve featured the latest technology and design concepts aimed at delivering maximum distance and accuracy to recreational golfers. 

Big Bertha irons have traditionally utilized perimeter weighting, large heads, and offset to produce the largest sweet spot and the straightest shots possible.

Callaway has created several iterations of Big Bertha irons, releasing new Big Bertha iron sets  just about every-other-year –  save a couple missed cycles – since those original Big Bertha’s dropped in 1994.

Read More: Callaway Drivers by Year: From 1988 to 2026

Callaway Apex Irons

While Big Bertha irons are for the large population of players who benefit from forgiveness, distance, accuracy, and a large sweet spot in their irons, Callaway’s Apex irons tilt to the other end of the spectrum.

Apex irons as for better players who seek feel, feedback, and the ability to shape and flight the ball into the window of their choosing, and get plenty of play on the professional tours.

The original Apex irons were introduced by Ben Hogan Golf in 1972 and were a popular iron on professional tours. Ben Hogan released Apex iterations in 1973, 1979, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, and 1999 before Callaway bought Ben Hogan in 2003.

In a rare move, Callaway decided to continue the Apex line under the Callaway brand, dropping the first Callaway Apex irons in 2013, a line that continues today.

Former Ben Hogan Golf President and CEO Scott White told GolfLink that seeing Apex irons under the Callaway badge was unheard of.

“It’s a little strange,” White said in a 2021 interview with GolfLink. “I’ve never heard of, whether it’s in golf or any other product category, where a well-established product name has been transferred to another company. There will never be a Ford Corvette.”

Callaway later sold Ben Hogan but held on to the Apex name and line of clubs.

Complete List of Callaway Irons by Year

From the Big Bertha and Apex mainstays to Epic, Rogue, Mavrik, Fusion and Paradym lines, here is the complete history of Callaway irons by year.