To honor one of the all-time greats in golf, the Ben Hogan Museum of Dublin (Texas) recently opened its door in this small town 100 miles west of Fort Worth. Hogan was born in Dublin in 1912, and spent the first nine years of his life there. The Hall of Famer with the sweetest swing in golf won nine major championships. He died in 1997 at age 84.

The creation of the museum was the result of the city’s working relationship with the Fort Worth-based Ben Hogan Foundation, whose mission is to “honor, celebrate, and preserve the legacy and character of Ben Hogan.” The Dublin museum is the first of several local projects that will target that mission. “It is seldom one sees a community so united and committed to celebrating their history as I have found in Dublin, Texas,” said Robert Stennett Executive Director of the Ben Hogan Foundation. “We were thrilled to work with the citizens of Dublin to make this dream a reality.”

According to Karen Wright, a board member of the Hogan Museum, “The story of Ben Hogan is so much bigger than the sport of golf. It’s a story about a little boy who grew up in Dublin, learned the art and science of metal at his family’s blacksmith shop, grew into a determined young man who made one of the most miraculous comebacks in sport’s history following a near-fatal car accident, and left a legacy of courage.”

That devastating car accident in 1949 left him with a broken collarbone, cracked rib, double fracture of the pelvis, a broken left ankle, and some blood clotting that slowed his recovery. But less than four years later, Hogan won the first three major in 1953 in what is referred to as the “Hogan slam.”

This and other stories of the man’s life and accomplishments are also included in the Ben Hogan Museum of Dublin. One of the ironic pieces of memorabilia is a water color portrait of Hogan swing a club at St. Andrew’s – a course he never played.

The Ben Hogan Museum of Dublin is open 1-5 daily, and is located on the corner of East Blackjack St. and Grafton St. Admission is free. 254-445-1919; http://www.dublintxchamber.com/benhogan.htm.