During that tournament at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, he holed his tee shot at the 147 yard, 10th to register the first US. Open hole-in-one. On 22nd June 1906, Hobens entered the Western Open at Homewood C.C in Illinois, when he finished second to Alex Smith from Carnoustie. Hobens took the early 36-hole lead by shooting 154, but Smith shot 75-74 on the final day to capture the title by three strokes. Willie Anderson and Fred McLeod from North Berwick tied for third place.

In September 1908 Jack Hobens won the Metropolitan Open Championship at Baltusrol, New Jersey. That year for the first time all golf professionals in America were invited to enter the tournament, but in reality most of the competitors came from Boston, New York and Philadelphia. The field also included a number of former North Berwick caddies such as Tom Anderson (Montclair), George Turnbull (Washington) and the Thomson brothers, James R Thomson (Merion) and Robert M. Thomson (Knollwood).

At that tournament Jack Hobens and Jock Hutchison shot 71 to set a new course record. At the sixth, Hobens played his second over the trees and laid the ball dead on the green, he also holed his mashie shot for a two at the ninth. Jack held on to win the tournament by a single stroke from Alex Campbell (originally from Troon, Ayrshire). Hobens collected a gold medal, the first purse of $150 and another $75 in special prizes. This was the highlight of a stunning playing career and from that day Hobens was always associated with the 1908 Metropolitan Open Championship.

In 1909, Jack hosted the US. Open, played at Englewood Golf Club where he was the professional. It was the practice during the week of the US. Open, to hold garden parties, vaudeville shows, firework displays, evening dances and competitions for the professionals organised by the host Club. On Tuesday a unique pro-am featuring mixed partners took place and a best ball foursome game on Wednesday. Miss Julia R. Mix teamed up with Jack Hobens to win the competition on 162. In the best ball match, Mix and Hobens carded a 69 and Willie Anderson and his partner finished second. Prior to the main event Fred McLeod played a practice round with Gilbert Nichols in a foursome match against Willie Anderson and his brother Tom Anderson Jnr. which the Andersons won 3&1. Tom Anderson Jnr entered the Championship from the Montclair Golf Club, and finished in 8th place. The winner was George Sargent, while Willie Anderson finished 4th; Jack Hobens 6th, and the defending champion Fred McLeod finished in 13th place. In 1910 Jack Hobens was elected president of the Eastern Professional Golfers Association which was a forerunner to the PGA of America. In the qualifying rounds for the 1913 US Open at Brookline, Jack partnered Ted Ray and the New York Times reported that when they both launched towering tee shots over the elbow of the dogleg the crowd erupted in appreciation. The two men walked off down the first fairway trailed by the largest-gallery of the day - over a thousand people including the writer Bernard Darwin.

On 17th January 1916, Rodman Wanamaker, a keen amateur golfer and heir to the Wanamaker department store fortune (now Macy's), held a meeting at the Taplow Club, in the Hotel Martinique on the corner of Broadway and West 32nd Steet in New York City for the purpose of forming the Professional Golfers Association of America. The luncheon was attended by several leading amateurs and 35 professionals, known as the 'Charter Members', including Jack Hobens and James R. Thomson from North Berwick. Their aim was to advance the standing of the club professional, caddies and greenkeepers in the United States.

Jack was one of seven chosen to make up the original 'Organising Committee' and one of three professionals who wrote the PGA's first constitution and by-laws. The committee met several times at Hotel Martinique in Manhattan before the constitution, fashioned on the British PGA was approved on 10th April 1916 when their first business was conducted. Wanamakers sponsored the first PGA Championship in 1916 when Jack Hobens reached the last sixteen. Cornishman Jim Barnes defeated the former St Andrews caddie, Jock Hutchison by one hole, to lift the Wanamaker Trophy. In July 1917, the PGA organised the biggest War Relief Tournament ever. Played over a week on four courses, Englewood, Baltusrol, Siwanoy and Garden City. It included matches between a Homebred team versus a Scottish team and an English team. In the Scottish team (photographed below) were Fred McLeod and Jack Hobens.

In 1921 the PGA committee decided to reorganise the PGA sections and Jack Hobens was given this task. His committee recommended that rather than having a PGA section in each State which was not viable due to the low number of professionals, they decided to create twenty-four smaller sections rather than the original seven.

It was usual practice at this time, for the club professional to attend a member's summer house and teach the entire family for a month or more. Hobens travelled to Maine with Dwight Morrow on several occasions. Morrow's daughter Anne, married aviator Charles Lindbergh and Jack would often travel to his residence to teach. He also coached leading amateurs Gene Homans and Oswald Kirkby.

In the winter of 1916 Jack Hobens was employed in the golf department on the top floor of Wanamaker's store in New York. John D. Dunn (from North Berwick) was head of the 18 teaching staff, and the list of instructors read like a who's who of golfers from the period and the facility was the largest in the city.

Jack's brother Will Hobens emigrated in 1903 and joined Jack at Younkatah Country Club, Nutley, NJ. In 1905, Will Hobens was appointed to the nine-hole course at Ridgeway Golf Club (Maple Avenue site) in New Jersey and represented the club in a professional tournament at Van Cortlandt Park in 1906. When the club moved to the Lincoln Avenue site in 1911, Will assisted his brother Jack Hobens and David Hunter to layout the new course for the re- named Ridgeway Country Club. Unfortunately they went over budget and only completed nine-holes. In 1911 they were joined by their younger brother Robert 'Bob' Hoben who was the first pro to be appointed to Shawnee Country Club, Shawnee-On-Delaware, PA. Previously Bob Hoben had followed Daniel Kenny from North Berwick as greenkeeper at Stranraer Golf Club in 1907. Bob returned to Scotland in 1913 and was appointed to Broomieknowe Golf Club. In 1923, they were joined by their 23 year old nephew Francis 'Frank' Hobens who was pro at Quetonset C.C, Westbrook, Connecticut (1925-26), then Massena C.C, New York (1927-30), before being appointed golf instructor at the New York Athletic Club. He lived with his wife Nellie from Illinois, daughter Margaret and son Thomas at 4024 Glenwood Road, Brooklyn, NY.

Jack's older brother James Hoben (1876-1941) was granted a first-class caddie license on the West Links on 13th December 1894, and he was later appointed greenkeeper at North Berwick. In 1911 James Hoben laid out a 2897 yard nine-hole course at Vaul Golf Club on the Isle of Tiree. The work was carried out under the instruction of Charles McNeil from Prestwick, whose father John McNeil owned the Colonial Iron Works in Govan. It has been suggested that Charles McNeil brought Hobben to Tiree to work on the new course.

The 1911 census, taken on Sunday 2nd April, lists James Hoben as a passenger on S.S. Numidian, a Royal Mail Steamer, tied up in Princess Dock, Glasgow, ready to embark to Quebec, Canada, calling on Tiree on-route. His occupation was listed as a greenkeeper employed by the Bowling Club in North Berwick.

In 1912, Hoben was living in Ferrygate Cottages, Dirleton, and while on Tiree he met his future wife Catherine McArthur and they were married in 1913. Hoben moved to Glasgow and was living in Sussex Street, Kinning Park when he was listed as a greenkeeper in the Pollokshields district. During WW1 he transferred to a reserved occupation as a dock labourer and his wife and two daughters were living in Main Street, Govan. Catherine died at Vaul on the Isle of Tiree in 1928, and James returned to Glasgow and was living at 37 Plantation Street, Govan.

Jack Hobens was pro at Yountakah (1900); Glen Ridge (1901); Yountakah (1902-04); Englewood Country Club (1905-22); Knickerbocker (1927-1941) all in New Jersey, and Huntingdon Valley Country Club in Pennsylvania (1923-26). He was elected a Life Member of the PGA of America and one of his clubs is on display in the PGA headquarters along with 25 others clubs from the founding fathers.

Jack suffered from a physical disability and retired at the age of 60 years. He died on 26th March 1944, at his home at 164, West Hudson Avenue, Englewood, NJ. He had five daughters and at the time of his death three sons serving in the Marine Corps in WW2. In 2005, Jack Hobens grandson Frank wrote." He was a lovely man who came from nothing and made quite a success for himself and his family. When he died, he left my grandmother several houses and a substantial stock portfolio that provided for her for some thirty years of widowhood. My Mom was the eldest of their eight children."

Thomas Hoben was the last of the family to live in North Berwick. He was also the last of the traditional licensed golf pro's on the West Links where he gave lessons. Thomas Francis Owen Hoben lived at 68, Lochbridge Road where he dead 6th July 1957.