The present invention is directed to a body for a golf club head that includes structural columns or connectors, also referred to as stiffening members, and particularly a pair of solid rods, that extend between a return section and a sole section approximately parallel with a rear surface of a striking face section and parallel with each other without touching the rear surface or one another, even during impact with a golf ball. Each of the solid rods preferably is cylindrical, has a diameter of 0.050 inch to 0.200 inch, and has a length of 1 to 2.5 inches. Each of the rods has an upper end and a lower end. The solid rods preferably have a variable diameter to reduce their overall mass, such that the upper ends and lower ends have diameters that are larger than, and taper towards, a midpoint of the solid rods so that the solid rods each has an approximate hourglass shape.