(Updated September, 2023.)
The Nike swoosh. The Starbucks sea maiden. The BMW wheel. In the same way that these huge brands' art draws in customers, golf course logos help to make the experience of playing feel everlasting.
Whenever I visit a course, I tend to head straight for the pro shop to scope out the merchandise. It’s often a revealing look into how the facility views itself overall.
Besides, golfers love "stuff" from golf courses. In addition to scorecards, I'm personally a hat junkie. Having collected hats from dozens of courses I've played, my favorites tend to be the simplest: just a logo on the front, not too big, with no writing (maybe on the back of the cap, if anything).
Golfers love to chat about the places they've been and a logoed golf hat (or shirt) is a great conversation starter. It's fun to talk about golf courses, and there's no better way to recognize a fellow golfer than by noticing a piece of logoed swag he or she is wearing.
The 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur is being held at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., home to one of the game's best logos: a headless horseman. Thanks to a unique and distinctive brand, the club's pro shop is sure to sell a good amount of merchandise to competitors and spectators to the event.
5 different types of golf course logos
Though not every one can be placed neatly into one of these five categories, the vast majority of appealing golf course logos fall into one of them. Here are some of the best examples from courses I have played; let us know your favorite examples of each:
1. Club initials
Superimposing the initials of a club into a distinctive monogram is a time-honored move, from personal letterhead to businesses to golf clubs. In most cases, some sort of script font lends a classical look to the identity of a course that wants to invoke golf's sense of tradition and history. It's typically something pre-World War II courses do, but some modern clubs have gone that direction as well.
2. Stylized club/course name
Sometimes it can be fun to incorporate the formal name of a golf course into a logo, or to stylize it in such a way that it stands out. It can sometimes look lazy, but it can also be inspired when done right, especially when combined with another visual element.
3. Nature (flora)
It's no surprise that the natural world is a primary source of inspiration for golf courses. There are any number of tree logos - oaks and pines are ubiquitous - so it takes a little bit of creativity to develop something truly distinctive.
4. Nature (fauna)
The same goes for animal-inspired logos. Incorporating local wildlife cleverly into a logo means invoking a unique sense of place.
5. Other symbols
Golf course logos are as varied as their individual origin stories, and the courses that lean into their history tend to come up with the most evocative - and fun-to-wear- swag.
Best Logo: Crumpin’Fox
I believe the Whistling Straits logo tops them all--the blustery face in the figure is Herb Kohler himself !
ALL THE BEST LOGOS ARE SMALL AND NEAT, VERY IMPORTANT FROM A RETAIL POINT OF VIEW AND AS A LOGO YOU CAN WEAR OUT IN THE EVENING. iRISH CLUBS LIKE WATERVILLE, DOONBEG, OLD HEAD, ADARE MANOR, K CLUB,
Top logos - MacArthur - Milk bottle
Salem CC Witch
Pine Valley and Merian…hands down.
I have always been a lover of the "Whistling Straits" logo.
How about Old Head Golf Links and its 'Stone of Accord' logo... a symbolic rock dating back to pre-Christian times. Quite possibly one of the oldest man-made symbolic references in club logos (?!)
I've always liked Cinnabar Hills' owl.
what club has the logo of a horse head and below it is the number 1890
Philadelphia Country Club
What course has a logo with a drawing of a boy (caddie or player?) with a golf bag and holding an open umbrella