Golf Logos: Where Marketing & Design Meet Fairways & Greens

Just a few of my favorite golf logos                                                via Patricia Hannigan on Pinterest

The silhouette of a golfer with the scales of justice suspended from his iron... a wicker-topped flagstick set against a tuft of Scotch Broom... and a scotty dog decked out in red argyle: These are three of my favorite golf logos. Though, truth be told, I have lots of favorite golf logos.

Some are refreshingly whimsical while others feature more traditional aesthetic. What they have in common however is the ability to convey their golf brand's message in a way that's visually engaging and... memorable.

When writers weigh in on golf's best logos, as they sometimes will, the focus is often on golf courses, with Winged Foot, Pine Valley, Kapalua and the aforementioned Merion garnering frequent praise. However the most popular golf course logo has got to belong to Whistling Straits. It features a foreboding bearded face seemingly carved in stone. The inspiration is said by some to have been Herbert Kohler Jr, the colorful Kohler Company CEO who engaged Pete Dye to design the challenging Wisconsin course. Golf.com called the Whistling Straits logo badass, which is probably an apt description.

Personally, I tend to favor lesser known golf logos, the ones that represent innovative golf brands... startups with distinctive identities;  Black Girl's Golf, Tee to Table and Practical Golf are good examples.  

A brand's logo can be a key element in establishing its identity and differentiating itself from competition. They're also a great way for a brand to showcase it's creativity. To see a wide variety of golf logos and find out more about the companies behind them, head over to Pinterest where you'll find golf logos by the hundreds.