19th-hole debates
The 10 most underrated logos in golf
The question of which golf club has the best logo is subjective. It's one of golf’s great grill-room debates because there is no correct answer. Still, the best club logos all have the same effect as any effective company seal: They catch your eye, identify something unique about the club and are memorable for either their design or their underlying significance.
We’re not here to settle the debate. Instead, we’ve gathered the 10 most underrated logos in golf to give you the evidence to argue your case for why your favorite logo tops the rest. (One notable omission from our list of logos is Augusta National Golf Club's. Even if you love it, it's too ubiquitous to be underrated.) Many of these logos are familiar to the avid golfer for their iconic designs, others are less known, but all deserve more recognition than they often get.
Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
Something tells us those competing in the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow will be raiding the merchandise shop to snag anything with the club’s logo that derives from Washington Irving’s 19th-century short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” in which the ghost of a headless horseman terrorizes the town.
Maidstone Club, East Hampton, N.Y.
Before there was the Vineyard Vines whale, there was the spouting whale of Maidstone Club, an ultra-exclusive Long Island club that dates to 1891. The combination of the unique marine mammal and the nod to the century-plus history make this one of the best logos in the game.
The Hay, Pebble Beach, Calif.
Speaking of marine species, Pebble Beach Golf Links’ par-3 course, recently redesigned by Tiger Woods, shows a sea lion tending to a flagstick. The course is named after Peter Hay, the longtime head professional at Pebble Beach and Del Monte golf courses. The logo is inspired by a 1938 photo of a trained sea lion holding a flagstick in its mouth during a promotional shoot at Del Monte.
McArthur Golf Club, Hobe Sound, Fla.
In the Jupiter/Hobe Sound area of Southeast Florida—home to numerous acclaimed courses such as Medalist, Jupiter Hills, Seminole and many others—it can be difficult for a course to stand out from the rest. Even if McArthur’s Tom Fazio and Nick Price layout is often overshadowed by its neighbors, its milk jug logo remains one of the best designs in golf. The unique emblem club is a nod to the property’s owners, McArthur Dairy Farms.
Wannamoisett Country Club, Rumford, R.I.
The Donald Ross design outside Providence is built on just 89 acres and is known for hosting one of the premier events in amateur golf, the Northeast Amateur, every summer. Yet the club’s logo hardly gets the recognition it deserves. It’s tough to beat a goat, eagle, fire, shield and state seal all in one emblem. According to the club, the goat “stands for the reaction to the progressive failures to drive over the pond,” the eagle “refers to the drive that carries over the pond,” the fireside “refers to where the excuses and explanations were passed on,” and the Rhode Island State Seal stands for “a return to dignity and honor.”
Pasatiempo Golf Club, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Pasatiempo, one of Alister Mackenzie’s favorite designs, gets its name from the Spanish term for “pastime,” and its logo speaks to its relaxed moniker. Under a tree, a young man takes a nap while wearing a sombrero. Whatever your logo preferences, it’s tough to beat the vibes here.
Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Not only one of the best logos in golf, Winged Foot’s seal might be the most literal, as well. Winged Foot was founded by a group of members from New York Athletic Club in the early 1920s, and the club’s name and logo were inspired by those of the NYAC, though the two never had any direct affiliation.
Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.
The famed wicker baskets have been used at Merion’s East Course since 1915, and the club’s logo incorporates the baskets, a scotch broom and the year of the club’s founding, making this one of the most aesthetically pleasing designs in the game.
Boston Golf Club, Hingham, Mass.
In the city where the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party ignited the American Revolution, what better logo for the city’s golf club than the original red-and-white striped flag? This design was used by the Sons of Liberty and is believed to be the first instance of the red and white stripes, which would inspire the American flag as we know it.
Ohoopee Match Club, Cobbtown, Ga.
Though the Gil Hanse layout designed specifically for match play opened in 2019 and doesn’t have the history of many of the other clubs on this list, its onion logo deserves consideration as one of the best in golf. The logo is a reference to the fertile soil of the surrounding region, including nearby Vidalia, world-famous for the Vidalia onion. If you look closely, the three roots are actually writhing snakes, and though our architecture guru Ron Whitten posits it might be a symbol of match play or of the diabolical greens, the real meaning is unknown.
