Book Review: The Best Logos In Golf

“Logo” is a shortened form of the longer English word “logotype”, a compound derivative of two Ancient Greek words: ‘logos’ meaning ‘word’ and ‘tupos’ meaning ‘mark’ or ‘imprint’.

By the 1930s, this term became shortened to ‘logo’, with an intent to describe a distinct graphic design, signature, or emblem used by a company or organization for public notoriety.

Beyond the use by companies and organizations, logos play an important role for golf courses to gain recognition, establish a unique identity, and to advertise their product. Golf logos appear on many of a course’s tangible products: apparel, balls, scorecards, tees, pin flags, and license plates / frames. Conceivably, it could be argued that logos are the NIL of today’s golf courses.

George Peper

What makes for a memorable golf logo? Author George Peper (with input from friends and golf buddies) proposes a list of one hundred of those logos that he considers to be “The Best Logos In Golf“. Blending graphic design analysis with golf history, Peper’s book traces how crests, shields, animals, scripts, and landscapes have been used to convey tradition, prestige, and personality.

Readers will discover how early club emblems were borrowed from heraldry (e.g. Rye Golf Club-Sussex, England), how mid-century logos reflected changing tastes and commercial growth (e.g. Pasatiempo Golf Club-Santa Cruz, CA), and how contemporary designers balance legacy with modern simplicity (e.g. Mammoth Dunes-Nekoosa, WI).

Peper’s selection of golf’s best logos was not random nor arbitrary, rather he utilized what he believed were the important characteristic qualities of the logo image: distinctiveness, heritage, design quality, timelessness, simplicity, symbolism, versatility, and ‘back-story saga’.

Following the Foreword penned by Brad Faxon, and his own six-page Introduction, Peper’s book is divided into ten ranked tiers (chapters), each with ten logos. Each of the 100 logos is pictured in sharp detail and is accompanied by a colorful background story and feature that makes the iconic symbol come alive with clarity. Peper’s tally totals 74 logos from American courses and 26 International logos from seven other countries.

With a skillful blend of artwork and cartography, the layout engulfing the inside front cover and first leaf page results in a map of the United States showing the location of all 74 American course logos. Similarly, the back leaf page and inside back cover locate the 26 International courses on a world map.

About the author: Legendary golf writer George Peper was the editor-in-chief of Golf magazine for 25 years. His bestselling books include Two Years in St. Andrews, The Secret of Golf, Playing Partners, The Story of Golf, True Links, Golf in America, and most recently, Rainmaker (with Hughes Norton). Peper now lives in Charleston, South Carolina, where he serves as the editor of LINKS Magazine. The Best Logos in Golf is his 20th book.

Product details:
Publisher: Back Nine Press
Publication date: November 6, 2026
Language: English
Print length: 256 pages
ISBN-10: 195623747X
ISBN-13: 978-1956237474
Item Weight: 2.92 pounds
Dimensions: 8 x 1.2 x 10 inches