The Golf Draft: MLB Logos That Would Make Great Golf Course Logos — Who Won?
What makes a great golf course logo?
Sometimes it's a tree. Sometimes it's an animal. Sometimes it's a flagstick, a letter, or something so unusual that you have to hear the story behind it.
But what if we looked outside the world of golf for inspiration?
For this edition of The Golf Draft, Robby and Jonathan took a trip to Major League Baseball, drafting team logos they believe would make great golf course logos.
The rules were simple: Pick five MLB logos that could look right at home on a golf course's hat, polo, or clubhouse merchandise.
Some picks were classic. Some were bold. And a few might make you wonder why more golf courses don't borrow ideas from professional sports teams.
Here's how the draft played out—and who won.
The Draft
Jonathan's Team
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St. Louis Cardinals
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Detroit Tigers
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Toronto Blue Jays
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Kansas City Royals
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Texas Rangers
Robby's Team
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Chicago Cubs
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Boston Red Sox
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Baltimore Orioles
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Atlanta Braves
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Los Angeles Angels
Jonathan's Team
St. Louis Cardinals
Grade: A+
Jonathan opened the draft with one of the most recognizable logos in professional sports.
The Cardinals' logo features two red birds perched on a baseball bat, with the team's name worked into the design. It's colorful, distinctive, and instantly recognizable.
But here's why it works for golf: The logo already feels like it belongs on a golf course.
The birds perched on a branch or bat have a classic, almost traditional country-club feel. The design has personality without being overly complicated, and the colors would look fantastic embroidered on a hat or polo.
It also has something many logos lack: a memorable silhouette. Even without reading the team name, you know what you're looking at.
Jonathan set the bar high with this one.
Draft value: A+
Visual appeal: A+
Golf merchandise potential: A+
Detroit Tigers
Grade: A
The Old English D is one of the best examples of a simple, timeless sports logo.
There's no complicated illustration. No elaborate color scheme. Just a distinctive letter with more than a century of baseball history behind it.
And that's precisely why it would work so well on a golf course.
Golf has always embraced traditional lettering, classic crests, and understated designs. The Detroit Tigers logo could easily fit on a golf club's hat, scorecard, bag tag, or clubhouse sign.
It also leaves plenty of room for a course to build a broader identity around it.
The challenge? The Old English D is so closely associated with Detroit that a golf course using it would need to be careful about creating its own distinct identity.
Still, from a design standpoint, it's a terrific pick.
Draft value: A
Timelessness: A+
Merchandise potential: A+
Toronto Blue Jays
Grade: A
The Blue Jays logo is a great example of how to incorporate a mascot without making the design feel cartoonish.
The blue jay provides a recognizable central image, while the maple leaf gives the logo a distinct Canadian identity.
For a golf course, that combination could work beautifully.
Birds are common in golf-course logos, but the Blue Jays design has enough color and personality to stand apart from the usual collection of eagles, ducks, and generic birds.
It's also a versatile design. It could work as a full logo on a shirt or as a simplified bird emblem on a hat.
Jonathan's first three picks have a clear theme: recognizable designs with strong identities and plenty of merchandise potential.
The Blue Jays fit that strategy perfectly.
Draft value: A
Distinctiveness: A+
Golf-course fit: A
Kansas City Royals
Grade: A-
The Royals' crown logo is an interesting choice because it moves away from the animals and traditional lettering that dominate much of this draft.
A crown can communicate prestige, tradition, and exclusivity—all qualities many golf clubs want their brands to convey.
The design is relatively simple, and the blue-and-white color scheme would translate nicely to golf apparel.
The biggest question is whether the crown would feel too generic without the Royals' name or baseball context. Plenty of businesses use crowns in their branding, so a golf course would need to make the design its own.
But the concept is strong.
A course with a name like Royal Pines, King's Ridge, or Crown Valley could build an entire identity around something similar.
Draft value: A-
Branding potential: A
Originality: B+
Texas Rangers
Grade: B+
Jonathan closed his draft with a logo built around a star, bold lettering, and a strong Texas identity.
Stars are a natural fit for golf-course branding. They can be incorporated into shields, crests, monograms, and other traditional designs without making a logo feel overly busy.
The Rangers' identity also has a rugged, distinctly American feel that could translate well to a golf course with a Western or Texas-inspired personality.
The downside is that the Rangers' primary logo is relatively busy compared with some of Jonathan's earlier picks. A golf course would probably benefit from a simplified version rather than using every element of the full design.
Still, it's a solid final selection.
Draft value: B+
Regional identity: A
Adaptability: B+
Jonathan's Team Overall
Grade: A
Jonathan drafted a team built around tradition, recognizable symbols, and logos that could easily translate to golf apparel.
The Cardinals provide personality. The Tigers provide timeless simplicity. The Blue Jays bring color and a strong mascot. The Royals add a sense of prestige. The Rangers round things out with a bold regional identity.
It's a well-balanced roster with very few weak links.
The Tigers might actually be the most interesting pick from a pure golf-branding perspective. The Old English D could work on almost any piece of merchandise without needing much modification.
And the Cardinals might be the best all-around logo in the draft.
Robby's Team
Chicago Cubs
Grade: A+
Robby opened with one of baseball's most iconic logos.
The Cubs' circular design features a bold red C surrounding the team name, with blue and red providing a classic color combination.
It's clean, balanced, and instantly recognizable.
More importantly, it has the kind of structure that translates beautifully to golf.
Circular logos are common in golf-course branding because they work on hats, shirts, bag tags, scorecards, and signage. The Cubs' design already has that versatility built in.
It also feels traditional without being boring.
If you removed the baseball context and placed a golf course's name inside a similar circular design, the result could look completely natural.
This was an excellent first-round selection.
Draft value: A+
Versatility: A+
Golf merchandise potential: A+
Boston Red Sox
Grade: A
The Red Sox logo is one of the simplest and most distinctive in sports: a pair of red socks.
It's a perfect example of a logo that doesn't need a complicated illustration or elaborate design to be memorable.
And that's exactly why it could work for golf.
A golf course with a playful personality could build an entire identity around a simple, recognizable object. The socks would look great as a standalone emblem on a hat or as part of a larger logo.
There's also something appealing about a logo that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Golf has plenty of traditional crests and formal club insignias. A design like the Red Sox logo would give a course a little more personality.
The only limitation is that the logo is so closely tied to Boston that a golf course would need to develop its own version rather than simply borrowing the existing design.
Still, it's an excellent concept.
Draft value: A
Memorability: A+
Personality: A+
Baltimore Orioles
Grade: A
The Orioles logo brings something different to Robby's team: a colorful, expressive bird with a lot of personality.
Like the Blue Jays on Jonathan's roster, the Orioles demonstrate how well a bird can work as a central element in a logo.
But the Orioles' cartoon-style bird has a more playful feel. It's approachable, memorable, and would make a great mascot for a golf course that doesn't want to look overly formal.
Imagine a golf course with an orange-and-black bird embroidered on its hats. It would be distinctive without requiring a complicated design.
The challenge is that the character-driven logo might not fit every golf club's personality. A traditional private club might prefer something more understated.
But for a public course, resort, or club with a strong sense of humor, this could be a home run.
Draft value: A
Personality: A+
Memorability: A
Atlanta Braves
Grade: A-
The Braves logo brings a distinctly different style to Robby's team.
The team's script lettering and tomahawk are recognizable and have a strong visual identity. The script itself is particularly appealing from a golf-branding perspective.
Script lettering is common on golf merchandise because it can feel traditional, relaxed, and slightly nostalgic.
The Braves logo has that quality.
However, the tomahawk introduces a consideration that some of the other picks don't have: cultural sensitivity. A golf course adapting this concept would need to be thoughtful about the imagery and avoid simply copying a symbol associated with Indigenous peoples.
The broader lesson is that the script lettering and strong typography are the most transferable elements of this logo.
Draft value: A-
Typography: A+
Adaptability: B+
Los Angeles Angels
Grade: A-
Robby finished with the Angels' iconic capital A and halo.
It's a simple concept, but it works.
The halo gives the letter an identity beyond ordinary typography, making it immediately recognizable. And the overall design could easily translate into a golf-course logo.
Imagine a course with a distinctive letter at the center of its branding, perhaps using a halo, crown, or other small visual element to make the design unique.
It's simple enough to work on hats and accessories, but recognizable enough to stand on its own.
The main limitation is that a single letter can feel generic if it isn't connected to a compelling course name or identity.
Still, the Angels logo is a good example of how a small detail can make a basic design memorable.
Draft value: A-
Simplicity: A+
Golf merchandise potential: A
Robby's Team Overall
Grade: A
Robby's roster has a little more personality and variety than Jonathan's.
The Cubs provide a traditional circular logo. The Red Sox bring simplicity and humor. The Orioles add a colorful mascot. The Braves contribute script lettering. The Angels finish with a clean, recognizable symbol.
The common theme is logos that are distinctive without needing much explanation.
The Cubs are probably the most versatile pick. The Red Sox might be the most memorable concept. And the Orioles offer the clearest opportunity to build a golf-course identity around a mascot.
Robby's team has a strong mix of traditional and playful designs, making it easy to imagine these logos translated into golf merchandise.
🏆 Who Won the Draft?
Robby wins—by a nose.
This was a close draft. Both teams have plenty of logos that would look right at home on golf merchandise, and the winner ultimately comes down to what you value most in a golf-course logo.
Jonathan has the stronger collection of classic, traditional designs. The Cardinals, Tigers, and Blue Jays are all excellent choices, and his roster feels particularly well suited to a traditional golf club.
But Robby's team has a little more variety.
The Cubs offer a timeless circular design. The Red Sox have one of the most unusual concepts in baseball. The Orioles bring a colorful mascot. The Braves contribute distinctive script lettering. And the Angels round things out with a simple symbol that could translate easily to golf.
If we're choosing the team with the widest variety of logo styles and the most potential for distinctive golf-course branding, Robby gets the edge.
Final Grades
Robby — A
Jonathan — A
It's close enough that you could make a convincing argument either way.
Jonathan's team might win if we're judging traditional club branding. Robby's team wins if we're judging variety, personality, and adaptability.
The Golf Draft Awards
🏆 Draft Winner
Robby
A versatile roster with a great mix of classic, playful, and distinctive designs.
🎯 Best Pick
Jonathan — St. Louis Cardinals
The birds-on-a-bat design has personality, history, and the kind of visual appeal that would translate beautifully to golf merchandise.
💎 Steal of the Draft
Jonathan — Detroit Tigers
The Old English D is timeless, recognizable, and almost perfectly suited to golf-course branding.
🤔 Most Underrated Pick
Robby — Boston Red Sox
A pair of socks might sound like an odd choice for a golf course, but the concept is simple, memorable, and full of personality.
🐦 Best Mascot
Robby — Baltimore Orioles
The expressive bird would make a terrific golf-course mascot and a distinctive embroidered emblem.
👕 Best Logo to Put on a Golf Hat
Robby — Chicago Cubs
The circular design is balanced, recognizable, and versatile enough to work on almost anything.
🎨 Best Typography
Robby — Atlanta Braves
The script lettering has a classic look that could translate well to golf apparel, even if a course would want to rethink the accompanying imagery.
👑 Best Symbol
Jonathan — Kansas City Royals
A crown is an easy way to communicate prestige and tradition, making it a natural fit for golf-club branding.
🧠 Best Draft Strategy
Robby
He assembled a roster with a wide variety of visual styles rather than relying on one type of logo.
🔥 Most Likely to Inspire a Great Golf Course Logo
Jonathan — Detroit Tigers
A strong letterform, a distinctive typeface, and a simple design are the ingredients of a golf logo that can last for decades.
What Makes a Great Golf Course Logo?
This draft highlights something interesting about golf branding: the best golf course logos don't necessarily have to look like golf logos.
Some of the strongest designs in this draft don't feature a golf ball, a flagstick, or a golf club.
They use simple shapes, recognizable symbols, distinctive lettering, or memorable characters.
That's a lesson golf courses can learn from professional sports teams.
A good logo should work on a hat from across the room. It should be recognizable when embroidered in a small space. And it should tell you something about the personality of the place it represents.
The Cardinals' birds, the Tigers' Old English D, the Cubs' circular design, and the Angels' halo all demonstrate different ways to accomplish that.
The challenge isn't simply creating a logo that looks good.
It's creating one that people actually want to wear.
And in golf, that's a pretty good measure of success.
What Did We Miss?
There are 30 MLB teams, and we only drafted 10 logos. Plenty of great options were left on the board.
So now it's your turn.
Which MLB team logo would make the best golf course logo?
Would you take the Yankees' interlocking NY? The Milwaukee Brewers' glove? The Philadelphia Phillies' script? Or something else entirely?
And if you could borrow any professional sports team's logo style for a golf course, which would you choose?
Let us know what we got right, what we got wrong, and which logos we should have drafted.
And if you have an idea for a future edition of The Golf Draft, send it our way.
Because we're always looking for another excuse to argue about golf.