Here's ChatGPT's analysis of our picks

🐐 Best Golf Course Logos Using Animals

Robby's Team

1. Old Barnwell — Barn Owl

Excellent first-round pick.

This is exactly the type of logo that belongs in a draft like this. The barn owl perched on a golf tee connects the name, setting and golf without being overly literal. The designers specifically created it to nod to the property's name and rural setting.

And because Old Barnwell is a relatively new golf destination, the logo already feels like it has some history behind it.

Draft grade: A

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2. Maidstone — Spouting Whale

This is where Robby really flexed.

The Maidstone whale is one of those logos where you don't need the words "Maidstone Club." If you know, you know. The royal-blue whale and water are instantly recognizable, and the design has become one of the most distinctive in golf.

The fact that Robby got this with his second pick is a major win.

Draft grade: A+

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3. Goat Hill Park — Goat

This might be the best logo on either roster.

The goat standing on top of the "O" is incredibly simple, but it has personality. More importantly, the logo tells the story of Goat Hill. The course actually embraced its old nickname, and designer Geoff Cunningham intentionally made the goat stand proudly on the O for Oceanside.

It's almost impossible to see that logo without smiling.

Draft grade: A+

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4. Kapalua — Butterfly

This is an interesting pick because it's probably the prettiest logo Robby drafted.

The butterfly fits Kapalua beautifully and gives the brand a distinctly Hawaiian feel. It's also a great example of a logo that doesn't scream "GOLF COURSE LOGO." The official Kapalua shop even refers to it as the resort's iconic butterfly logo.

It's less quirky than Goat Hill or Maidstone, but aesthetically it's excellent.

Draft grade: A-

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5. Dooks — Natterjack Toad

This is the sleeper.

And I absolutely love that Robby waited until his fifth pick to take it.

The Natterjack Toad isn't some random animal slapped on a logo. It's a rare species whose habitat is preserved at Dooks, and the club adopted it as its emblem.

That's what makes a great golf logo: the deeper you dig, the better the story gets.

Draft grade: A

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Jonathan's Team

1. Fossil Trace — ❌ The Controversial Pick

I'm calling the commissioner on this one.

Fossil Trace is a great logo, but it's not an animal logo. The logo incorporates a prehistoric palm leaf/trace fossil, while the course's story revolves around dinosaur fossils and tracks.

Jonathan appears to have drafted the concept of an animal rather than an actual animal.

That's either a technical foul...

...or the kind of loophole that makes a snake draft great.

Draft grade: C for eligibility, A for creativity

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2. The Hay — Sea Lion

Now we're talking.

The Hay's sea lion is fantastic because there's an actual story behind it. The logo is inspired by Peter Hay's role as chief marshal during the 1929 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach, when his commands supposedly "shook the sea lions." The visual itself comes from a 1938 photo of a trained sea lion at Del Monte.

A sea lion holding a flag is also just an outstanding logo concept.

Draft grade: A+

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3. Mammoth Dunes — Mammoth

This is a monster third-round pick.

Literally.

The mammoth's curved tusks make for a fantastic mark, and it has become one of the most recognizable logos in the Sand Valley universe.

And there's something particularly good about using an extinct animal for a course called Mammoth Dunes. It's almost cartoonishly obvious—but somehow it works.

Draft grade: A+

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4. Rodeo Dunes — Bucking Bronco

This is a very Jonathan pick.

It's big. It's western. It's distinctive. And it's not remotely what you'd expect to see on a golf-course logo.

The official trademark describes the mark as a stylized cowboy riding a bucking bronco, while the logo's inspiration is tied to the Western character of the property.

The biggest downside is that the course hasn't even opened yet—Rodeo Dunes is scheduled to open for public play in 2027.

So Jonathan is drafting based on future logo potential.

Bold.

Draft grade: A

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5. Monterey Peninsula CC — Sea Dragon

What a fifth pick.

This may be Jonathan's best value selection.

The MPCC Sea Dragon is one of those logos that looks like it belongs on a medieval crest rather than a golf polo. It's distinctive, slightly mysterious and completely unlike the standard golf-club emblem.

Five Clubs Golf calls it one of the best golf logos in the game and praises the redesign for capturing the uniqueness of MPCC.

Getting this at No. 5 is a steal.

Draft grade: A+

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The Draft Battle

🏆 The Verdict

Robby wins this draft. 9.2–8.8.

And it's really close.

Jonathan's top end is spectacular: The Hay, Mammoth Dunes and MPCC might be the three most visually interesting logos in the entire draft.

But Robby's roster is deeper.

Old Barnwell → Maidstone → Goat Hill → Kapalua → Dooks

There isn't a bad pick there. Every logo is distinctive, every animal has a connection to the place, and every one would look great on a hat.

Jonathan, meanwhile, has one problem:

Fossil Trace.

You can't draft a palm leaf in an animal-logo draft and expect me not to notice.

And that's going to be a fun recurring element of this series: the commissioner needs to start enforcing eligibility rules.

Because if we're allowing "Fossil Trace," I'm already preparing to allow Pebble Beach in the "Best logos featuring mammals" draft because technically a pebble is a geological object.

That's how snake drafts descend into chaos.

Final Score: Robby 9.2 — Jonathan 8.8

Draft MVP: Goat Hill Park.

Not necessarily because it's the most beautiful logo. Because it's the perfect combination of design, personality, story, simplicity and place. The goat isn't just an animal on a logo. The goat is Goat Hill.