George Peper, editor at large for LINKS magazine, previously served as editor-in-chief of GOLF Magazine for 25 years, during which he helped make it the industry’s most widely read publication and launched its influential Top 100 Golf Courses in the World rankings.

A Princeton graduate, Peper has authored more than 20 books on golf, including The World’s 500 Greatest Golf Holes, Golf in America, and Two Years in St. Andrews. In 2026, he added The Best Logos in Golf, created with the Logo Lads, a comprehensive ranking and history of 100 of golf’s most iconic club emblems.
His script for the documentary The Story of Golf was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1999. In 2008, Peper received the American Society of Golf Course Architects’ Donald Ross Award for his lasting contributions to golf and golf course architecture.

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What was the genesis for the book?

The idea dates to 2017, when avid golfer Clay Jackson hosted a tournament at Peachtree Golf Club. He and another player, Lou DiLorenzo, found themselves studying a framed display showing the evolution of Peachtree’s logo.

Their conversation ended with the thought that someone should write a book about golf logos. Clay later had a similar conversation with another friend, Gee Aldridge, and the trio (now dubbed The Logo Lads) continued to discuss the idea for several years before connecting with me and the publisher Back Nine Press.

What was the methodology followed?

The group initially compiled nearly 400 potential logos and narrowed them to a working ballot of 225. Each was scored from one to five using a system I had previously used for GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Courses ranking.

There was no rigid formula, but seven qualities guided the process: distinctiveness, heritage, design quality, timelessness/simplicity, symbolism, versatility, and backstory.

After the ballots were tabulated, the four of us met at Clay’s home to settle on the final 100. About 50 were essentially unanimous selections, 50 fell out quickly, and the real debate centered on roughly 125 logos in the middle.

What was the split between USA and international clubs chosen?

The final list of 100 includes 74 US clubs and 26 international clubs.

The international selections come from seven countries: Australia, Canada, England, France, Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland.

How long did the process take from start to finish?

The idea originated in 2017, and The Logo Lads continued to discuss it off and on over the next several years before Back Nine Press and I came aboard.

Once the list of logos was agreed upon, the research and writing phase took about seven months.

Among the clubs/courses that have opened in the 21st century – which ones made the final list?

The final 100 includes several distinctly modern clubs and courses, such as Ohoopee Match Club, Tara Iti Golf Club, The Tree Farm, Friar’s Head, and The Hay at Pebble Beach.

The book deliberately included both venerable clubs and historic emblems with newer clubs whose logos have already developed distinctive identities. One particularly current example is Old Petty at Cabot Highlands, whose Tom Doak course opened in 2026 and whose Highland cow logo is featured in the book.

Curious to know — what was the cut-off number for those selected?

There wasn’t a predetermined numerical cutoff. The logos were scored from 1 to 5 and ranked by their average scores.

Rather than suggest there was a meaningful distinction between, say, No. 63 and No. 64, we divided the final 100 into 10 tiers of 10 logos each.

Given the subjectivity that’s involved — which notable clubs were considered but ultimately failed to make the final list?

The book deliberately avoids reducing this to a list of “losers.” I had a handful of what I call “sacred-cow symbols” that fell off the ballot, while some lesser-known logos rose into the final 100.

Logos that didn’t make the main list also inspired the “Emergency Nines” section at the back of the book, which recognizes additional logos in themed categories, including secondary logos.

That list is available on The Logo Lads website.

How critical is the logo to the status of any club?

Very important, though a great logo alone clearly doesn’t make a great golf club. The book argues that a logo is rarely just decoration: it conveys memory, identity, and meaning.

Over time, golf logos have also become badges of belonging and even status symbols — a small crest can immediately signal where someone has played or belongs.

At their best, however, the logos aren’t about showing off; they create a connection to a place, its history, and the memories associated with playing there.

Have any clubs that were chosen actually changed from an earlier logo to an even more successful one?

Yes. Stanwich Club is a particularly good example. Its original logo was simply a shield containing “SC” and crossed clubs. About three decades after the club opened, member Dennis Powell sketched a witch riding a flagstick.

That whimsical “witch” became the club’s primary logo and is now used on almost everything, while the original shield remains primarily on letterhead.

What was the most fun aspect in writing the book and what was the most time consuming?

For me, the research itself seems to have been both. I found the book to be a most enjoyable project, with each morning bringing another logo and another unexpected story to investigate. The research and writing took me on an “ever-diverting meander” through golf’s geography, history, and cultural traditions.

For the Logo Lads, the most time-consuming part was likely the judging process: starting with nearly 400 possibilities, narrowing them to a 225-logo ballot, scoring them, and then debating over the roughly 125 middle contenders to arrive at the final list.

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www.back9press.com