Being a member of a golf club and wearing its logo has always carried with it a sense of pride, status and belonging. To heighten this distinction, an increasing number of facilities offer a logo meant to be worn exclusively by members. Whether it’s used on apparel, accessories or some combination of the two, a members-only logo is often given its own area on the shop floor or, at some of the more exclusive clubs, kept in a separate, sometimes locked room that can be explored only with a member of the facility’s staff present.
“Offering a members’ brand is a strategic way to drive value, increase engagement and build long-term loyalty,” says Evie Lacy, AGM, Merchandiser and Marketing Coordinator at Windsong Farm Golf Club in Independence, Minnesota, which recently added a members-only logo that’s displayed in a designated area of the shop. “The goal is to strengthen the emotional connection between the club and our members, fostering a deeper sense of belonging and pride in being part of the Windsong community.”
Windsong Farm decided to unveil its members-only logo in August to coincide with the introduction of a second 18-hole course and newly renovated facilities. It was part of a broader re-brand that also included an update of the primary logo that pays tribute to the club’s origins as a farm once dedicated to raising and showing championship Paso Fino horses. While the primary logo features a stylized image of a horse with flowing lines that evoke prairie winds, the members-only version is a similarly styled “W” that reflects both the club’s heritage and its refined, exclusive identity.
Windsong Farm’s members-only section contains a mix of practical gear and unique pieces, and the quantity of each item is limited to allow for individuality amongst the membership, with no special orders allowed. Products include T-shirts, hats, ball markers and wine glasses, as well as specialty items such as golf bags, duffels, scorecard holders, valuables pouches and even an authentic branding iron.
“The members’ brand section is located in its own dedicated nook in the golf shop. It is framed by iron bars and an arched entryway, giving it a distinct and somewhat hidden feel, almost like stepping into a private area,” Lacy says. “We wanted this space to feel intentional and exclusive, so every detail – from the materials used to the layout – helps reinforce that idea.
“By giving it a separate, well-defined area, the members’ brand has its own presence and personality within the Windsong golf shop.”
In 2020, Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas, introduced an exclusive logo featuring a Brahma bull – an animal that once roamed the area where the facility sits – targeted to the club’s 500 golfing members. According to PGA of America Head Professional Sara Kim, members-only merchandise was initially done through one vendor at a time, but the program became so popular it was extended to include multiple vendors, such as Peter Millar, G/FORE, Greyson, johnnie-O and Mizzen+Main for apparel, Links & Kings (leather duffels and headcovers), EP (headcovers) and Titleist (Linkslegend golf bags).
The program has become so popular that about 40 percent of the Las Colinas shop is now dedicated to members-only items, which are merchandised on a pool table that also bears the Brahma bull logo.
“The reason the logo is so popular is the exclusivity of it: You have to be a golf member to buy the products. Even our tennis and social members are not able to purchase the logo,” Kim explains.
“I think clubs that have a members-only logo create a hype around it, as guests are not allowed to get it without the approval of a member – and that member has to be present.”
Chris Rowe, PGA, Director of Golf at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas, figured out a way to build a member-exclusive logo into his merchandise mix without carrying inventory. For years, he has dedicated an area of the shop to a members-only display featuring 10 logoed pieces along with a navy sports coat and golf bag. Members can special order items from that display, which are charged to their account and drop shipped to their home or business.
“When we have new members accepted into Whispering Pines, we let them know about this logo and ask them to purchase it only for themselves, as their guests cannot wear the logo,” he says. “All the companies we use this logo with are always creating new designs, so each season is fresh.”
Rowe works with Peter Millar and Holderness & Bourne for apparel, Titleist (golf bags), American Needle (headwear), Smathers & Branson (belts), Winston (headcovers) and Piretti (25th anniversary commemorative putters) – with only American Needle stock being carried in the golf shop. Rowe assigns one of his assistants to oversee all members-only related emails, and once the club email goes out to the membership and orders start rolling in, the assigned professional places each order with the participating companies so the products can be logoed and sent directly to the members.
“When our fall email went out this year, I was in Ireland with members,” Rowe says. “All the members on the trip placed their orders riding in a bus to the golf course we were going to play that day. My assigned golf professional sent me a text message saying he received 80 emails for members-only orders.”
When Whispering Pines’ members-only logo was updated eight years ago to the club’s signature pine tree with a gold circle added around it, sales exploded, with more than half of the club’s members now taking advantage of the program.
“Everyone wants what they can’t have, and a unique logo that only the members can purchase has worked extremely well for us,” Rowe adds. “Every year, we have more and more sales in this category. Because we are the No. 1-ranked club in Texas and a Top 100-club nationally, the members take pride in wearing the Whispering Pines brand.”
Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, started offering a members-only logo in 2023 – taking the club logo and adding “LVGC” above and a “1959” (the year the club was founded) below. The selection of men’s polos and quarter-zips, backpacks, hats, valuables pouches, golf bags, wine glasses and glassware/drinkware bearing the exclusive logo are kept in a glass encasement and, based on positive member reaction, the shop has been slowly expanding the selection.
“The members have enjoyed it quite a bit, as it gives them a sense of exclusivity, says Shane Battistoni, PGA of America Lead Assistant Golf Professional at Laurel Valley. “One challenge I face is the overall design, which is stacked vertically, but overall, it’s been a great success and will only grow as we move forward with different offerings.”
Not every attempt to establish a members-only logo, however, goes as planned. Things got interesting at Audubon Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky, when PGA of America Head Professional Eric Gilliland ran across an old golf ball bearing the club’s original 1908 cardinal logo. He decided to deconstruct the cardinal image, which had been discontinued when the club decided to move to a more modern logo in 1986, and use it on members-only merchandise beginning in the summer of 2020.
The offering, which initially consisted of headcovers and one apparel group, moved so quickly that Gilliland decided to expand into more apparel and accessories options – making it the official club logo by the spring of 2022.
“The logo was in such high demand that we could not easily manage who was buying items with the cardinal logo. We are using the bird on all apparel now, including knit belts and the back pocket of shorts,” Gilliland says. “The introduction of the cardinal logo coincided with the post-COVID golf boom. We have seen apparel sales increase by more than 20 percent annually since making the 1908 cardinal our primary apparel and accessory logo.”
Also, things didn’t go according to plan for Dave Bahr, PGA of America Head Professional at Maketewah Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he experimented with a members-only logo. He tried one with a small portion of the shop’s apparel, as well as some putter covers, driver covers, hats and leather goods like wallets and cigar cases.
While the exclusive logo made members feel special and added $10,000 in sales, he discontinued it after two years, saying, “There were multiple issues with guests purchasing or wanting to purchase member-logoed products. I think there definitely has to be a members-only shop or a members-only area in the golf shop to be successful. There are too many issues with having a members-only logo mixed in with the standard logo.”
When Luke Donah became PGA of America Head Professional at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Country Club, one of the first things he did was create a members-only logo to honor the story of one of the club’s founding members, Walter Douglas (pictured). Douglas, whose family was instrumental in the founding of the Quaker Oats Company, went to Scotland in 1896 and brought back a fervor for the game of golf that led to the creation of Cedar Rapids Country Club.
In 1912, Walter and his wife Mahala were aboard the Titanic and were offered seats on a lifeboat as the ship sank. “Walter was dressed in a full tuxedo and declined the offer, stating, ‘No, I must be a gentleman,’” Donah explains.
“Unfortunately, he perished when the boat sank but left behind a legacy of selflessness that I believe resonates with the Midwestern hospitality of today.”
To acknowledge Douglas’ sacrifice, Cedar Rapids introduced its first-ever members-only logo in 2022: a lifeboat. They put the logo on apparel and accessories, offering basic white and navy shirts and outerwear, as well as headwear and headcovers.
“I had known the story for several years – it wasn’t particularly an unknown fact around Cedar Rapids – but no one had ever particularly tied it to the club previously,” Donah explains. “So, I viewed it as an opportunity to serve as a symbol of a selflessness and Midwestern grit that explains the community of Cedar Rapids, and the club, well. It was received very well by the membership, and the first shipment of goods sold out almost immediately.”
Members-only product has been popular at the club since the beginning and continues to experience several turns per season, even after three years. The collection is also a talking point in the shop, with members often bringing in their guests to show them the display and tell Douglas’ fascinating story, Donah says, adding, “It has certainly enhanced the pride amongst the membership in their club’s storied history.”
