At the majors, TaylorMade's staff players are presented with new bags, hats, and accessories that are adorned with a commemorative logo. I always ask players what the various components of the logo mean, but they usually have no idea. Below is the logo you'll see on the bags of players such as Justin Rose, Darren Clarke and Dustin Johnson this week, along with its hidden meanings.
There is a violet on the top of the crown at the top of the logo. It represents Violet Talbot, who, being a close friend of Her Majesty Queen Mary, was able to help the course obtain its royal designation in 1926.
The 10 beads adorning each side of the crown symbolize the 10 previous British Opens that have been played at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. The three stars at the base of the crown are from the Clifton family's coat of arms. Several members of the Clifton family have been presidents of the club and Lady Eleanor Cecily Clifton donated a gold medal in 1889 to be presented each year to the club champion.
The red banner running through the logo represents the Challenge Belt, the original prize for winning the British Open until it was given permanently to three-time champion Young Tom Morris in 1870.
The main image within the logo is the Lytham Windmill, and the life preserver in the center of the windmill represents the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of St. Anne’s. It was founded in 1824 and according to TaylorMade, the lifeboats have saved more than 137,000 lives through November 2006.
The windmill’s three windows in the windmill represent the first hole of Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s, the only par-3 opening hole among the courses in the British Open rota.
The TL at the base of the windmill stands for Tom Lehman, who won the tournament at Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s in 1996.
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