Finnish Golf Association

How we invited every generation to play golf?

Suomen Golfliitto wanted to renew itself, and the image of golf with it. Non-golfers described the sport as elitist, expensive, conservative and old-fashioned. The association wanted the opposite: an open, inviting game for very different kinds of players. I was art director and lead designer.

How "less federation, more golf" became the brand?

The idea fits in four words: less federation, more golf. The association exists to grow the game, not itself. So the brand speaks for everyone who plays, from suburban teenagers and new mums to rockers, rappers and the classic older gentleman. What unites them is a love of the game, and that is enough.

That thinking reached all the way to the name: Golfliitto now speaks as Suomi Golf. Its slogan, "Over 140,000 ways to play", counts one way for every member, and its digital version updates the number as the membership grows.

How testing led to the flag and the identity?

We built three moodboards, each on a different graphic direction. We tested them with 41 golfers and non-golfers against 22 words that describe a brand. The aim was never to pick a winner, only to see which route had the most room for change. One concept came out clearly ahead, and the word chosen most often was "moderni", modern.

The flag soon stood out as the key symbol. It marks the game and the community, and it is an invitation to play. It is simple enough to recognise at a glance and for players to make their own. Its final form came out of several fast rounds of design and user testing.