Intended as a collectable memento, these hook-back patches acknowledge specific courses on specific years. Inspired by military morale patches and the European travel patches of my youth, I wanted to create something novel and compact that highlighted course architecture and design, down to specific courses, settings and holes. Hats and apparel are a golfer’s first stop at a new course, but something that changes every year rewards repeat visitors and buyers. And with limited runs, friendly price-points, and yearly design turnover, the collectability goes way up.
Disney knows something about this. The Disney trading pins program is a massive example: every year dozens and dozens of short-run pins are sold around—but often exclusively within—park properties. Characters, attractions, events. No Disney concept is too picayune to be captured in a Disney pin. Even for the non-collector, their low cost and small size make them a natural point-of-sale item.
Like the morale patches and travel patches they were inspired by, course patches capture adventure, travel, and accomplishment. Hook-back patches work best on loop material, often found on golf bags, luggage and apparel. But they also often hang just fine on cubicle panels and other fabrics.
