Tommie forwarded this post by Golfweek.com’s David Dusek to Doc and me. Guess he figured I’d like the symbology (he seems to think my money discussion with Bill Moyers was intriguing) while Doc here would dig the “natureful” story about the snake.
Apparently it is a tradition for golf equipment manufacturer, TaylorMade Golf, to create a commemorative logo for the PGA Tour players they are equipping. This year’s is a doozy. It has a snake complete with rattle, a bell, and some Roman numerals.
Legend has it that Lee Trevino tried to scare Jack Nicklaus before the start of their playoff in 1971 with a rubber snake (a memorable event at the Merion Golf Club). The bell represents the Liberty Bell, a symbol of American independence and the city of Philadelphia, which happens to be housed 10 miles from Merion in Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
If you’ve seen any of Frankie’s films, the Liberty Bell always ringing away.
Circling back to the snake, it’s rattle has been replaced by a red wicker basket. At Merion you’ll see wicker baskets on the top of flag sticks rather than flags. The baskets are colored red on the front nine, orange on the back nine, and give no indication on what direction the wind is blowing.
Bob Sheppard, who writes a weekly golf blog for PhillyBurb.com did a post on the wicker baskets where he noted:
The baskets have been a part of Merion’s East Course lore since 1912. As the story goes, the course’s architect, Hugh Wilson, while studying the design of various golf courses throughout England, noticed that the local shepherds held staffs that had wicker baskets at one end in which they carried their lunch. His use of the baskets on his East Course was to locate the hole while concealing the direction and strength of any wind, thereby adding a special degree of difficulty to the course.
The Roman numerals at the op of the bell in the logo (MMXIII) represent 2013.
There’s a bonus / stretch symbol that has to do with how the snake is coiled around the Liberty Bell.
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All good clean fun. Very clever and creative!
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Editor’s note: This post was written by Joey, an American professor, writer, and orator best known for his innovative work in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion.
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