Why Does The Arnold Palmer Brand Have An Umbrella Logo?

A flag showing the umbrella logo at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The Arnold Palmer brand is one of the most beloved in the golf world, while its multi-coloured umbrella logo is instantly recognizable, but how did it come about? 

The first thing to note is that Arnold Palmer was far more than a seven-time Major winning great of the game. He was also formidable in the business world, and had begun building his empire even while he was one of the most dominant players of his era.

In the early 1960s, Arnold Palmer Enterprises was established, and nowadays it is one of the most well-known and respected brands associated with the game, helped by its famous red, yellow, white and green umbrella logo.

The symbol appears on everything from signage and flags at the Arnold Palmer Invitational's host venue, Bay Hill, to the company's extensive range of apparel and golf accessories. It's even on the branded cans of the popular mocktail named after the American. 

The umbrella logo has become synonymous with the game (Image credit: Getty Images)

However, the logo could have been entirely different were it not for some inclement weather and a flash of inspiration from a sighting made by Palmer one day during a break in a business meeting.

Back in the early 1960s, Palmer and his business associates were at a loss as to what the logo for the recently established company should be. Per arnoldpalmer.com, brainstorming sessions inspired several ideas. However, despite some of them having promise, they either didn’t quite hit the mark or were already trademarked.

During one session, the story goes that Palmer headed outside into the rain for a break, only to see a woman emerge from her car and open up a multi-coloured umbrella.

Arnold Palmer came up with the logo idea after seeing a woman opening her umbrella (Image credit: Getty Images)

Realizing he may have just found the answer to the problem, Palmer quickly returned to the meeting and pitched the idea of a multi-colored golf umbrella to his associates.

This time, they knew they were onto something, although no one could get too excited until it was confirmed it wasn't already being used by another brand. A few weeks later, lawyers brought them the good news - the symbol hadn’t been trademarked and, soon after, what would eventually become one of the most iconic logos in the world was born.