Tee’d Up for Art

What if the first thing golfers saw when they stepped onto the course told the story of the city they were playing in? For one international golf league, our Dallas team made that a reality, reimagining the tee marker as a series of art-inspired statues celebrating each host city.

The Challenge

The client had a clear vision: tee markers that did more than point the way. They wanted each one to set the stage for the round — a bold, location-specific landmark that fans and broadcast audiences would actually remember. That meant a fully custom design for every event, spanning cities across the U.S. and around the world, each one needing to capture the personality of its location. The designs had to be visually striking enough to stop a broadcast camera, yet practical enough to produce at quality, under tight timelines.

The Solution

Alec Feltman, located in our Dallas office, took the vision from concept to course, coordinating design development, prototyping, and production across a global supply chain. Working hand in hand with the league’s creative department, they translated city-specific themes into manufacturable 3D models, carefully testing textures, finishes, and colors to nail both on-camera impact and on-course durability. When it came to scale, our global supplier network made it possible to move quickly on complex molds without sacrificing quality with ongoing prototyping and checks ensuring every marker was ready for its close-up before it ever left the factory. The results spoke for themselves: from alligator statues in Miami to subway trains in Chicago, each piece became a tournament centerpiece, stopping fans and cameras alike in their tracks.

The Result

Across 12 events, Stephen Gould delivered, on time, at scale, and without compromising on the details that made each marker special. But the impact didn’t stop at the 18th hole. Fan response was strong enough to inspire a line of mini figurine versions sold in tournament pro shops, turning a design asset into a merchandising opportunity. The work even caught the attention of global brands outside the sport, with several reaching out to request custom sculptures of their own after seeing the statues on course and online.