The Story of the Mr. Ping Logo
PING has long been a staple in golf.
The company has made many major contributions to golf with the PING Anser, the Eye 2 Irons, and G Series clubs.
PING is known historically as a family business. One of the most interesting stories about PING is the origin of the famous Mr. Ping logo.
Our story starts with John A. Solheim, the Chairman, CEO, and son of company founder Karsten Solheim.
In 1967, right before his father left on a two-month trip, young John used modeling clay to create a caricature of a man golfing.
The figure has a brimmed hat, a large nose, an open mouth, his legs spread in a wide stance, and appears to be holding a PING 1A Putter.
Young John left the figure on his father’s desk to show it off before his father left.
When Karsten saw the figure he was enthralled with the little figurine. He told his son to hold onto “Mr. Ping” until he returns home.
Once his father had left, John teamed up with his two siblings to construct a 3-foot tall plaster of paris replica of “Mr. Ping”.
This much larger replica was placed at the entryway of their house to greet their dad when he returned home.
After seeing the handiwork of his children, Karsten hired a professional drawing of the figurine to be made.
This drawing was then registered as a company trademark and used as the now-famous PING company logo.
If you have ever looked at this old logo and wondered about its origin, then here is your answer. The truth is just about as wholesome as a company logo creation could be.
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