Goolf is its name; an Apple store app allowing golfers to meet and play games. Its cartoonish branding is both ridiculously adorable and intelligently moving away from the stereotypically stuffy sportsman persona.

Typically considered the rich white man’s sport – played at country and member clubs by Republican voters – the sport has had somewhat of a modern day makeover in recent years by way of Tyler the Creator (Golf Le Fleur) and Schoolboy Q.

London-based design agency Wildish & Co are the creative team behind Goolf’s identity Goolf at least. The agency looked into historic golfing iconography, remixed with a vintage illustrative style. “Think 70s crazy golf vibes,” confirms Sam Fresco, managing director at Wildish & Co. For the character illustrations appearing across Goolf, the design agency worked with David Roberts to help “lift the brand out from the usual tech space trapping”.

Wildish & Co wanted to create a brand inspired by often irreverent youth culture to reposition golf for the next generation. In the process, the agency took cues from the likes of cannabis brand Paradiso Gardens by OMFG and explorer-inspired retailer Camp, designed by Young Jerks.

The typeface is also key in adding a more relaxed tone surrounding the sport. Where the Goolf wordmark is concerned, a curving G in the logo references both the shape of a golf course, as well as “the cartoonish flight that a golf ball takes as it loops through the air” – “a fun idea that also felt quite visceral,” explains Sam. The final logo even includes “flight lines”, tracing the ball’s path. Meanwhile, for supporting typography the agency was primarily inspired by classic golf scoreboards.

Colour palettes also played a central role in establishing the apps’ tone. While a seemingly expected green was chosen for the lead colour, Wildish & Co purposefully steered clear of “classic fairway green”, introducing its tech-ier, brighter cousin. “And to complete the identity, a key part of the brand’s visual language was the photography direction,” says Wildish & Co, which comes together with shots of golfers on the course, emphasising friendship and a certain sense of refreshing relaxedness for the sport.