From Scorecard to Glass: Preparing a Bespoke Golf Course Record Plaque

From Scorecard to Glass: Preparing a Course Record Plaque

When Petersfield Golf Club first contacted us, the enquiry was to replace four existing course record plaques displayed within the clubhouse.

As the project developed, the brief changed. Rather than replacing the complete set, the club decided to commission a single new plaque to record its latest course record, which would sit alongside the three existing plaques engraved in 1998, 2010 and 2019 by another supplier.

Although only one plaque would be produced, it still needed to feel at home within the existing display while reflecting our own studio approach to design and engraving.

Two printed technical specification sheets for an engraved glass display plaque. The sheets include product photos, dimensions, mounting options, and installation instructions.

Beginning with the Right Foundation

Every bespoke commission begins with understanding the subject.

The first stage involved reviewing photographs of the existing display before selecting a suitable wall mounted glass plaque. Specification sheets were supplied showing several presentation options, allowing the club to choose the most appropriate format before artwork preparation began.

With the presentation agreed, a detailed quotation separated the artwork preparation from the engraving itself. This allows each commission to be researched, designed and approved before production begins.

A set of golf-themed printed materials laid on a dark gray background: a transparent scorecard insert, a white card with a red rose and black golf club graphic.

More Than a Photograph

Initially, the available reference material consisted only of photographs of the existing plaques.

Later in the project, the original scorecard for the new course record became available, together with the club crest and the player and marker signatures.

That original scorecard became the foundation for the new design.

Rather than reproducing the existing plaque, the scorecard provided the information from which the new engraving could be developed.

An engraved golf course handicap scorecard design. The central framed layout includes club and player signatures, a crest, and a data table.

Understanding the Scorecard

One of the most interesting parts of the commission had nothing to do with engraving.

Golf scorecards contain a surprising amount of information, much of which exists to administer the game rather than tell the story of a record breaking round.

Understanding which information golfers expect to see, and how that information is read, was an important part of the design process. Before preparing the artwork, we discussed the scorecard with Paul, an experienced golfer to ensure the finished layout retained the essential information while presenting it clearly on glass.

The result was a layout that remains faithful to the original scorecard while being designed specifically for engraved presentation.

Preparing the Artwork

The club crest supplied for the commission was redrawn to suit the engraving process, allowing fine details and tonal shading to be reproduced cleanly on glass.

Before committing to the final plaque, the crest was engraved as a test piece to confirm that the artwork translated successfully into glass. Testing in this way forms part of our normal studio process whenever artwork contains fine detail that benefits from practical evaluation.

The player and marker signatures also required careful preparation. As they had been written in pencil on the original scorecard, they were redrawn from the reference supplied while preserving the character of the original handwriting.

Refining the Layout

With the individual elements prepared, attention turned to the overall composition.

Typography, spacing and hierarchy were developed to create an engraved presentation piece that remains easy to read while retaining the key information from the original scorecard.

The aim was to allow the scores themselves to become the focus of the plaque, supported by a clear structure that sits comfortably within the proportions of the glass.

Proof Before Production

As with every bespoke commission, the completed artwork was issued as a proof for approval before engraving begins.

Alongside the artwork proof, the club was also asked to confirm one final production detail: whether the engraving should be applied to the front surface of the plaque or to the rear surface, each producing a slightly different finished appearance.

Only once the artwork and production details have been approved does engraving begin.

Every Commission Begins Long Before Engraving

Although the finished plaque records a single round of golf, the work behind it extends far beyond engraving alone.

Research, artwork preparation, redraw, testing, proofing and client review all form part of the process.

For us, every bespoke commission begins with understanding the story being recorded. The engraving is simply the final stage in bringing that story to glass.