A Celebration of Golf
Callaway Golf and St Andrews Links have had a strong, successful partnership for over a decade, working together to support initiatives such as the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association.
In the run up to the 150th Open both wanted to celebrate the occasion by creating a project which would provide a platform to showcase the talent of young people in the town and engage with the community in a way like never before.
Callaway has traditionally created Limited Edition Tour Bags for each of golf's Major Championships; both on the Men's and Women's Tours.
FLASHBACK: Callaway Staffer Jon Rahm wins the US Open in 2021 at Torrey Pines.
FLASHBACK: Callaway Staffer Jon Rahm wins the US Open in 2021 at Torrey Pines.
These take inspiration from the region in which the event is staged or from the host venue. These carefully curated bags are universally used by Callaway Staff Professionals at each event, and the first sight of one on the fairways or practice ground at a 'Major' becomes a talking point, before a golf ball is even struck.
FLASHBACK: April 2022: The bespoke Callaway Staff Bag used at Augusta.
FLASHBACK: April 2022: The bespoke Callaway Staff Bag used at Augusta.
While keeping to the traditions of creating a bespoke Tour Bag for this year’s tournament, Callaway recognised an opportunity to undertake something completely different and very special with support from the town of St Andrews.
"This has become one of the most ambitious, exciting and innovative celebrations of golf we have ever undertaken, and there was no better place to do it than at the Home of Golf in Scotland, on the eve of the 150th Open."
Rising to a Challenge...
The perfect place to start with the concept for a 2022 Callaway Staff Bag for the 150th Open was with the community of St Andrews.
The Big Big Trail concept began its life when budding artists from two local schools – Madras College and St Leonards – were commissioned by Callaway and St Andrews Links to design a St Andrews inspired golf bag that would be used by Callaway Staff Professionals competing at the tournament.
Callaway gives the students their creative brief.
Callaway gives the students their creative brief.
Last August, Madras College began an exciting new chapter in its rich history when it opened its outstanding new school campus at Langlands and with it, the ability to welcome all of its school community onto an accessible, single-site campus for the first time.
St Leonards is a leading co-educational boarding and day school, situated in the heart of St Andrews. Founded in 1877, St Leonards is fast approaching its own 150th anniversary, and in 2019 was named Scotland’s Independent School of the Year.
The brief:
'Tell us what St Andrews means to you'
From 65 submissions, 10 finalists were subsequently selected (five from each school) by an esteemed panel of judges that included Callaway Staff Professionals with special links to St Andrews, and senior executives from both Callaway headquarters in California and St Andrews Links.
Our 10 finalists
Andrei Moklohov (16), St Leonards
Design theme: 'Auld Grey Toon'
Andrei says: "When I made my design, I was inspired by the nature and environment in St Andrews, since the tournament will take place here. As a basis, I took three colours - grey, which is used as the colour of the wall. This wall was made in the colour of the one that surrounds our school - St Leonards. The second colour is grey-blue, and it represents a typical Scottish sky - covered with clouds! The third one is green, which takes its place on the very bottom of the bag design and represents the fields near the beach in St Andrews that is right next door to our school. On top of my design, I put an image symbolic of St Andrews – the ruins of the cathedral. Everyone here knows them. Then, in the middle of the image is the St Andrews coat of arms. The main purpose of my design was to make a golf bag that won’t distract the players from the task at hand. Calm and blending with the colours of the terrain around them were used to make players at the 150th Open feel comfortable and concentrated on the game. Then, of course, I wanted the bag to symbolise Scotland more broadly."
Olivia Sanderson (14), Madras College
Design theme: '150 Years of Tradition'
Olivia says: "The 150th Open is a big milestone in the sport of golf so it seems only fair that it is being held in St Andrews, the home of golf. Whenever you go for a walk in the Scottish countryside, you are bound to see little groups of thistles. I feel thistles have a real presence that makes you want to go and look at them a little closer, to study their shapes and spikes. Thistles are the flower of Scotland, which is why I have integrated them into my design. For me, the key design element is the tartan on the front panel of my bag. I chose the St Andrews Links tartan because I believe it really emulates the look and feel of the golf course as well as the vibes you get from the town of St Andrews itself. "
Stuart Monks (15), Madras College
Design theme: 'History Meets Geometry'
Stuart says: "The inspiration for my golf bag predominantly came from the unique atmosphere present in and around St Andrews. My design was influenced by Callaway golf bags of Majors past, with bright colours and bold patterns. The stylised image of St Andrews Abbey immediately sprang to mind as an icon, of not just St Andrews, but the whole of Fife. The style I chose to represent it in was also deliberate, representing the youth and modernity of certain parts of the town. The geometric rainbow background was chosen in honour of the not inconsiderable LGBTQ+ community present in St Andrews, as it is a very diverse and welcoming place. From my experience, St Andrews University is very influential within St Andrews, so a nod was given to them with their logo presented on the sides and back of the bag. On the zipper, you will notice a stylised sun and sunset framing the abbey. This is to represent summer tourism, and the beautiful East and West Sands, two of the best beaches in Scotland. I have already touched on three of the four things that make St Andrews what it is: the architecture, the inclusivity and the University. The final one is the reason this is written in the first place: the golf. St Andrews is ‘the home of golf'. The love of golf in St Andrews is represented by the logo of St Andrews Links, the host for this, the 150th Open."
Lily Drage (13), Madras College
Design theme: 'Ren' (means water lily relating to the designer and the sea)
Lily says: "My design is trying to emphasise how colourful St Andrews is, the little bursts of colours that you see. I included some of my favourite things about St Andrews: the beach, nature, the cathedral, St Rule Tower, and the Swilcan Bridge. I also drew the weather: rain, snow, clouds. I think St Andrews is a beautiful place full of colour and I wanted to portray that in my design. I also did Nessie and the Scottish flag because everyone loves Nessie. My main inspiration for my design was when I was at the beach, I picked up a small leaf that I had found, I held it up against the coast, and thought, 'this is what St Andrews is to me, nature, the beach, and the other buildings'. This is what I think of when I think of St Andrews. I see little bursts, pops of colour all the time in St Andrews from the sky, flowers, houses cards and sun. They bring a light feeling that reminds me of music. This is my St Andrews."
Lily Driscoll (16), St Leonards
Design theme: '150 Opens, 1 St Andrews'
Lily says: "St Andrews is a combination of everything Scottish, whilst remaining individual and international. This golf bag was designed to represent each part of St Andrews in a bold and recognisable way: the iconic skyline in our city’s tartan; the green of the oldest golf course in the world; the blue of the sea; and the purple of the iconic Scottish thistle. My golf bag is a ‘welcome’ to everyone coming to St Andrews this year for the 150th Open."
Anna Easton (14), Madras College
Design theme: 'Sonnet 12' (from Shakespeare's poem about time and art)
Anna says: "I chose to do a picture of the Swilcan Bridge in different art styles because I thought it would be nice to include the different art styles that have come and gone over the last 150 years since The Open first began. I decided on a green, blue and purple colour scheme because they all go well together and purple and green represent thistles, which are a Scottish flower. I included a thistle on the ball pocket. I put the letters CL on the front because that is 150 in roman numerals. I thought it looked cleaner and neater than putting 150 on the front of the bag. I hope you like my design."
Faith Mackenzie Page (16), St Leonards
Design theme: 'St Andrews Sunset'
Faith says: "The colour scheme in my design shows off the colours of the flag of the Kingdom of Fife - black and yellow. I have focused on these, and added some orange and red, too, to give the visual effect of a sunset.
The main design is a sunset with a silhouette of St Andrews Cathedral and the lion from the flag blending in behind it. I chose the cathedral for the landscape as it is so recognisable as a silhouette on the St Andrews skyline, and the lion adds to the idea of a stylised version of the flag. There are also simplified thistle silhouettes on the bag, as this is the Scottish national flower and is widely recognised as such."
Rubie McNeill (15), Madras College
Design theme: 'Tir an Goilf (Land of Golf)'
Rubie says: "My inspiration for the main panel was the St Andrews Cathedral, which always reminds me of St Andrews. The three seashells represent the beautiful beaches with pink, purple, orange and yellow in the background to remind you all of a sunset. What inspired me to create the bottom panel was the Scotland flag and I have added ‘St Andrews, 2022'. What inspired me to create the handle panel was the scattered beaches along St Andrews but mainly the West Sands because it is the closest to the golf courses. Above the ball pocket is a silhouette of a golfer with a nice cloud-free blue sky. On the ball pocket is a golf hole with a red flag pole sticking out with 2022. Sparks come out the side with a golf ball coming towards the hole hit by the silhouette in the panel above. The black background makes the colours pop especially with the red stitching."
Lixi Chen (17), St Leonards
Design theme: 'The Callaway Swilcan'
Lixi says: "The main colour palette of my design is inspired by the British sky. On the screen print panel, you will be able to spot famous St Andrews landmarks, including the cathedral and the Swilcan Bridge. To connect these main elements, and to evoke the lively coastal breezes here in the town, I have incorporated a billowing tartan scarf. The logo panel continues with the Scottish theme, with a nod to the 150th Open, a stylised thistle motif, and combining both an ancient and modern feel. For the rear of the bag, I took my inspiration from the Loch Ness Monster, and then focused on a golfing theme for the pocket, choosing a rounded design with clubs and balls to celebrate the game. These are intertwined with fish to represent the seaside location of the Links courses, all then surrounded by a green wreath to symbolise The Open itself."
Iona Turner (17), St Leonards
Design theme: 'Nessie's Round to Play'
Iona says: "In preparation for designing this golf bag I walked around St Andrews with some friends and took photos of the things that we thought were most important, most iconic and recognisable in the town. These included the famous Swilcan Bridge on the 18th hole of the Old Course, the colourful houses by the harbour, the cathedral and, of course, the sea. Next, I took further inspiration from the whole of Scotland to incorporate into the design. I was very keen to include Nessie - the Loch Ness Monster - due to how iconic she is, and so she was placed right in the centre of the design. I also felt I ought to include bagpipes and a kilt, because they are things that my mind would automatically jump to if someone asks me about Scotland. When the time came to add colour to the design, I chose bright colours that reminded me most of summer time in St Andrews - particularly important as The Open takes place during July. I finished the design of this bag by deciding on a concept for the zips, and for this I was inspired by my friend Tess, who suggested that ice cream would be a good idea - after all, Jannettas is an essential part of St Andrews for me - and for so many visitors to the town - and so it deserved a reference in the 150th Open. I wanted the design to be full to the brim of all the things I love about Scotland, and for it to look recognisable and interesting to the viewer."
Madras College, St Andrews
“The Big Bag Trail provided a fantastic opportunity for our young people to showcase their amazing talents in our local community. Beyond that, our finalists have been afforded a front-seat experience into the exciting world of sport, business and marketing as The Big Bag Trail concept has progressed in the run up to the 150th Open at St Andrews. This exciting partnership between our school, St Andrews Links and Callaway Golf has added significant relevance and value to the learning, skills and confidence of pupils from Madras College.”
St Leonards, St Andrews
“Our school is known for its innovation in all aspects of education, and in its commitment to fostering a thriving community of creativity. The Callaway Golf bag design competition sparked the imagination and curiosity of so many of our students, and saw an incredible breadth of entries from our learners. The remit was in line with the approach to learning they encounter in their lives at St Leonards, that is to say guided and driven by their own individual interests and inquisitiveness, and thus giving them real ownership of their learning and real satisfaction in leading their own process of design."
Community Engagement
The students' bag designs inspired Callaway and St Andrews Links to explore how they could celebrate the project with the community of St Andrews, and visitors during the 150th Open.
...The Big Bag Trail was born
Explore St Andrews in an all-new way!
Organised by St Andrews Links and Callaway, with the support of Fife Council and the University of St Andrews, The Big Bag Trail, will open from June 1 (for six weeks).
Larger than life sculptures of each bag, celebrating the creative excellence of pupils from each school, will be positioned in various locations around St Andrews, forming a route from which locals and visitors can explore the town.
Each sculpture, accompanied with a descriptive plaque, has been created by Wild in Art, a company who are experts in helping millions of people experience art outside of traditional settings.
“Wild in Art passionately champions the importance of art for everybody, and the social, cultural and education benefits it provides. A Wild in Art trail always includes an educational element where schools and young people design their own smaller sculpture, which creates a parallel trail. We are absolutely delighted that for The Big Bag Trail the creativity and imagination of St Andrews pupils is the absolute focus of this fantastic campaign.”
Plot your way on your mobile phone
A free-to-download app, for Apple and Android devices, has been created to guide those wishing to explore The Big Bag Trail.
Use it to guide yourself through the historic streets of St Andrews, taking in all the sights and points of interest that make this Scottish town the focal point for golfers around the world.
You may also discover parts of St Andrews you never knew existed, like the harbour!
The app includes detailed information about each sculpture, and directly links to each plaque found at the 10 points of interest.
Android devices, download the app HERE
Apple devices, download the app HERE
Golf and Giving
Bringing the community together for a final time, this very special initiative will close on Tuesday 19 July, following the conclusion of The Open, when the 10 larger-than-life sculptures from The Big Bag Trail, will be auctioned at a special evening event at the Tom Morris Bar & Grill in the St Andrews Links Clubhouse.
St Andrews Links Clubhouse
St Andrews Links Clubhouse
All proceeds from the auction will go to CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland) and Scottish Sports Futures (Changing Lives Through Sport).
The Charities:
Now in its 30th year, CHAS offers a full family support service for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions. This includes palliative care, family respite and support – through two hospices, homecare services and a hospital presence across Scotland.
Scottish Sports Futures uses the power of sport and physical activity to engage with vulnerable and disadvantaged young people and families in Scotland and empower them to be confident, healthy, and happy. We do this using our proven and recognised Sport for Change model and its range of person-centred, youth-led programmes that provide positive experiences, inspiring role models, engaging social education, training, and youth volunteering opportunities.
This special auction, also accessible to the public, via a collaboration with Bidpath, will celebrate the community achievements of the initiative, in the company of local dignitaries and specially-invited guests..
"It’s brilliant the bags have been designed by local young people and we are so grateful to have been selected as one of the beneficiary charities the auction will support. Every penny will support us to change the lives of young people.”
“We are looking forward to an unprecedented summer of golf in Scotland with St Andrews at the forefront of this. This project is a fantastic way to get budding young artists in our schools involved and encourage locals and visitors to explore St Andrews. The town will play host to the best golfers and fans from around the globe in July and our iCentre staff will be on hand to welcome visitors and offer advice on some of the fantastic things to see and do in St Andrews and beyond. Tourism is a force for good. It creates jobs, sustains communities and contributes significantly to the economy.”
Timetable of Events
The Big Bag Trail opens: 1st June, 2022
The Big Bag Trail closes: 17th July, 2022
Live Charity Auction: 19th July, 2022
Contacts
Sue Page Communications Manager, Callaway
e: Sue.Page@callawaygolf.com
Greg Pearse Commercial Director, Callaway
e: Greg.Pearse@callawaygolf.com
Kathryn Keith Communications and Marketing Executive, St Andrews Links
e: Kathryn.Keith@standrews.com
Which bag did the judges choose to be used at the 150th Open?
Announcement: Monday 11 July, 2022
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