Berlin designer MOCingbird looks to create first official Lego golf-themed set

Since Lego started selling interlocking plastic bricks more than a half-century ago, the Lego Group has made thousands of themed sets that celebrate popular culture. Everything from the Millenium Falcon to Peppa Pig, FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou and Adidas Originals Superstar sneakers have been recreated in Lego form.

Golf has never received the Lego treatment, however. That could change soon.

Previous attempts to create golf-related sets have fallen short – including a re-creation of Augusta National’s clubhouse – but another one is up for consideration through the Lego Ideas platform, which allows fans and designers to submit their creations in hopes of becoming officially licensed Lego sets.

A designer from Berlin known as MOCingbird is the latest to try to galvanize the golf community in the hopes of creating the first official Lego golf-themed set.

“Brickdale Golf & Country Club” – a Lego-related play on the name of one of England’s most famous links – was submitted to Lego Ideas in May. It is measures comprised of 2,711 pieces, including 11 minifigures, a bird and a squirrel. The designer is not an avid golfer but spent 150 hours over seven weeks to create the 3D digital model via BrickLink, the official Lego digital building software.

“I’ve always been interested in sports in general, but I had not been following golf regularly before I started my research for Brickdale Golf & Country Club,” the Berlin-based MOCingbird said via email (the designer did not want to reveal his or her identity). “Of course, I was aware of the sport’s basics and I also knew the PGA TOUR and some of the players, but to get every aspect of the model right, I really had to dive into the world of golf now to learn as much as I could as fast as possible.

“I watched many hours of YouTube videos about popular golf clubs, the architecture of golf courses, about iconic moments in the history of professional golf, and about pretty much everything else golf-related that helped me understand what my model would have to be like to hopefully appeal to the majority of golf fans.”

According to the model description and backstory penned by MOCingbird, “Brickdale Golf & Country Club” is an 18-hole course suited for players of all skill levels spanning 6,577 yards with “gently rolling fairways, multi-level greens and demanding hazards in an idyllic landscape, providing a tranquil golfing experience.”

In the foreground of the design, long-time members William and daughter Maggie prepare for their final putts on Brickdale’s 18th green with the clubhouse in the background. Divided into six rooms, the course’s clubhouse features a restaurant with a balcony and lounge, pro shop, locker rooms, meeting rooms and more. The trophy room allows members and guests to learn about the illustrious career of club legend Bill Underwood.

“Generally speaking, I really like that golf fans of all ages can have fun with the model,” MOCingbird said. “Adults can set it up as a nice display piece and conversation starter, while its play value makes it suitable for kids as well.”

While the designer is fond of various features and aspects – some obvious and others more subtle – the real standout is the ingenuity that will hopefully spur Lego to create golf-specific pieces as well.

“My favorite aspect is one the model currently only features in theory, because the required piece – an actual Lego golf ball – does not exist yet,” MOCingbird said. “Lego would, first of all, have to produce a golf ball in the correct Minifigure-compatible size, which could then be used for actual putting action on the set’s green as a cool play feature.

“Additionally, having a real Lego putter would also be nice. The putter I had to use in the model is in fact a hockey stick, while the golf ball is just a so-called ‘Bar 1L with Tow Ball,’ with the lower bar part being hidden in a hole in the ground.”

Hoping to appeal to both adults and children with this golf-themed set, the designer said their own relationship with Lego began in childhood before rediscovering them as an adult.

After rekindling their love of Lego as an adult and joining the AFOLs (Adult Fans of Lego), MOCingbird started creating their own designs in January 2020. Their first project, “Basement & Sewerage” gained the necessary 10,000 supporters to advance in the Lego Ideas process, spurring creations like “The World of Civil Engineering: Types of Bridges,” “Forces of Nature - A Reminder,” Sweet Retreat: Living in a Wedding Cake” and a resubmission of their first design entitled “Sewer Heroes: Fighting the Fatberg – Overtime.”

“All my projects have one thing in common: I only upload models based on unique ideas no one has submitted before,” the designer said. “Moreover, for some reason, I have committed to only creating models that are not tied to any popular franchise or license. Most of the time both of these commitments make it somewhat extra difficult to succeed with the designs I come up with, so I’d say for me personally, creating Lego models is much more about bringing my ideas to life first of all, rather than being successful at all cost.”

“Brickdale Golf & Country Club” reached 100 supporters within the first 60 days of being submitted. It has one year to reach 1,000 supporters and remain in the review process. The ultimate goal is eclipsing 10,000 supporters to advance to the Review Stage in the hopes of becoming the first official Lego golf-themed set.

In the Review Stage, a “Lego Review Board” comprised of professional set designers, product managers and marketing representatives examine each qualified project based on factors like brand fit, expected demand, licensing possibilities and playability.

“To this day, Lego has never released a golf-themed set, while there are millions of golf fans around the world,” MOCingbird said. “Hopefully standing by to get this model for themselves to display on their desk or shelf, or for their kids or grandkids to play with, I hope my model would in fact have a shot at winning.”