Eastside Golf revolutionizing Access to Golf for All
Eastside Golf is revolutionizing golf for everyone. Co-founders Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper share their personal and professional journeys, emphasizing the significance of driving change and diversity in the sport once reserved for the Dominate Society
The Eastside Golf logo is instantly identifiable: it depicts the brand’s founder and Chief Creative Officer, Olajuwon Ajanaku, clad in a sweatshirt, jeans, a cap, white sneakers, and a Cuban link chain around his neck, mid-swing with a golf club. It’s notable for honoring the sport’s heritage while also proudly representing Black culture.
Ajanaku was at a pivotal point in his commercial finance career when he created the logo in 2018. Despite a VP position on the horizon in scenic San Diego, he felt compelled to pursue his true passion—professional golf, a sport he had been involved with since his college years at HBCU Morehouse. The high costs of competing professionally, including tournament fees and travel expenses, led Ajanaku to design the Eastside Golf logo to secure appropriate sponsorship.
After sharing the logo with Earl Cooper, the company’s co-founder and CEO, Cooper’s response was enthusiastic: “Yo, you need to put that on a T-shirt.” Taking his advice, Ajanaku wore the logo in downtown Detroit and was overwhelmed by the attention it garnered, with numerous inquiries about his identity, the logo, and his involvement in golf. This overwhelming interest confirmed the potential of his idea, and in 2019, Eastside Golf officially launched as a comprehensive brand.
The Atlanta-based brand offers a diverse range of lifestyle apparel, including hoodies, joggers, and snapback hats, in addition to classic golf attire. The goal is to craft comfortable, casual clothing suitable for both the golf course and everyday life. Ajanaku and Cooper aim to increase the sport’s visibility among young people, inspire cultural appreciation, promote diversity, and draw in new fans and potential players who are not traditionally golfers.
Eastside Golf isn’t the first Black-owned enterprise to blend golf with fashion. Urban Golf Gear from California, founded in 1998 by Craig Tanner, fused hip-hop with golf during the height of TigerMania, ceasing operations in 2006. Trophy Hunting collaborated with NBA icon Stephen Curry to dress Howard University’s golf team for the Bison at the Beach Inaugural Golf Classic last year.
More recently, Iron Kings, another brand from Atlanta, launched the HBCU Golf line, outfitting 34 teams with its apparel. However, Eastside Golf stands out for its unique trajectory, expanding and flourishing beyond the sport itself.
