Eastside Golf Changes the Game Through Jordan Shoes & Community Golf Days

Olajuwon Ajanaku remembers standing on the back of the range at Charlie Yates Golf Course on the eastside of Atlanta as a kid. As a six- or seven-year-old, he would take lessons from local legends like Leonard Jones and Sam Perrier.

Those sessions were foreshadowing for what would come years later.

Earlier this month, Ajanaku returned to Charlie Yates. This time with Eastside Golf, the emerging apparel brand he founded, and a throng of golfers in tow. The occasion was the fifth and final Eastside Golf Community Day of 2024.  It started in Jacksonville and toured through Augusta, Detroit, Memphis and Atlanta in conjunction with major golf events like the TOUR Championship, Rocket Mortgage Classic and FedEx St. Jude Championship.

The concept is simple in theory: Community Golf Days aim to break down barriers to entry and make golf more accessible to individuals from all walks of life. The events include nine holes of golf, elevated music, lessons, range balls and cuisines from local food trucks, all completely free of charge.

“Being back home in Atlanta, especially East Atlanta, was more than just a visit – it was a full-circle moment for me. Growing up in the city and attending Morehouse College on a golf scholarship were pivotal experiences that shaped who I am today,” describes Ajanaku. “So, returning for our Eastside Golf Community Day at Charlie Yates felt like a dream come true. It's a place that holds countless memories for me; I went from receiving lessons there as a kid to winning a national championship for Morehouse in 2010. Now, coming home with the Eastside community with us, it means everything.”

The Atlanta event, which took place Aug. 3 on the eastside of Atlanta (the brand’s namesake location), attracted more than 400 attendees, including representatives from the office of Mayor Andre Dickens. Current Morehouse Golf Coach Edgar Evans provided free lessons. People danced. People ate. People golfed.

Each of the five Community Golf Day stops this year yielded similar results, impacting lives and fostering a sense of community through golf. In total, 16 local non-profit organizations dedicated to the growth and expansion of golf received support through these events. Eastside is putting its money where its mouth is, truly reinvesting in communities to spread the appeal, joy and opportunities that golf brings.

Getting Eastside Golf to this stage has been a team effort. Ajanaku’s business partner is PGA of America Golf Professional Earl Cooper, who serves as the brand’s CEO. Collaboratively, they cultivated a trend of relaxed streetwear garnering more and more attention in golf. Perhaps it started with the acceptance of the hoodie, and the realization by the powers that be that you can be comfortable, stylish and still respectful to the game.

You see it with Jordan Brand golf shoes showing up on the PGA and LPGA Tours – a movement highly sparked by the Eastside Golf x Jordan collaboration in 2020-21 that produced one of the most sought-after golf sneakers of all time. Brands like Malbon are signing tour athletes, and even industry giants like TaylorMade are collaborating with Ronnie Fieg and Kith. It may be an undercurrent, but there’s certainly a shift happening.

“Community Golf Days are a culmination of a shift in golf’s culture,” says Cooper. “I’ve taken a lot of the things I learned as a PGA of America Golf Professional, about teaching the game in group environments and what it takes to be comfortable on the golf course, and then merged it with the culture of modern fashion and recreation. The result? 400 people having a FREE golf experience that they will never forget and that will keep them attached to the game.”

An example of what the day meant to the people of East Atlanta: One father left in tears when his sons were gifted the Eastside Golf x Jordan 1961 ADGs and received advice on how to foster his sons’ goals of playing golf while attending a school that won’t support a program.

In this space of golf brand and community, no other company moves the way Eastside Golf does. It starts with Ajanaku and Cooper, who both attended the esteemed HBCU Morehouse College – the same institution that produced the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Spike Lee and Samuel L. Jackson. While at Morehouse, the duo competed on the golf team and led it to a National Championship in 2010.

After college, Cooper stayed entrenched in the golf industry, becoming a PGA of America Golf Professional and working at prestigious clubs such as Delaware Country Club, Detroit Golf Club and the Union League in Philadelphia. His ambition and eagerness also led him to serve in the Mayor’s Office of his hometown, Wilmington, Delaware, all while ascending to one of Golf Digest’s Top Young Golf Teachers in America. Ajanaku pursued his dream of playing professionally and then entered the corporate space, which primed him for the creation of Eastside Golf.

When the company started to gain traction in 2019-20, it attracted attention from both the industry and sporting icons who share a love for golf – none more notable than Michael Jordan himself. This intrigue from the GOAT (yes, this millennial takes Mike over Bron) led to a round of golf with Ajanaku, Cooper and Jordan.

They say business deals get done on the golf course, and this one led to the launch of Eastside Golf’s original Retro Jordan IV Golf Shoe. The sneaker had the highest resale value of any golf Jordan IV in 2021, and since then its rarity and significance have pushed resale prices as high as $5,000.

Eastside Golf is among an exclusive group of brands and individuals that have collaborated with Jordan to execute their own sneaker – or in this case, golf shoe. This elite list includes the likes of Dior, Off-White and Travis Scott. If you’re a sneakerhead, you understand that this is rarefied air. Eastside has become a favorite of top-tier athletes who dabble in golf such as Stephen Curry, Victor Cruz, Jayson Tatum, CC Sabathia and Chris Paul.

But what truly sets Eastside apart from other streetwear/golf crossover brands is its mission. Eastside Golf is dedicated to driving change and creating a more culturally relevant point of view of the game. It's a beacon for an entire golf community – people from all backgrounds and ethnicities who desire a more accessible, inclusive and impact-driven game. A conduit for connectivity versus a tradition of building barriers.

Recognizing this powerful mission, EP Golf Ventures – an investment partnership between the PGA of America and Elysian Park Ventures, the private investment arm affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers ownership group – led a seed round investment in Eastside Golf. This infusion of support will accelerate the brand's growth as it launches new product lines and uses fashion to change the cultural conversation around golf, creating new entry points to the game for young athletes and emerging professionals.

There’s no better example of that commitment than the Community Golf Day initiative.

Partners for the 2024 events included Bridgestone and Paradies Travel Retail, with plans for 2025 locations already in action. “We couldn’t do these events and have the impact we desire without the support of our partners,” says Cooper. “It says a lot about people when they don’t just write a check, they actually get in the trenches with you. We’re very appreciative to have those types of folks on our side.”

What’s next for this mindful and budding brand? The Eastside Golf Invitational will take place on Sept. 16 at the famed Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the Morehouse College Golf Team, with a goal of raising $100,000.

Yet another example of Eastside supporting the community, supporting the game and building the future of golf.