Eastside Golf is a premiere lifestyle golf brand that targets a younger generation and those who don’t play golf. The brand has grown since it was founded by Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl A. Cooper in 2019 and now can be seen in the hit video game PGA Tour 2K23. PopCulture.com exclusively spoke to Ajanaku in August and talked about his company making its way onto a game that has Tiger Woods on the cover.
“It’s a dream come true,” Ajanaku exclusively told PopCulture. “I used to play video games just all the time and to now have the opportunity to play it on a game, create myself, have so many players around the world just have on Eastside, it’s a dream come true. I mean, basically, our tagline, I just do it like Nike, is be authentic, that’s our tagline. And there’s so many people to want to be authentic on a game and show the things that they have on, and it’s showing… It really symbolizes who they are. I mean, it speaks volumes. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
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Eastside Golf has everything a person needs to look stylish on and off the course. Ajanaku and Cooper have gained national attention for their sense of style, and in 2021 the Eastside Golf logo appeared on the Air Jordan 4 golf shoe. Eastside Golf has hosted different events across the country to get the younger generation excited about the sport. In August, the two were in Atlanta with 2K to host a Closest to Pin in-game activation at their alma mater Morehouse College in Atlanta ahead of the TOUR Championship. The duo were on the Morehouse golf team and helped the squad win a national championship.
“There’s so many new students, a lot of new freshmen that are just entering and learning about the school, learning about the brand, Eastside, learning a little bit about my story as well,” Ajanaku said. “I mean, it’s a great opportunity to connect with the students and show them that this is a new tool that they can use. But then, also, this is something that 2K actually offers, is the game of golf and getting interest into it. So, from then on, just using the game to further themselves.”
Ajanaku, a former golf pro who is looking to make a big return, said Eastside Golf was a way for to him get back into the sport after working in commercial finance for eight years. After turning pro after college and competing for two years, Ajanaku went the corporate route, and he knew returning to the game would be challenging in terms of finding sponsors. This led to him coming up with his own logo and showing it to Cooper who told him to put it on a shirt.
“From there, I ended up making about nine different SKUs,” Ajanaku explained. “The first 3,000 orders I shipped out from my apartment myself, and from there, took off into an entire brand. Now, I have a store in Tokyo, I have two popups in Tokyo. We’re about to launch in so many pro shops, so many new partnerships coming up and announcements about to come out. So, now, it’s just, the brand is growing, and also, I’m turning back pro next year as well, the main reason that I did start the brand. So, it’s a full circle for me.”
