The 2024 Eastside Golf Invitational in Pictures

The 2024 Eastside Golf Invitational in Pictures

As a passionate golf enthusiast and admirer of Black-owned businesses, I’ve been following Eastside Golf‘s journey with great interest. The brand’s second annual invitational at Liberty National Golf Club was nothing short of spectacular! The collaboration with Mercedes-Benz USA, aimed at empowering women and supporting Morehouse College, is a testament to their ambitious vision.


As a devoted follower, I’m thrilled to share that Eastside Golf, a trailblazing brand established by HBCU alumni and famed for its collaborations with Jordan, recently hosted its second annual invitational at the prestigious Liberty National Golf Club. This year, they’ve set some bold goals for 2024, partnering with Mercedes-Benz USA to expand their reach among women and strengthen their backing of Morehouse College, the alma mater of the brand’s founders, Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper. The invitational was the second joint event between these two dynamic brands. This exciting partnership kicked off a significant period for Eastside that began with the unveiling of its inaugural experiential pop-up in SoHo and concluded with rapper Fabolous crooning to Eastside’s guests under the iconic gaze of the Statue of Liberty, encouraging us all to “Make Me Better.

Since the golf brand gained popularity, notable figures from sports and creative industries such as former Cy Young winner CC Sabathia and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz, who are early investors in golf fashion’s leading Black-owned label, have been frequent attendees at Eastside Golf events.

 

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At Liberty National, Sabathia shared his opinion that their logo is ideal considering the evolving golf landscape and the new players entering the game. He compared it to the iconic Jordan logo of public golf. With golf gaining popularity since the Covid pandemic, he believes this brand represents the everyday golfer.

Guests started showing up from 11AM onwards, and they were warmly welcomed with stunning cars from Mercedes and Maybach at the entrance to Liberty National. This elegant golf club, constructed for a cost of $250 USD, was established in 2006 and is known for its proximity to the Statue of Liberty and breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline. The sophisticated atmosphere made it an ideal location for the innovative brand, Eastside. Each attendee was treated to an impressive swag bag filled with desirable items like the Eastside Golf x Nike Air Max 1 G “Everyone’s Game,” along with other goodies.

 

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Following the informal part, the game commenced at 1PM and ended when the sun started setting, leaving behind a stunning backdrop. The massive structure of glass and steel, Liberty National’s clubhouse, then called everyone together again. The grand finale was graced by Fabolous, whose mix of hip-hop and R&B dominated the mid-2000s. Cooper, Ajanaku, and Fabolous shared the stage, enjoying the moment before the prizes were distributed to the competitors.

Erica Bolden, Mercedes’ DEI leader, mused over the day’s happenings: “It’s thrilling to attend these events and listen to people expressing they hadn’t considered golf before now. Even the chef here was enthusiastic when he learned this was an Eastside Golf event. He exclaimed ‘I recognize the brand and I’m genuinely excited!’ Witnessing Earl and Olajuwon’s growth, knowing we played a part in it, is quite fascinating.

Take a look through the gallery above to see how all of the action unfolded.

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2024-09-20 01:56