Eastside Golf Creates HBCU, Invite-Only Tournament

Eastside Golf and State Farm partner to present Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational.

The Eastside Golf brand is partnering with State Farm to present the Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational. The invitational will feature golf programs from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU), HBCU Gameday reported.

The Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational will be held Nov. 2—4 at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort in Frisco, Texas.

Olajuwon Ajanaku, co-founder of Eastside Golf, spoke about the partnership and what he and co-founder Earl Cooper hope to accomplish with this event.

“Our intent with our sponsor, State Farm, in hosting the Eastside Golf Collegiate Invitational is to create an unparalleled experience and tournament environment with all the bells and whistles at one of the top courses in the nation. We hope to be able to build this event to attract other D1 & DII colleges and universities to compete against HBCUs in the future making this a sought-after event for years to come.”

Cooper and Ajanaku are proud HBCU alums as members of Morehouse College’s golf team throughout their college careers; the businessmen see the invitational as a way to give back while elevating the HBCU golf experience.

“Our time playing on the Morehouse golf team was an incredibly formative and rewarding experience for us and set the groundwork for where we are today. We know firsthand the challenges facing many collegiate golf programs, especially in the HBCU world, whether that’s lack of funding, access to practice courses, uniforms, or transportation,” said Ajanaku.

Cooper and Ajanaku have had a successful run with Eastside Golf. In December 2023, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on Eastside Golf’s financial rise. In its first year of operation, 2019, Eastside Golf earned $100,000. The company is projected to earn over $4 million in 2024.

The business was born out of a dream unfulfilled. Even after winning a golf championship with Morehouse in 2010, Ajanaku was unable to secure a sponsorship to play professionally. The businessman merged his accounting degree and passion to create Eastside Golf with Cooper.

Eastside Golf has garnered attention from major celebrities and brands, leading to partnerships with Nike, Mercedes-Benz, and Apple.

.@EastsideGolf x Nike coming soon 👀 pic.twitter.com/GUqkm3Bwg8

— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) September 3, 2024

The brand markets itself as a golf brand for the newer generations, staying classic yet edgy.

“We’re just bringing a new wave to golf,” Ajanaku said.

“We want to grow the brand to a place where we’re touching all points of golf,” he continues. “Growing the game of golf to a place we wanted to see it when we were younger. Now, it’s about putting that into play because I know that’s what the next generations want to see.”