Bonus

Golf: Fashion Has a New Face

By Bradley Walker

Posted on July 26, 2020

It seems recently that golf fashion is becoming something that sportswriters are paying attention to it. I did talk about how golf shoes have changed from what they looked like during the early years of golf and what they look like now. I can remember my first pair looked like a white pair of elf shoes. The shoes that I wear now look like tennis shoes that all of us wear daily. Earlier this month Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper got the shock when they attended the PGA Merchandise Show in January. Both of these gentlemen are trying to make it on the PGA Tour. Their company is called Eastside Golf. Ajanaku and Cooper’s logo is a golfer wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, a gold chain, and a baseball cap. This is not the typical logo that many golfers would relate too.

The meaning of the logo is that they both do not what people leaving their personalities in the parking lot. They are trying to tell people that the game of golf is for everybody. I believe once Tiger Woods came on to the scene it changed the world of golf. Both gentlemen were very hesitant about going to the PGA Merchandise show. The reason is because of all the reactions they were going to get. Many people that play the game of golf do not want change in their game. Especially when it comes to fashion or playing in general. Those people need to get a clue and except change. It would make the world some much better to let change happen. The way that golf fashion has changed to me is a good thing. The shirts, pants, hats, and shoes that come out are awesome.

Ajanaku and Cooper met at Morehouse College on the golf team. The major reason the company was started is to fund Ajanaku’s golf career. Cooper became a PGA member working at private clubs and getting into instruction and teaching. To me, the logo is great and the golf world can change. Many of us know that when you play the game you wear polo shirt shorts or dress pants. There are very few golf courses that will let you wear blue jeans. As far as the sweatshirt, gold chain, and baseball cap, those are all allowed. Many people will not wear chains because it may get in the way of your golf swing. Ajanaku has been playing golf recreationally and works in the commercial finance world to pay his bills as he still perusing a golf career.

Ajanaku and Cooper are hoping that their logo will bring newcomers to the game. It also relates to the younger generation. Which trust me, for the game of golf, is a good thing. This is coming from someone who has been playing for 32 years. There have been many golf companies that are now pushing the envelope when it comes to golf fashion. This is a good thing as we move to a new generation of golfers and hopefully new players. The game of golf is one game that needs to be injected with youth, especially when it comes to the amateur level. Hopefully, these two will inspire players to just be themselves on the golf course and not to worry about what others think about you. The game of golf is fun!