ATLANTA — Golf has long been viewed by many through a lens of exclusivity, shaped by country clubs, traditions and barriers that have made some people feel like they do not belong.

Atlanta’s East Side Golf is working to change that perception.

Founded by Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper, two prominent entrepreneurs and Morehouse College alumni with a shared passion for golf, the brand was created to make the sport more inclusive and show a new generation that there is a place for them on the course.

“Golf is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” Olajuwon said. “Like, you can practice all day, go out on the course and still mess up. And you’re just like, you got to be a different type of level of patience. And if you can be, honestly, patient with this and put in the work with this, I feel like you can do anything.”

Ajanaku was introduced to golf at 6 years old in 1995 and grew up competing in youth tournaments. A defining moment for Olajuwon came at 13 when a scholarship through the East Lake Foundation and Nike allowed him to meet legendary golfer Tiger Woods and his father, Earl Woods.

He later earned a golf scholarship to Morehouse College, where he won a national championship in 2010 before graduating in 2012.

It was also at Morehouse where Olajuwon built relationships that would help shape his future, including his friendship with Cooper, a PGA Professional who shared his passion for the sport.

After college, Ajanaku turned professional and earned two victories on the mini-tour circuit. But the financial challenges of chasing a professional golf career eventually forced him to step away.

“It got to a point I just couldn’t afford it anymore,” Ajanaku said. “You know, I was taking up odd jobs. I was caddying, I was doing car washes, to afford the entry fees to these golf tournaments.”

After spending eight years in corporate finance, Ajanaku realized he wanted to return to golf and make an even greater impact.

“One day I got home, fully suited, I was just like, ‘this ain’t it,’” Ajanaku said. “Like, I want to turn back pro in golf, but I knew it’d be hard to find sponsors. And so, why not take the entrepreneurial route and sponsor myself? And that’s when I started East Side Golf.”

East Side Golf launched in 2019 with a mission to challenge the traditional image of golf.

The brand’s original logo featured a Black golfer wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and a gold chain, representing the idea that golfers should be able to show up as themselves.

When Ajanaku showed the logo to Cooper, his former Morehouse teammate, PGA Professional and East Side Golf co-founder, Cooper suggested putting the design on a T-shirt.

That simple idea helped reveal there was an audience looking for representation in the sport.

“People saw that and they were just like, ‘I can come out here and be myself? I didn’t know that,’” Olajuwon said. “And then it literally made everybody just like, ‘All right, let’s be ourselves.’”

East Side Golf has since grown into a nationally recognized brand, but Olajuwon and Cooper say the mission remains bigger than apparel.

Through Community Days, East Side Golf buys out local golf courses across the country to give people an opportunity to experience the sport without the intimidation or cost they may associate with it.

“We wanted to introduce this golf course to more people in the area so they could take advantage of it,” Olajuwon said. “Sometimes people are just afraid of it. And they don’t know that the round of golf is $20 or $25. They think it’s going to be $100, $80 and all of that type of stuff.”

The events have introduced more than 2,000 new golfers to the sport.

East Side Golf partnered with Atlanta hip-hop icon Jeezy in 2025 for a golf line that includes six premium pieces. It also includes a performance collared shirt and golf gloves to custom balls, a luxury towel, and streetwear-inspired sweatshirts and crewnecks.

For Ajanaku, golf has always been about opportunity. The course introduced him to mentors, business leaders and professionals who helped shape his future.

“I’m out there hitting balls at like 10 a.m., 11 a.m. Who is usually out there on a Wednesday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m.?” Ajanaku said. “These are guys that own their own businesses, these are like CPAs, these are judges, these are lawyers, these are doctors. They literally taught me into accounting. Like if you can be in accounting, you could do anything in business.”

As East Side Golf celebrates seven years, the company continues working to make golf more accessible in the community, while also working to change the sport.

“This has always been about everybody has seen an athlete, a pro athlete, become an owner,” Ajanaku said. “But have you ever seen an owner becoming a pro athlete?”