Wearing a Seminole head, Oakmont squirrel, Merion wicker basket, Winged Foot’s flying foot or any number of cherished emblems comes with the pride of exclusion. If you are fortunate enough to be a member at a recognizable club, or even lucky enough just to play there once, you want people to know. It’s human nature, and it’s definitely a golfer’s nature.
For Eastside Golf, a Black-owned streetwear brand that came online in 2019, their venture into the golf apparel world is defined by a provocative logo. The symbol – an African-American swinging a golf club in jeans, a sweater and fresh kicks while a gold chain around his neck swings freely – says everything about the type of open-minded, true-to-yourself environment the company wants to promote in a sport known for restriction.
The golf and urban culture Venn diagram mostly has been treated as two separate circles in the apparel world, but Eastside is showing there is actually a sizable population in the center overlap. When NBA star Chris Paul, a growing golf enthusiast, wore the bra...