EASTSIDE GOLF NAMES ANNETTE PARKER AS FIRST-EVER HEAD OF MARKETING

Former CAA Executive, Eastside Golf Agent Joins Pioneering Lifestyle Golf Brand to Lead Marketing Strategy and Growth

NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastside Golf, the lifestyle golf brand changing the cultural perception of the game, today announced it has hired Annette Parker as its first Head of Marketing. Parker joins Eastside Golf from Creative Artists Agency (CAA), where she spent over eight years managing high-profile sports marketing partnerships and helping drive the agency's golf business.

As Head of Marketing, Parker will spearhead Eastside Golf's marketing initiatives and brand storytelling alongside its co-founders, CEO Earl Cooper and Creative Director Olajuwon Ajanaku. Her appointment comes as the company continues to scale and expand its presence in the golf industry while challenging traditional narratives around the sport.

"Joining Eastside Golf is an incredible opportunity to continue reshaping how golf is consumed, positioned, and experienced. I viewed this not just as something that I wanted to but rather something I needed to, as I understand the unique opportunity and mission in front of this company," said Parker. "Since first learning about Earl and Olajuwon's work in the summer of 2020, I have been inspired by their authentic approach to celebrating all aspects of golf culture and their commitment to making the sport more accessible and diverse. I'm excited to help scale the brand's impact through strategic storytelling and intelligent engagement of our audience."

Parker brings extensive experience in sports marketing and golf industry partnerships to Eastside Golf. At CAA, she managed major accounts, including Zurich Insurance's title sponsorship of the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic of New Orleans and its ambassador program featuring top professional golfers.

Since 2021, Parker has worked with Eastside Golf after signing the nascent brand to a CAA representation deal. She played a crucial role in scaling the company from its first year of existence to where it is today as an emerging lifestyle golf brand. Parker spearheaded the annual Eastside Golf Invitational, a marquee golf tournament to benefit HBCU golf programs, and developed Eastside Golf's Community Golf Days, a series of grassroots community events backed by partners including the PGA TOUR, Mercedes Benz, and Bridgestone. She also served as a trusted advisor to Cooper and Olajuwon, providing connections, advice and strategy to scale the business 600% year over year.

A former collegiate track athlete at the University of North Carolina, Parker discovered her passion for golf while rehabbing following knee surgeries in her junior and senior years. She then completed a coveted internship with the PGA Tour while pursuing her master's degree in Sports Administration from Northwestern University. Prior to her stint at CAA, her career included roles in sports media sales and advertising, including serving as Midwest Sales Director for Inc. Magazine.

"As I like to say, getting Annette to come on board has been a four-year ask in the making. Annette has been instrumental in Eastside Golf's growth since 2021, quickly becoming a trusted advisor and helping us navigate key partnerships that have elevated our brand," said Earl Cooper and Olajuwon Ajanaku, Eastside Golf's co-founders. "Her deep understanding of both the golf industry and our mission to create positive change in this sport makes her the ideal leader to help write the next chapter of our story."

Parker's first day with Eastside Golf was on Jan. 20. She will be based out of the company's headquarters in New York.

About Eastside Golf
Eastside Golf is actively transforming perceptions of the game through its apparel which has been embraced by golf professionals, celebrities, fashion influencers, and professional athletes including NBA stars Chris Paul and Jayson Tatum, NFL greats Patrick Mahomes and Victor Cruz, musician DJ Khaled and President Barack Obama. Its signature swingman logo, a young Black man dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans with a gold chain around his neck and a club in mid-backswing, is meant to convey that you can bring your authentic self to the game of golf, with full confidence.

Eastside Golf boasts notable relationships with global brands including Mitchell & Ness, seven collaborations with Jordan Brand, and strategic partnerships and licensing deals with major entities such as the NBA, MLB, Mitchell & Ness, Bridgestone and Mercedes-Benz USA. The brand was profiled in Hulu's "Grails: When Sneakers Change the Game," a six-episode docuseries on how Ajanaku and Cooper are driving social and cultural change in golf.

Eastside Golf's community outreach and golf education aims to connect young professionals and non-golfers with education, resources, and encouragement to love the game. Learn more at www.eastsidegolf.com, at Facebook or Instagram and X through @EastsideGolf.

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SOURCE Eastside Golf