For 45 days, Eastside Golf showed up at Pebble Beach in a way that felt different.
It started with a pop-up inside the main retail area, running from January 31 through March 15. At times, those 800 square feet became more than retail space. It felt like a gathering spot where people came to laugh, smile and experience the energy of Eastside. All while getting their shop on, of course.
But on Saturday, March 14th, a day before the pop-up closed, that energy stepped outside the walls and onto the course.
Our Community Day at The Hay wasn’t just an event, it was the heartbeat of the entire partnership.
Partnering with Purpose
Set against the backdrop of Pebble Beach, Resorts on the Tiger Woods-redesigned short course overlooking the Pacific, the Bank of America Golf with Us Community Day Powered by Eastside Golf brought together nearly 100 young golfers and their families for something bigger than a day on the course.
Participants representing three organizations – Youth on Course, The First Tee of Greater Monterey and Boys & Girls Club of Monterey – came together from different backgrounds and starting points to form one shared experience.
“This day represents everything Eastside Golf stands for – access, opportunity and meeting young people where they are,” said Earl Cooper, Eastside’s Co-Founder. “To bring our community to Pebble Beach, alongside partners who believe in the same mission, is about more than golf. It’s about opening doors and showing the next generation that they belong in this game.”
That word – “belong” – showed up everywhere.
The Experience
The day moved with intention.
It started with a clinic led by Earl and fellow Co-Founder Olajuwon Ajanaku, alongside the team of Pebble Beach Golf Academy PGA Teaching Professionals. No pressure. No expectations. Just easy-going instruction, real engagement and kids learning the game in a way that felt natural.
From there, things shifted onto the course with a rotating junior scramble built around participation and shared moments, not scorecards – although each member of the winning team left with more Eastside swag than their little arms could carry.
Music played; food was flowing; and conversations carried both weight and levity, with joyous vibes moving across the crowd and connecting people from all walks.
“Golf has always been a connector when it’s presented the right way,” said Ajanaku. “Community Day is about creating an experience that feels welcoming, authentic and inspiring – from the beginners taking their first swing to the conversations happening between local leaders.”
The Sights
Standing at the property’s apex, an area between the 8th tee box and the practice green where the festivities were taking place, you couldn’t help but stop and soak in the sights. It looked like kids laughing. It looked like first swings turning into real confidence. It looked like families experiencing Pebble Beach in a way they never imagined.
It looked like togetherness.
“This is what a true partnership looks like,” Cooper added. “Where business and purpose are both elevated and the impact is real.”
For a place like Pebble Beach – with all its history and expectation – and a partner like Bank of America to embrace Eastside Golf in this way said something bigger than words.
Impact, sometimes, shows up in numbers. But most times, it shows up in moments.
As a Youth on Course parent shared, “Today was a really special day with my kids out here. This was our first Youth on Course event and we could not have asked for a better experience.”
A First Tee program manager said simply, “This is really meaningful. I love seeing the kids having fun out on the course.”
Eastside photographer Marcus Aguirre, known for capturing moments on camera, may have captured it best with his words: “These kids were just living in the moment. I didn’t see a phone in sight. That’s what this is all about.”
For one of those kids, 15-year-old Youth on Course member Suir Lau, the day turned into something unforgettable. “I had the best time out at The Hay hearing from the speakers and meeting new friends, but my highlight was definitely the putting contest. I actually won and took home a brand new TaylorMade putter! This is a day I’ll never forget.”
Special Guests
Rounding out the day was a special Celebrity Best Ball Match, pitting the teams of Cooper and former San Francisco 49er quarterback and local legend Jeff Garcia against Ajanaku and award-winning actor Anthony Anderson.
Kids lined the fairways for the 6-hole match with smiles, cheers, golf claps and just the right amount of heckling.
At the end of the day, the big names, business leaders and brands in attendance aren’t the headline. The real story is the young people and the proof of what’s possible when brand, platform and purpose align.
When you create access, show up authentically and invite people to the game the right way, they respond.
