Why Is It Called En-Joie? The Endicott Golf Course Name Has a Shoe Company Backstory

I've never played a round of golf at En-Joie, but I've spent plenty of time there over the years. I've attended events at the restaurant, I've been to the DICK'S Sporting Goods Open, and somehow in all that time I never once asked where the name came from.

That changed while I was reading about Broome County's decision to stay out of Endicott's bidding process for managing the course. It got me wondering what "En-Joie" actually meant, and the answer goes straight back to Endicott's history.

En-Joie's Name Honors Endicott Johnson

The name is a play on words tied to the Endicott Johnson Shoe Company, often shortened to EJ. Say it out loud, and En-Joie sounds like "enjoy," which was the whole point. George F. Johnson wanted his employees to have somewhere to relax and play a game that, at the time, most people assumed belonged to the wealthy.

George F. Johnson Built En-Joie for EJ Workers

En-Joie opened in 1927, designed by Ernie Smith at Johnson's request. Johnson loved golf and didn't see any reason his workers shouldn't get to enjoy it too. According to En-Joie's own history page, he put it bluntly at the time: some workers had gotten it into their heads that golf was only for the rich, when in his view it was just as good for shoemakers as for tired businessmen, and just as cheap as a trip to the movies.

A round cost 25 cents when the course opened. A golf bag ran 75 cents. Endicott Johnson even manufactured the golf balls that got used on the course.

Early En-Joie Looked Nothing Like It Does Now

Anyone playing En-Joie today would have a hard time recognizing the original layout. The early course was mostly flat, with almost no trees. There was no rough grown in either, on purpose, so players wouldn't lose balls they couldn't afford to replace.

It wasn't built as a country club. It was built so shoe factory workers could play golf without it costing them much of anything.

En-Joie Is Closing In On 100 Years

En-Joie will hit its 100th anniversary in 2027. It's gone from a recreation spot for shoe workers to one of the Southern Tier's most familiar gathering places, hosting decades of professional golf along with the community events and tournaments most of us actually remember it for.

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Whatever ends up happening with who manages the course next, the name isn't going anywhere. Every time somebody says it, they're saying Endicott Johnson without realizing it.