Forty-five days. That’s all it took to turn an idea into Buena Gente’s first-ever East Coast community event — and on a crisp day at Alley Pond Golf Center in Douglaston, Queens, roughly 75 people from across the tri-state area showed up to prove that the demand was real.
Some drove three, even four hours, to be part of it.
A Meeting Six Months in the Making
The timing felt fitting: this was also the first time Buena Gente’s founder, Jon Madera, and his teammate, Anthony Yepez, met face-to-face after six months of building the brand together virtually. What started as a working relationship over screens turned into a handshake — and then a driving range — in Queens.
More Than a Golf Outing
El Jangueo NY wasn’t a tournament. It was a vibe — part networking event, part cultural celebration, part straight-up party. Music, food, drinks, and golf all in one spot, with the kind of energy that made strangers feel like family by the end of the night.
DJ Chopps kept the soundtrack going all evening, while Corona brought free drinks and promo giveaways, adding another layer of flavor to the celebration.
Who Showed Up
The crowd told the real story. Members of the MGA, FDNY, and NYPD came out representing their Hispanic societies and organizations — a reminder that this community shows up in every corner of the city, not just on the course. Scattered throughout the crowd were day-one supporters, some still rocking original Buena Gente pieces from John’s first year in business — a small but powerful sign of how far the brand has come.
Year Four, and Just Getting Started
Buena Gente is only four years old, but nights like this make it clear the brand has tapped into something bigger than golf. There’s a real hunger among Latinos in golf — and everyone who loves the culture around it — for a space to gather, share stories, and be seen in an industry that hasn’t always made room for them.
And that’s the heart of it: this isn’t Latino-exclusive; it’s Latino-inclusive. Whether you grew up in the culture, married into it, travel to Latin America every chance you get, or love the food, the music, and the people — El Jangueo is for you. Buena Gente is here to bring flavor to the golf industry on its own terms.
Thank You to the Team That Made It Happen
None of this happens without partners who believe in the mission. Huge thanks to Alley Pond Golf Center for hosting, our staff, volunteers, family, and to Bomb Tech Golf, LA Golf, Blue Tees Golf, Lab 18, KinFolk Social Club, PlayBetter.com, and so many others who showed up for this inaugural New York event.
What’s Next
The photos and clips are already circulating — and the response has been loud and clear. Messages have been pouring in from across the U.S. and from Latin American countries, all asking the same thing: bring this to my city. Bring this to my country.
Challenge accepted. Buena Gente is just getting started, and the plan is simple: make every Jangueo bigger than the last, and keep building a platform where the culture — and the community around it — gets to take center stage in golf.
