Born in 1959 to a single mother of eight in Jim Crow-era Texas, Jimmie James emerged from humble beginnings, growing up in a shack without electricity or plumbing. He was the first in his family not only to graduate from high school but also to pursue and earn a college degree.
After a thirty-three year career with ExxonMobil, Jimmie embarked on journey to figure out how to play the top 100 Golf Courses in the U.S. in a single year. Starting with Augusta National Golf Club and finishing with Wade Hampton Golf Club, he traveled to thirty-three states, flew 73,284 miles, drove another 17,472, and took 8,796 strokes to achieve his goal. In between he played courses like Cypress Point, Shinnecock, Pine Valley, Chicago Golf Club, Miwaukee Country Club, Seminole, Oakmont, and Pikewood National.
He graduated from Prairie View A&M University at the top of his engineering class. In his thirty-three-year career with Exxon, James rose from an entry-level engineer to a globe-trotting executive, overseeing businesses across the world. Now retired, he splits his time between Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Kiawah Island, and enjoys golfing, travel, photography, and chess. He and his wife, Erika, have two young-adult children, Jordan and Alexandra.
Publicity Inquiries
For media inquiries, contact Jimmie at “jimejaymes@aol.com”
Other Inquiries
For all other inquiries drop Jimmie a note here.
Playing from the Rough
The story of one man’s quest to become the first person to play each of America’s 100 greatest golf courses in a single year, an odyssey that brings him face to face with the gulf between his impoverished childhood in the Jim Crow South and the successful executive he became.
Top 100 Golf Courses
Starting with Augusta National, he played all of Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses in one Year. It was an amazing journey across our country and it best kept lawns.
Golf Nuts Podcast
Aaron Abrahms and Jimmie James, two golf fanatics explore the many aspects of golf with fascinating people from the golf world that they've met during their golf journeys to play the top golf courses around the world.