Playing from the Rough
A Personal Journey through America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses
By Jimmie James
BOOK TOUR
June 11 10:00 am Clubhouse, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Kiawah Island, SC
June 12 5:30 pm The Chastain, Buckhead Atlanta, GA
June 13 6:30 pm The Fitler Club Philadelphia, PA
June 21 6:00 University of Washington Bookstore Seattle, WA
June 22 3:00 Powell’s Beaverton, OR
July 17 11:00 Langston Golf Course Washington, DC
July 20 3:00 Watermill, NY
July 25 6:00 pm Pikewood National Golf Club Morgantown, WV
Aug 10 5:30 pm Edgartown, MA
Aug 11 10:00 am Chilmark, MA
Aug 27 10:00 am Southern Company Gas Atlanta,GA
Oct 1 noon ExxonMobil BEST Spring, TX
Oct 1 6:00 pm Austin, TX
Oct 3 12:00 pm River Oaks Country Club Houston, TX
Oct 9 6:00 Baltusrol Golf Club Springfield, NJ
Oct 11 noon Tryall Club (Skins and Pins Tour) Jamaica
Oct 29 5:30 TBN Washington, DC
Nov 21 6:00 University Club Seattle, WA
Dec 10 noon Piedmont Club Charlotte, NC
Jan 18 10:00 Duffers of Atlanta (East Lake Golf Club) Atlanta, GA
Jan 23 6:00 pm The Links Club New York, NY
Jan 30 noon WebMD Conference Philadelphia, PA
Feb 6-8 Savannah Book Festival Savannah, GA
Feb 10 11:00 pm ExxonMobil BHM Program Spring, TX
Feb 11 5:30 pm Dallas Country Club Dallas, TX
Feb 24 1:00 Duane Morris BHM Program Philadelphia, PA
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.
Playing from the Rough is a remarkable memoir of race, class, family, and the power of perseverance, as James braids his love of golf with reflections on the path that took him from childhood poverty to the most exclusive and opulent golf courses in America.
“Jimmie James is surely the envy of every golfer in America, having played each course on Golf Digest’s Top 100 list. And doing it in just one year! Even more compelling is the story of Jimmie’s life, his love for golf, and the journey of achieving this lofty goal.”
Ben Crenshaw
former PGA Tour player and Masters champion
“I'm so damn jealous of Jimmie James. He not only pulled off my dream golf adventure, but he wrote a book so good I haven't spoken to my laptop in a week.”
Rick Reilly,
New York Times-bestselling author of Commander in Cheat and Who’s Your Caddy
“An uplifting American story! It is not just about the game of golf, but about playing from the rough obstacles of life. James’s inspiring journey from poverty to the most pristine private golf courses in America is a testament to the power of perseverance, hard work, and his mother’s lessons. Every young person should read his story to understand how to avoid being defined by others.”
Renee Powell,
Former LPGA Tour Player and PGA of America Hall of Fame Inductee
What People Are Saying
“Sports nuts will love Jimmie James’s vivid and often hilarious stories of playing—and talking his way onto—the top hundred golf courses in America all in one year. But this compelling memoir is far more than that. It’s a moving, beautifully written account of growing up Black and poor in East Texas, of learning how to succeed in the business world, and of staying true to a cherished mother who taught James to keep an open heart to strangers and to never give up on his dreams.”
—Mark Whitaker, Author of Smoketown and Saying it Loud
“Tiger once said, ‘It’s not what you achieve in life that matters—it’s what you overcome.’ Tiger knows. Jimmie James, in his own way, does, too. Look where he started. Look where golf took him. Getting to the first tee of Augusta National is the least of it. This tale is not some country-clubber’s account of la-di-da golf. This is an investigation into, as the man once sang, ‘this thing called life.’ Playing from the Rough is about making it. Define as you wish.”
— Michael Bamberger, author of The Ball in the Air
“Playing from the Rough is a beautiful story about how optimism, hard work, and faith in humanity helped an individual overcome extraordinary bias and adversity to achieve his full potential in life. It just happens to unfold against a backdrop of the country’s 100 most beautiful and challenging golf courses.”
— Andrew Campion, former COO of Nike
“A wonderful story of passion, commitment, resilience, and determination. James has accomplished something extraordinary, both in golf and in life. His Journey is truly inspiring.”
—Pau Gasol, former NBA All-Star and president of Gasol16 Ventures and Gasol Foundation
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