Playing from the Rough by Jimmie James

PLAYING FROM THE ROUGH by Jimmie James is more than a sports book. James, a former executive at ExxonMobil wanted a project when he retired and so he decided to try to play the top 100 golf courses (the vast majority of which are private) in America in a year. He includes plenty of golf stories (trying to keep a run of first hole pars going, missing a hole-in-one, etc.), but equally significant are the “life” stories he shares. Some recount his experiences as a Black man on the golf course. Many center around the contrast between his early life of poverty and his obvious privilege at being able to play these courses. The journey meant that James “flew 73,284 miles, drove another 17,472, and spent 82 nights in hotels or other people's homes … 8,796 strokes … across thirty-three states.”  This is an extremely entertaining read about which the golf writer Rick Reilly says, “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.” Make an effort to look for and read PLAYING FROM THE ROUGH – here is a link to the Wall Street Journal review which highlights some memorable anecdotes. Readers will also enjoy A Course called Scotland by Tom Coyne.