Interview With Jimmie James, America’s Top 100 Golf Nomad

Jimmie James is a regular golfer in most respects, but he’s accomplished a feat that very few would even consider. After retiring from a 33-year career with Exxon Mobil he decided to “ease” into retirement by playing Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses in America in one year. As daunting as that may sound, for Jimmie it really did make sense. As Manager of Americas Fuel Operations he was traveling up to 250,000 miles and spending up to 200 nights in hotels each year. His Top 100 Odyssey would require less than half of that.

I have a feeling that Jimmie has never met a challenge that he didn’t meet head on. He’s currently working on a book that will touch on those subjects much better than we could ever do here. We talked mostly about golf and the amazing courses he played on his journey. What really struck however, was his love for people and his belief that the American Spirit is alive and well. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about Jimmie James.

Playing Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses in America in just one year is quite an undertaking. Tell us a little about how it came about.

My initial idea was to play two courses in each state, a private course and a public course. It was going to be a way to reconnect with the country to see whether we are still a country where we help people reach their dreams, and to reconnect with old friends.

At Christmas, my wife gave me a book about the top one hundred courses in the world. So that’s when the idea came to me – if I’m going to play 100 courses in the U.S. why not play the top one hundred?

The Golf Digest list came out a couple of months later.

The thought of playing all one hundred courses in one year really came from two places.First, we have a residence in Kiawah Island Golf Resort and when I would play as a single on the course there, I would get paired with other players. At the end of the round they’d always offer their contact information and invite me to play their course if I was ever in the area.

Second, back in 2009, a friend and I were supposed to play golf in Scotland. He had a very serious incident at work that kept him from going. So, I traveled by myself. I didn’t make the lottery at The Old Couse at St. Andrews so I showed up at the starter’s desk and I got out in the very first group. There were three guys, two of whom worked in the same industry as me, and one actually worked for the same company. We played a match together and it was great playing with locals. They held memberships in the clubs adjacent to the course.  After our round they treated me to lunch at the St Andrew Golf Club It was an extraordinary experience.

Those two things led to the idea that if I played as a single on the courses that I knew I could get on – the twelve resort courses, one public course (Bethpage), and the twelve or so private courses where my wife or myself had connections – that I’d receive invitations to play other courses. And the idea that playing with strangers could be a delightful experience.

Which course was your favorite?

In a country of over 20,000 any of those 100 could be your favorite. I did narrow it down to five, and each for a different reason.

Augusta National just for the experience of being there. The pristine nature of the course, the environment, and the opportunity to play Amen Corner.

Cypress Point is a beautiful setting. Each hole is so different and can be played in so many different ways off the tee. The diversity of the shots and the beauty of the course make it just amazing.

Pine Valley is shot for shot one of the toughest courses on the planet. There’s nowhere to miss, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. If you want a real golf challenge, that’s it.

Merion, with all of its traditions. Teeing off next to the veranda where the people are sitting and watching, the wicker baskets, the fact that Bobby Jones finished the Grand Slam there. On the 18^th hole, I hit my drive to within an inch of the plaque which commemorates the spot where Hogan hit his famous one iron in the US Open.

Fishers Island – I love Seth Raynor designs, and the way those holes are set with the sound in the background and the charming cottages and lighthouses in the background makes for some beautiful scenery.

What was the most underrated course on the list?

Somerset Hills, a Tillinghast course with all of his typical design features, but it’s almost like two courses. The first ten holes are very open and then you play several holes that are very treelined and somewhat in the wilderness, before returning to more open holes to finish the round. I thought it was a very underrated course.

If you could play just one of these courses for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

For the rest of my life, probably Cypress Point from a pure enjoyment standpoint. For the last course of my life it would be Pine Valley because of the challenge. I’d want to take on the challenge and say “I’m going to beat you”.

Which course had your favorite clubhouse?

The Golf Club at New Albany (OH) and The Preserve in Carmel Valley were probably the best overall.

The friendliest people in the clubhouse and a really nice clubhouse would be Old Sandwich.

The largest clubhouse is probably Olympic Hills.

The most unusual design is Medinah.

And the best locker room design was Milwaukee Country Club.

Where did you shoot your best score?

Monterey Peninsula Country Club. I had just flown in the San Francisco that morning and drove straight to the course. It was a Monday morning and the range wasn’t open.

So, within two minutes I was on the first tee. I made a double bogey on the first hole, I think I bogeyed the second, and then I made mostly pars and birdies after that. I ended up shooting 78.

Where did you shoot your highest score?

Pikewood National. It has two sets of tees. The forward tees are 7,100 yards and the back tees are 7,600 yards. The fairways are narrow and there are very few bunkers, but deep rough and trees come upon you quickly. And it’s all walking.

My caddie asked what my worst score had been. I told him 95. He said to add ten to it. And he was right. I shot 105. But the course was so beautiful and amazing I didn’t care.

Is there a course that you’ve played that is not on the list the you think should be?

Yes. The Cal Club (California Golf Club of San Francisco)  is very similar to San Francisco Golf Club and Olympic Club and if those are on the list it should also be on the list.

I’m sure you met a lot of great people on this journey. What was that experience like?

We talk a lot about golf, but it really wasn’t about the golf. It was about the people. It was about renewing old friendships and making new ones. To me, the most remarkable part of the story is the kindness and generosity displayed to me by people who I didn’t know a year earlier, or a day earlier, or even a minute earlier.

Just a few quick examples.

I met a guy at Merion on the practice area. He was from Columbus, OH. When he found out what I was doing he called it stupid, but said he was going to help me because stupid people need help. And he arranged for me to play the four courses in Columbus.

I met a couple from Boston who modified their vacation plans so that they could host me at The Country Club in Brookline.

Jimmy Dunne flew in overnight from his college reunion activities at Notre Dame on a Saturday night to host me at Shinnecock on a Sunday morning because if I didn’t make it then I wasn’t going to fit it in within a year.

The vast majority of the people who helped me along the way I didn’t know before this started. To me, that speaks to the kindness, the generosity, the compassion, and the American Spirit of helping other people reach their dreams.

We have a lot more in common than we have  differences. The heat of the common passion for golf can really melt away differences. It’s amazing how people can be strangers one moment and after four hours together on a golf course walk away lifetime friends. I have a significant number of lifetime friends now as a result of this journey. So the real journey was about our country and the people who make it such a great place. And, when I say that I want to be clear that I’m not just talking about the people who are members at these clubs, but all the people along the way. They are all tremendous people and it’s just a fantastic experience to spend a year traveling the country, seeing the beautiful scenery, and meeting the amazing people along the way.

Make sure to visit jimmiestop100golfcoursetour.com to read details about Jimmie James’ experience at each of the Top 100 courses. You can also follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @Top100GolfNomad.