Playing from the rough A personal journey through America's 100 greatest golf courses

A Black golfer sets a goal that brings joy and sorrow. While standing over his first shot at Augusta National, James, a former ExxonMobil executive and a good player, couldn't help but think back to his difficult youth as the son of a single mother in Jim Crow--era Texas, where poverty was rampant. After the author retired in his late 50s, his wife was able to secure a tee time for him through a friend. It started him on his audacious quest to play Golf Digest's list of America's 100 best courses in a year, 87 of which were private. With a great deal of help, travel, and money, James accomplished his goal, just barely--90,756 miles, 33 states, 1,800 holes in 8,797 strokes. During his travels, the author discovered a country that was "beautiful and flawed, bighearted and wrong-headed, proud and ashamed." James presents two stories, one dealing with golf and his extensive travels and his career as a valued executive, and another about his dirt-poor upbringing. Playing the courses, he sometimes felt he was "somehow trespassing." At Kinloch Golf Club, outside Richmond, James felt some indifference and invisibility. Then, at Flint Hills National in Kansas, he received a warm welcome. Driving in Kansas, he unfortunately experienced a "driving while Black" moment. Wisconsin's Whistling Straits had his caddie looking for balls in deep grass. Throughout, James describes the courses in interesting detail, focusing on each one's unique traits. The author recounts the good shots as well as the bad, in addition to famous historical golf moments that occurred on the courses, including the ubiquitous fairway plaques that mark such feats. Given the caliber of courses he played, there are plenty, from Oakmont and Merion to Pine Valley and Canyata and its $750 greens fee. A delightful read for envious armchair golfers who dream big. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.