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Published on:

19th Jul 2025

Jimmy James - Author and Golfer

In this episode of Grilling at the Green, we engage in a profound discourse with Jimmy James, who reflects upon the intrinsic value of savoring the golfing experience, particularly in the context of recent explorations at renowned courses. The salient point of our discussion centers on the importance of appreciating each moment on the course, as opposed to merely ticking off a list of venues played. James articulates that true enjoyment arises from immersive experiences that foster camaraderie, rather than a relentless pursuit of quantity over quality. He recounts his transformative journey back to Bandon Dunes, where he rediscovered the essence of golfing joy through shared moments with friends and a deeper connection to the game. We delve into the impact of his memoir, "Playing from the Rough," which has resonated with readers and inspired reflections on personal growth and resilience.

Links referenced in this episode:

Companies mentioned in this episode:

  • Birdie Ball
  • KPMG
  • Weston Kia
  • Painted Hills Natural Beef
  • Snell Golf
  • Carsley Golf


This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Transcript
Speaker A:

It's time for Grilling at the Green.

Speaker A:

Join Jeff Tracy as he explores a golfing lifestyle and tries to keep it in the short grass for the hackers, new sweepers and turf spankers.

Speaker A:

Here's Jeff.

Speaker B:

Just open up the door and let's take good times in.

Speaker B:

Tomorrow's gonna be better than today.

Speaker C:

Hey, everybody.

Speaker C:

Welcome to Grilling at the Green.

Speaker C:

I'm JT and we are part of the Golf News Network and in Portland in Seatt Cattle and other various places around the country.

Speaker C:

This part of Grilling at the Green is brought to you in part by Birdie Ball.

Speaker C:

If you need to practice green or you just need something to practice, you know your shots with in the backyard.

Speaker C:

Birdie ball's got it all.

Speaker C:

Go to birdieball.com well, I've invited a friend of the show back.

Speaker C:

Not just this show, but the TV version of this show.

Speaker C:

Also Jimmy James, who a couple of years ago had Playing from the Rough come out.

Speaker C:

It was his life story and his adventures on the golf course.

Speaker C:

And I thought we would catch up with him today.

Speaker C:

Jimmy, how are you?

Speaker B:

I am doing great, Jeff.

Speaker B:

Great to be back with you and catching up.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

So tell us about what you've been doing.

Speaker C:

I see you, your posts all the time.

Speaker C:

You're here, you're there, you're playing with different people, various courses.

Speaker C:

I'm jealous because I can't get my butt out of this office chair sometimes to go do that.

Speaker C:

But what have you been doing for the.

Speaker C:

I think it's been a year and a half since you've been on the show.

Speaker B:

Yeah, probably about a little over a year.

Speaker B:

I was in.

Speaker B:

I think the last time I was on the show, I was in.

Speaker B:

I came up to Seattle for the kpmg, which in last June.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker B:

And then I dropped down and we played a few holes together.

Speaker C:

Yep.

Speaker B:

And.

Speaker B:

And.

Speaker B:

And chatted and got caught up.

Speaker B:

So it's been a very busy time since then.

Speaker B:

I've.

Speaker B:

I played a few new courses.

Speaker B:

The new Golf Digest list came out.

Speaker B:

So some new courses on there.

Speaker B:

And I revisited some of the old courses and gained a greater appreciation.

Speaker B:

Like I was.

Speaker B:

I was actually back in Portland a couple of weeks ago because I went out to Bandon.

Speaker C:

Oh, yes.

Speaker C:

I saw that.

Speaker B:

And I. I gained a greater appreciation.

Speaker B:

And I. I think one of the things is when I was doing the top hundred.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

I was so focused on the mission of getting it complete that even when I thought I was pausing to smell the roses, I was moving at a fast pace.

Speaker B:

So this time I was abandoned with buddies.

Speaker B:

And it is.

Speaker B:

It reaffirmed for me that it is the ultimate golf buddy trip destination.

Speaker B:

And my appreciation for the camaraderie gained the.

Speaker B:

The course and the blend of natural setting with views and golf the way it was meant to be, and all the stories with the buddies and ribbing and joking and swinging, it just made for a much greater experience than even the really good experience I had when I was there back during my quest.

Speaker C:

Do you think that when people, excuse me, that when people go on golf adventures kind of like yours, maybe not as intense as yours was with the.

Speaker C:

The travel and the time parameters, and you covered a lot of geography in 365 days, but do you think sometimes that for whatever reason, time constraints, financial constraints, whatever, that they go to a place like Bandon and they like it, they really like it, but they don't appreciate it as much as if they, as you said at the top, slowed down just a little bit, get a real smell of the roses instead of just a passing whiff, if you will?

Speaker B:

I think there are two.

Speaker B:

I think the answer to your question is yes.

Speaker B:

And I think there are two factors that cause that to be.

Speaker B:

To be so.

Speaker B:

One, when you're.

Speaker B:

When you're on your mission, you're really.

Speaker B:

You're really so mission focused that you miss a lot of just the pleasure and enjoyment of the course.

Speaker B:

The other is you're doing so many of these things that you lose some of the appreciation for the magic of being able to go to a place like Bandon.

Speaker B:

And for a lot of people, that may be the one trip in their life, right?

Speaker B:

For those individuals, the appreciation of it, it's.

Speaker B:

It's so much more in intense and so much more.

Speaker B:

Probably they're more receptive to that type of sense of it than people who are.

Speaker B:

Are on these quests that try to play all these courses.

Speaker B:

I think if it's one of one or one of five of these things you'll ever do in your lifetime, you probably have a much greater appreciation.

Speaker B:

And my experience just shows that it was a totally different experience.

Speaker B:

Even my least favorite course there the first time was O MacDonald.

Speaker B:

I didn't really understand it.

Speaker B:

I didn't know a lot about template holes.

Speaker B:

I didn't know a lot at the time about CB McDonald's, but when I played it this time, it was a totally different experience.

Speaker B:

You know, it wasn't one of the courses I had to get done.

Speaker B:

It was just let me play this course and really, really experience this course.

Speaker B:

And I loved it more Appreciated it more, understood it more.

Speaker B:

Walked away with a much greater appreciation and understanding of the course.

Speaker C:

I think I've been guilty of that, Jimmy.

Speaker C:

Back when I used to travel extensively, sometimes I'd try to get in nine or 18, like on a Monday morning before my flight left it to.

Speaker C:

To come back to Portland.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker C:

And so, yeah, it was great to go out to whatever course, you know, it was, but you're still watching your watch, so to speak.

Speaker C:

Not to do a double entendre there, but you're doing that.

Speaker C:

You're.

Speaker C:

You're trying to get through and, you know, you make the mandatory trip to the pro shop and you get the ball marker and a hat or whatever you're going to do to.

Speaker C:

And save your scorecard, all those things a lot of people tend to do.

Speaker C:

But again, it.

Speaker C:

It's just not being able to really breathe and enjoy it and appreciate it and soak it all in because you're like, I gotta get.

Speaker C:

I gotta get back to the airport by one, you know, I think so.

Speaker C:

I. I think there's a lot of credence into what you're saying there as far as people being able to appreciate it.

Speaker C:

So my advice to people, not that they solicited it, but I would say if you're going to do a trip like that, pack in an extra day or, or whatever you can do to enjoy not just the golf course, but the other amenities, the area which is in.

Speaker C:

And that.

Speaker C:

That's, like I said, that's my unsolicited advice to people.

Speaker B:

One way I would probably also characterize it or convey it, Jeff, is in hindsight, as I look at.

Speaker B:

Because I've experienced both sides of it.

Speaker C:

Yes.

Speaker B:

As I look at it, the satisfaction, the enjoyment of fully experiencing one course, I believe is greater than.

Speaker B:

Than the sense of accomplishment of playing 10 of them.

Speaker B:

It's like flying over the grand canyon in an F16.

Speaker B:

You see it and understand, wow, this is huge.

Speaker B:

Oh, okay.

Speaker B:

Now it's on to the next thing.

Speaker B:

And you don't get to savor it and let it marinate like those steaks you grill.

Speaker B:

Just let it marinate and add more flavor to it and let it seep in.

Speaker B:

And it's a much more.

Speaker B:

It makes the taste buds dance a little bit more.

Speaker B:

I think it makes your senses really heightened and fully appreciate.

Speaker B:

That's probably how I would characterize it.

Speaker C:

Yeah, I think you're right on that.

Speaker C:

I think, you know, enjoying the experience is a good percentage of why we do this.

Speaker B:

Right.

Speaker C:

You know, not everybody's out There hacking on their game, trying to, you know, improve three shots.

Speaker C:

Anyway, Jimmy and I are going to take a break.

Speaker C:

We're going to be back in just a minute on grilling at the Green.

Speaker C:

Please stay with us.

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Speaker E:

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Speaker C:

Welcome back to grilling at the Green.

Speaker C:

I'm jt.

Speaker C:

Today we're talking with Jimmy James from.

Speaker C:

He wrote, he's been on the show before.

Speaker C:

We did TV piece on him and his book Playing from the Rough.

Speaker C:

And I wanted to ask you about the book because I know you've given a lot of talks, you've done a lot of signings.

Speaker C:

I follow you.

Speaker C:

You know, what kind of impact do you think your book has made?

Speaker B:

You know, I let, let me just tell sort of a story and I'll let people make their own assessment and it may be a little tough for me to get through it, okay?

Speaker B:

But about six, seven years ago, I was randomly paired with a guy at the Ocean Course in Kiowa.

Speaker B:

It's, it was after I had completed the top hundred and we were just, we, we had a lot of fun playing golf together and we connected.

Speaker B:

He had lost a granddaughter and just the discussion and conversations and all, for some reason, we connected and I'm going to be just flat out raw on all of it.

Speaker B:

This was a white guy from Alabama and a black kid that grew up in poverty in Texas.

Speaker B:

Texas is sort of the South, So it's two sons of the south whose relationship would probably have been a whole lot different 30, 40 years ago.

Speaker C:

Right.

Speaker B:

But we bond it.

Speaker B:

So the book comes out.

Speaker B:

Last year, I get a message from him, and he tells me.

Speaker B:

He says, jimmy, I've been diagnosed with this very rare form of Lou Gehrig's disease.

Speaker B:

And the doctors tell me I won't be around by the end of the year.

Speaker B:

So I'd like a favor from you.

Speaker B:

Could you sign three copies of your book and send them to me so that my wife at Christmas can give them to my children as the last gift from me?

Speaker C:

Oh, wow.

Speaker B:

Last week.

Speaker B:

So.

Speaker B:

So this person actually survived a couple of months longer than the doctors had projected.

Speaker B:

He passed away in February.

Speaker B:

I get a call or a.

Speaker B:

A text message from one of his sons.

Speaker B:

His mother had given him my number.

Speaker B:

He says, hey, I don't quite understand it, but you and my dad had this really special relationship.

Speaker B:

He said, my dad is the type of person who his friends are, whoever is around him at the moment.

Speaker B:

I've never really seen him cultivate a relationship with someone long distance and really put a lot of effort in it the way he did with the relationship between the two of you.

Speaker B:

And I'd like to meet you.

Speaker B:

He says, I'm in New York, and so if you have.

Speaker B:

I live in New York now, so if you have some time, I'd like to just catch the train down to Philadelphia and spend the day with you.

Speaker B:

And last week we did, and we talked about his dad.

Speaker B:

We talked about our relationship.

Speaker B:

We talked about a lot of things that wouldn't have happened without playing from the rough.

Speaker B:

There's hardly a week that goes by now that I don't get some message.

Speaker B:

For a while, it was like every day from messages from people talking about how the impact that the stories had on their lives.

Speaker B:

And I think when, you know, I was on the show before, I said to you, one of my hopes was.

Speaker C:

That.

Speaker B:

Every reader, regardless of their background, regardless of who they were, would find the piece of themselves in the story.

Speaker B:

And.

Speaker B:

And over this past year, I've heard from so many people who have.

Speaker B:

And just kindness and people reaching out, wanting me to know that they read the book and they were affected by it, and it just inspired them.

Speaker C:

Well, it's a story of your life, and it is very inspirational.

Speaker C:

I remember one thing you said to me before was when I said, jimmy grew up in poverty.

Speaker C:

And you kind of jumped in and said, well, we had to go up about Five levels to get to poverty.

Speaker C:

And I don't think a lot of people can appreciate that.

Speaker C:

I grew up totally different lives, years.

Speaker C:

And mine, we're about the same age, but I grew up in a community that very rural.

Speaker C:

My dad worked for the government.

Speaker C:

He, he got for what the job was and all that very good paycheck.

Speaker C:

My mom worked at a local grocery store.

Speaker C:

We, you know, had a nice little farm and all that, and it was all good.

Speaker C:

But I know we never had any extra money, okay, because my dad kept buying and selling horses.

Speaker C:

So we were always feeding the horses.

Speaker C:

You know, they came first.

Speaker C:

My point is, a lot of people in the area where I grew up, I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back and having gone through life quite a bit at this point, they were probably very close to your lifestyle.

Speaker C:

Different, different settings, different, you know, surroundings and stuff.

Speaker C:

But, you know, some of those kids wearing the same clothes to school for two or three years, you know, and just the different, you know, having to be on the lunch programs, which they didn't have when you were a kid, you know, they didn't, those things didn't exist when we were small.

Speaker C:

But you look at that, and it really gave me, your book, gave me an appreciation and an inspiration to kind of reflect on those things and think, man, you know, I know we didn't have much money, but we really had it good compared to some of the other kids I grew up with and their surroundings.

Speaker C:

And, and so, yeah, it touched me in that way, made me reflect a little differently and think about things and appreciate not only what, what I have today, but really what I had as a kid, you know, and it's highly recommended.

Speaker C:

I actually have loaned the book that you gave me.

Speaker C:

I've probably loaned it out to five different people.

Speaker C:

So I'll just leave it at there.

Speaker C:

We're going to take another break.

Speaker C:

Jimmy and I will be back here on grilling at the green.

Speaker C:

Don't go away.

Speaker E:

Hey, everybody, J.T.

Speaker C:

Here.

Speaker E:

If you need something to practice with in the inclement weather, try Birdie ball.

Speaker E:

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Speaker E:

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Speaker E:

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Speaker C:

Welcome back to Brilliant Green.

Speaker C:

We want to thank the folks at Snell Golf.

Speaker C:

If you want tour quality balls at a price direct to consumers.

Speaker C:

I just, I play them a lot, most of the time, in fact, played in the tournament last week.

Speaker C:

I won't Tell you what we shot, but I will tell you that I use snowballs.

Speaker C:

So go to snowballs.com and also the rhymer 2.0 from Carsley Golf.

Speaker C:

If you have a problem with your stance and your footing, your, Your spacing ball position, all that, it's a very simple little device.

Speaker C:

You can put it in your golf bag when you practice.

Speaker C:

But go to carsleygolf.com and look for the rhymer.

Speaker C:

Talking with Jimmy James today.

Speaker C:

Jimmy, Book came out.

Speaker C:

Did it come out at the end of:

Speaker B:

t came out in, in, in June of:

Speaker B:

So it's been out a little over a year and now it's in paperback.

Speaker B:

4.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker B:

Paperback came out at the beginning of June.

Speaker B:

And so it's been out for.

Speaker B:

The book's been out for a little over a year and the paperback for a little over a month.

Speaker B:

So some of the other.

Speaker B:

We were talking earlier about highlights.

Speaker B:

Some of the other highlights for me since that time.

Speaker C:

Sure.

Speaker B:

I played the park and West Palm, and it's re.

Speaker B:

They redid it.

Speaker B:

Gil Hans redid it.

Speaker B:

And it is a lot of fun.

Speaker B:

It's a municipal golf course that everybody can have access to.

Speaker B:

And it, it was.

Speaker B:

It's just a lot of fun to play wide fairways.

Speaker B:

You could spray the ball and still make.

Speaker B:

But that was a great.

Speaker B:

That was a great experience.

Speaker B:

I got a chance to meet some legends.

Speaker B:

Attended again.

Speaker B:

Each year I go to the tp to the Tournament of Players Championship at Sawgrass.

Speaker C:

Right.

Speaker B:

This year got to.

Speaker B:

Got.

Speaker B:

I had a chance to talk to Lee Trevino.

Speaker B:

And I had spoken with Jim Thorpe when I was writing the book to confirm the things I was writing about him in the book.

Speaker B:

One of the things I talked about in the book was Johnny Miller mentioning that Jim Thorpe probably had more moves in his golf swing than Kung Fu.

Speaker B:

And when I talked to him about that, he said, you know, yes, Johnny Miller said that, but he was egged on by Lee Trevino.

Speaker B:

Lee Trevino was going inside the clubhouse, back to the outside.

Speaker B:

I was.

Speaker B:

I was outside.

Speaker B:

Miller was inside, and he was just stirring up stuff.

Speaker B:

And so when I saw Lee, I asked him about that.

Speaker B:

He said, oh, yeah, that was a fun day.

Speaker B:

I was just egging them both on, getting them at each other.

Speaker C:

Can I, can I tell you a quick Lee Trevino story?

Speaker C:

There was a.

Speaker C:

The Fred Meyers, which is part of Kroger and all that, used to have what they called the Fred Meyer Challenge up here.

Speaker C:

And they played it at the Port Portland Golf Club.

Speaker C:

They played it at several courses over the years, it was a big party.

Speaker C:

They used to call it Peter's Party because Pete Jacobson organized it and, you know, he was attached to it.

Speaker C:

So I was out there the first time I ever went to it, and I don't know what hole it was, but here comes Trevino, and he's got his four amateur players with him.

Speaker C:

And the shot they're gonna putt on is right on the edge of the green, on the backside of the green, downhill putt, right.

Speaker C:

So Lee's cat and gives him his putter.

Speaker C:

Three of the other golfers take their putters.

Speaker C:

This one golfer walks up there with a wedge and a putter.

Speaker C:

And so first couple guys putt, they don't make it, but they're close.

Speaker C:

They, you know, respectable.

Speaker C:

Third guy gets up there with his wedge and Trevino.

Speaker C:

And there's just a ton of people around there because, you know, Lee just jabbers the whole time in these things, right?

Speaker C:

And the guy's gonna.

Speaker C:

He goes, what the hell are you doing?

Speaker C:

And the guy goes, well, I'm going to chip it.

Speaker C:

He goes, let me tell you something, pal.

Speaker C:

He goes, the only guy that could chip that shot is Ray Floyd, and you ain't Ray Floyd.

Speaker C:

So you put down that damn wedge and grab your putter.

Speaker C:

The guy felt about this big, and the crowd just roared.

Speaker C:

So then there's other stories like that, but that's.

Speaker C:

I just.

Speaker C:

That sticks in my mind a perfect Trevino thing.

Speaker B:

I.

Speaker B:

You know, so he was there with.

Speaker B:

And it's right on the tip of my tongue.

Speaker B:

I can picture him, but he said.

Speaker B:

He's known for saying, be the right club today.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

Hal Irwin.

Speaker B:

Is it Hal Irwin?

Speaker C:

Hale Irwin?

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

Yes.

Speaker B:

Yes.

Speaker B:

He.

Speaker B:

He was.

Speaker B:

He was there also.

Speaker B:

So I got a chance to talk.

Speaker B:

I got a chance to talk to him.

Speaker B:

And the third.

Speaker B:

I don't know why I'm having.

Speaker C:

Davis Love.

Speaker B:

Davis Love iii.

Speaker B:

Yeah, we talked golf course architecture and projects.

Speaker B:

He's working on all that stuff.

Speaker B:

So it was a.

Speaker B:

That was a.

Speaker B:

That was a great experience to have over the.

Speaker B:

Over the past.

Speaker B:

Over the past year, in addition to playing, you know, playing some new courses, but meeting some.

Speaker B:

Some of the greats.

Speaker C:

And, Jimmy, you've had some super experiences as far as I'm concerned.

Speaker C:

Not just playing the courses and writing the book and all that, but, like, things you just articulated.

Speaker C:

What's one or two things that you think you've garnered the most that you've learned?

Speaker C:

It's always a learning experience.

Speaker C:

And I'm not just Talking about your putting stroke or something.

Speaker C:

But what have you learned personally?

Speaker B:

You know, I was asked that question yesterday because I was playing golf with some guys, and I'm 66, and the oldest in the group was a guy that was 42.

Speaker B:

And he said, in those 24 years that are different in our age, what would you say you learned during that time frame?

Speaker B:

And what I said to him mostly was that in the end, it all balances out.

Speaker B:

I said, life is full of a mixture of challenges and delightful moments, and they all balance out.

Speaker B:

And if you think about it, if life only had challenges, we'd all go extinct because it would destroy us.

Speaker B:

But if life only had had mostly just smooth sailing, we'd never develop our resilience, our ability to work through challenges and our ability to overcome those challenges and bounce back.

Speaker B:

And we'd all go extinct from one single thing, because we know how to deal with one single thing.

Speaker B:

So I said, whether you're talking about life or golf, you're going to be in your golf game, you're going to probably have.

Speaker B:

If you're a golfer like us, you could probably going to have a lot of bad shots.

Speaker B:

But in there are going to be occasionally these amazing ball strikes and results.

Speaker C:

Yes.

Speaker B:

And you need both and you appreciate both, because in the end, the balances ultimately balance out, whether on the golf course or in life.

Speaker B:

And so I told them, I said, that's, you know, when you're young, you.

Speaker B:

You're not even worried about it, but as you get more experience, you start to learn that, wow, there have been a lot of things that have happened, both good and bad, but in the end, it balances out and everything moves toward equilibrium.

Speaker C:

Don't you find that kind of interesting?

Speaker C:

Because as I would say, part of my life at some point was what I would term crisis management.

Speaker C:

I went from one situation, whether it was girlfriends or money or my work, whatever, it was like boom, boom, boom, boom.

Speaker C:

And you were just being bombarded.

Speaker C:

And as you get a little older, I think this is me.

Speaker C:

I think you look at it and go, I'm not sure why I got so upset about that, because it really wasn't a big deal.

Speaker C:

Because just like you said, Jimmy, you know, the next day it balanced out it, it.

Speaker C:

And so as you get, I will put it this way, we are both over 65 that you can.

Speaker C:

You kind of look at things through a different lens.

Speaker C:

I believe.

Speaker B:

I, I agree.

Speaker B:

And you, you.

Speaker B:

You've learned and experienced so many different things that you don't get your knickers in a knot.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

Over things you used to anymore because you, you've learned that they're not, they're generally things aren't as bad as you think as your imagination may lead you to think they could be.

Speaker B:

And you, you, you learn that more over time as you've experienced, as you've experienced life.

Speaker C:

Yeah, I think that's true.

Speaker C:

I know because our daughter, I know you've got kids.

Speaker C:

Our daughter at times she's very, very, very smart young woman.

Speaker C:

Well, she's 31 now, but in that age of say 22 to 27, somewhere in there, I can't tell you how many phone calls and conversations she had, especially with my wife at one in the morning because it was some sort of crisis management and she was sober.

Speaker C:

You know, I'll put that in there.

Speaker C:

But now I've noticed that she started to, things aren't so bad, you know, the mindset like that.

Speaker C:

We're going to take another break, come back and wrap up the show with Jimmy James, my friend from Philadelphia and the author of Playing from the Rough, among other things.

Speaker C:

We'll be right back.

Speaker C:

Hi everybody, it's JT and this is a special version of Grilling at the Green.

Speaker C:

Grilling at the Green is brought to you in part by Painted Hills Natural Beef.

Speaker E:

Beef you can be proud to serve.

Speaker C:

Your family and friends.

Speaker C:

That's Painted Hills Natural Beef.

Speaker C:

Welcome back to Grilling at the green.

Speaker C:

I'm J.T.

Speaker C:

don't forget you can find us on Golf, Newsnet, sundry of radio stations, all the social media platforms.

Speaker C:

You can listen to the podcast version because the show starts as a radio show and then goes off into the, the pod world and eventually finds its way to YouTube with the video and, and all of that.

Speaker C:

So we've talking with Jimmy James today from beautiful downtown Philly.

Speaker C:

So one of the main things I wanted to, to ask you was and this isn't too personal, I don't think.

Speaker C:

Jimmy, what does Erica think about all this stuff?

Speaker B:

Very, very supportive.

Speaker B:

It's it for, for her and I hope this doesn't come across as sort of self serving or arrogant but I think for her is satisfying in that the world gets to see what she saw all along.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

I think is, is maybe thoughts that, that, that she has as to the man she married.

Speaker B:

You know, she wrote something on her LinkedIn.

Speaker B:

She has.

Speaker B:

So she is a very accomplished individual.

Speaker C:

Yes, she is.

Speaker B:

And so she has a big following on LinkedIn and when the book came out she sort of wrote a thing about just what our Life has been like together and her admiration and appreciation for what she's seen over the years as we've built our lives and family together.

Speaker B:

So she's very, very supportive and I think really gets to see where I came from to where we are now.

Speaker C:

So what was her reaction, if you actually remember this?

Speaker C:

Because the first time somebody recognized you in public, not from your work at Exxon and that, but when the book was out and you were doing this and that, and there, there had to be a time when you were at a restaurant or going to the theater, whatever, and somebody recognized you.

Speaker C:

I remember, and I'm not trying to compare my life to yours, but I remember the first time my wife and I were in an airport and somebody came up to me on a Sunday morning, we were coming home and recognized me like that.

Speaker C:

And it was fairly new to both of us, I guess.

Speaker C:

And I remember my wife's reaction, and I was just curious about Erica's reaction the first time somebody's, you know.

Speaker B:

I, I, I don't remember the very first time, but it's happened quite, it happened quite a, quite a bit.

Speaker B:

But she just takes it in stride because I've had to deal with that for a long time where people, we were, we were atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris and someone came up and said, you're Erika James.

Speaker B:

To her, I follow you, and you have had a tremendous impact on my life.

Speaker B:

And then as the Dean of Wharton, just walking through the streets, trying to go to dinner at night, it's Dean James.

Speaker B:

So she, she's, I've had to deal with that for, for years.

Speaker B:

And so it was basically, I said, now it's, it's the shoes on the other foot.

Speaker B:

And she's, she's got to deal with people running up saying, you're, you're, you're Jimmy James or whatever.

Speaker C:

I think that's a great, great story.

Speaker C:

We've got a minute or so left, and we are going to do After Hours, so, But it's a shorter version today.

Speaker C:

What, what's on the, the menu going forward here, say, for the next six months?

Speaker B:

Got a lot of events, still doing a lot of events.

Speaker B:

I, I've, the Martha's Vineyard Black Book Festival, where they're featuring the book coming up on the 9th in Eggerstown and Martha's Vineyard.

Speaker B:

I'm the keynote at a technology conference actually, in Denver.

Speaker B:

I'm giving a talk in the Poconos to a group, Buck Hill Falls in the Poconos in a couple of weeks.

Speaker B:

I have A keynote address for the first T of of Delaware coming up.

Speaker B:

There's a, a group also.

Speaker B:

I go back to Denver in November for a keynote address for a group that, that.

Speaker B:

For a group that does work with kids in poverty.

Speaker B:

Yeah, My, my high school coach's sister is engaged in it, and he read the book and he says, you've got to meet my sister.

Speaker B:

You've got to meet my sister.

Speaker B:

I'm, I, I've sent her the book and they have an organization and I'm sure they're going to want to have you come out and, and talk at their annual banquet.

Speaker B:

And he was right.

Speaker B:

But.

Speaker B:

So I have a lot of that coming up.

Speaker B:

I, I don't currently have any major new golf courses planned, but I'm sure some will pop up.

Speaker C:

Oh, I'm.

Speaker C:

I have confidence in you.

Speaker B:

I, I was at.

Speaker B:

One of the things I didn't mention.

Speaker B:

I was at Augusta this year for the first time.

Speaker B:

First time I had access to under the tree at the club.

Speaker C:

Oh.

Speaker B:

So you know, I've been to the Masters before and walked the grounds of the Masters, but this time when I was there, I had a little more access to a different type of experience there.

Speaker C:

I'm sure you did real quick, Jimmy, because we're over as usual, on time.

Speaker C:

Where can people find the book?

Speaker C:

Find out more about you.

Speaker B:

So the book is at all the booksellers.

Speaker B:

If they don't have it in stores like Barnes and Noble or your independent bookstore, you can always order it online from any of the online sellers like Amazon or books a million or book.org target.

Speaker B:

They all, they all have them, so.

Speaker C:

Okay, good.

Speaker B:

Playing from the rough.

Speaker C:

Playing from the rough.

Speaker C:

Jimmy James.

Speaker C:

Thank you very much, my friend.

Speaker C:

I will be back next week with another edition of Grilling at the Green.

Speaker C:

Jimmy's gonna stick around for after hours and until then, go out, play some golf, have some fun.

Speaker C:

But most of all, be kind.

Speaker C:

Take care, everybody.

Speaker A:

Grilling at the Green is produced by JTSD Productions, LLC in association with Salem Media Group.

Speaker A:

All rights reserved.

Show artwork for Grilling At The Green

About the Podcast

Grilling At The Green
Podcast by JT
Golf, food and fun. Sounds like a great combination! Grilling at the Green hosted by Jeff Tracy
brings all of that and more for your listening pleasure.
Jeff’s love of golf prompted him to create Grilling at the Green several years back and the show has been going and growing strong ever since. Jeff started playing in middle school with wretched old clubs in the bottom pasture. (An errant tee ball to the noggin left a permanent impression on one of his childhood friends.) Jeffs got better clubs now, but still, be careful where you stand when he’s hitting off the tee!
Grilling at the Green is not about fixing your swing, correcting your bad putting or how to get out of the sand better. It’s really about people in and around the golf world. Players, both amateur and pro. Authors, TV hosts, teachers, celebrities, weekend warriors, (hackers for short)
manufacturers and club house icons make the guest list. Yes, we talk about golf but also cover travel, food fun and life.. Everyone on the show has a story.
Grilling at the Green is the home for interviews with Frank Nobilo, Dotty Pepper, Anika, Gay
Van Sickle, Kay Cockerill, Sarah Kemp, Lisa Cornwell, Keith Hirshland, Charlie Rymer. The list
goes on.
Grilling at the Green is also part of the Golf News Network line up on IHeart. The channel that
brings you 24/7 golf. Be sure and watch Grilling at the Green TV with Jeff and Lee Ann Whippen on GNN TV.
All are welcome at Grilling at the Green.

About your host

Profile picture for Jeff Tracy

Jeff Tracy

Radio host and TV personality. Host of BBQ Nation and Grilling at the Green radio shows and podcasts. Known as The Cowboy Cook on TV for over 25 years. Golf fanatic, history buff and family guy. 2 million + miles in the air with a sore backside.