Daily Inspiration: Meet Lennard James

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lennard James

Hi Lennard, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I got my start in the game of golf as a 10 year old kid in 1990. It was during the summer at Lake Hills Golf Club in Billings, Montana. I would travel from College Park, Georgia (where I lived with my mother and sister) to visit my Dad in Billings, Montana after my parents went their separate ways in 1989. Originally from Long Island, New York now living in the “ATL”, I would look forward to seeing my Dad in the summer of 1990.

I didn’t know what to expect going to Montana for the first time, but of all the places in the world, that’s where and when my father introduced me to the game of golf. We always had early morning tee times, typically on Saturday’s and we always walked with our push carts. I looked forward to the “turn” because that is where the snack bar was, loaded with all the snacks you could think of, from hotdogs, candy and ice cream. My favorite was the snicker bars. Bonding with my dad was cool and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Fast forward to now, many years later, I’m still playing the game that my father exposed me to. I am grateful to experience this game as it continues to teach me things about myself that I didn’t know and also shapes me for the better. Because of this, I wish others can have the same opportunity to at least know about and experience playing golf. Thanks to my mother’s artsy DNA, I feel like I can help move the game forward through my love of drawing, writing and storytelling while documenting golf’s overall lifestyle.

I know golf may not be for everybody but I do encourage anyone who has the opportunity to play or experience it to do so. It is such a powerful and enlightening game. I aim to capture the the mental toughness, positive energy needed and the examples of the fun that can be had on a golf course through the golf cream action comic book and future animations. The game of golf really is “sweet” that’s why I chose to title the brand “Golf Cream”.

I currently teach golf instruction as a certified PGA Golf Professional in the Windy Hill Golf Academy based out of Legacy Golf Links and Fox Creek Golf Club located in Smyrna, Georgia. I also compete in PGA Tour qualifying events when the opportunities permit.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road to honing my skills as an accomplished golfer. Golf is expensive to play so to cut my expenses for range and greens fees I volunteered at golf coursed as a young man. I attended to the golf carts, did marshal duties and picked the balls off the driving range. I did this so I could play and practice on my game at no cost.

After playing and practicing during my off days from the golf course, I would valet cars at night at hotels and restaurants in the Buckhead, Atlanta areas. It was a grind, but it was the only option I had. I did this grind for many years. It was for the love of the game 100%. I then realized I was good enough, and confident enough to compete in PGA Tour qualifiers. Instead of working in Corporate America with my business degree, I decided to continue to play golf during the day and valet cars at night because it was the best way to survive and keep my dream of being a PGA Tour player alive.

As of now, having never broken through and qualifying for a PGA Tour event, I decided to teach junior golf kids during the summers. My first camps were the Nike Junior golf camps in Smyrna, Georgia. I was invited to help out by one of the PGA of America instructors. The first time I did it I had a blast and so did the kids. At that time I wasn’t thinking about teaching as a career but unbeknownst to me the foundation was being set. I only taught the Nike Junior golf camps in the summers for about three years because I then took a management role in the parking industry, which didn’t allow me to teach golf anymore due to lack of time.

I stepped away from the game for five years after my last camp because of valet management. After getting burnt out in the parking industry, I decided to get back into golf in some capacity. I had an idea for a golf action comic that would help promote the game to the youth and I titled it “Golf Cream”. Sugary super heros fighting the evil forces of bogey. I took it to the PGA Merchandise Show in January 2020. I made great connections for possible collaborations but then covid 19 hit two months later in March which pretty much ended my hopes of getting any type of deal as companies went out of business or scaled back their budgets.

I went back to pursuing professional golf because there wasn’t much else to do during covid. Golf was the only thing to do in my opinion so I was like, here we go pursuing this pro golf thing again. I went after it strong from late 2020 to summer of 2023. I got close in Kentucky at the Barbasol Championship in the pre-qualifying round, which was good for me, as a part time golfer, with no money.

After that event in Kentucky I decided to go to work at Legacy Golf Links in Marietta, GA as the opportunity presented itself by the assistant manager Roxanne Garcia. She presented the offer and I gladly accepted. I did not want to go back into parking as I knew deep down it wasn’t my calling in life. Golf was my love, now I just had to figure out how to make a decent / comfortable living in it. I decided to pick Golf Cream back up and finish my comic book idea on it and I did just that in 2024. I also decided to officially become a golf instructor in the PGA of America organization this year 2024. Not only did I finish the comic book but the book started a clothing line, and continues to morph into other golf accessories.

The biggest challenge in all this for me is me making sure I don’t get in my own way in the story I want to tell through the Golf Cream brand. In my heart I know Golf Cream is a fun brand for all ages to enjoy. It’s truly an original family oriented action comic. I just want to do my best to get the world to have a say so in whether they share my same feelings about it……or not. That’s fine too. Lol

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a certified golf professional teaching golf instruction. I am most proud to see smiles on my students faces as I am able to help them improve their golf skills and be part of their journey. Golf can be very difficult to play at times. I like to think what sets me apart from other instructors is my ability to listen to my students needs and identify what they may be doing wrong but get them to focus more on what they are doing right or what they should be doing right. Getting students to stay positive through training sessions is very important to me, but most importantly being able to make them laugh and have fun. I like doing that.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I like the diverse culture of Atlanta and the surrounding areas. As an African-American instructor I have students of all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. That’s pretty cool. What do I like least….the traffic on the roads. LOL

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.GolfCream.com
• Instagram: @GolfCreamArt