Jimmy Hamilton joined the Meredith College staff in August 2017 to direct the new club golf program, which became the college's ninth varsity sport in fall 2019. Hamilton utilized his nearly 40 years of professional golf leadership and teaching experience to move the program to varsity status in just two years.
In year one as a varsity program under Hamilton's direction, the Meredith Angels competed in three fall tournaments and two in the spring with Sarah Wallace leading the team to their top rounds of the year at the Revolutionary Classic. Foundation team members Leah Campbell and Allyson Nowell consistently contributed to the Avenging Angels' finish with Nowell capturing the program's first Rob and Lori Moscato Leadership Award.
A golf instructor at Wildwood Green Golf Club since 2012, Hamilton now also serves as director of instruction at The Golf Academy, while still conducting private lessons and junior programming aimed at long term player development.
He coached four years of middle school golf at St. Timothy's School and 14 varsity and junior varsity seasons at Saint Mary's. Hamilton was integral in the establishment of North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Girls' State Golf Championship beginning in 2011.
Hamilton's professional golf career began at North Ridge Country Club as the assistant golf professional, and he spent one year as the head golf pro at Raleigh Country Club. Before joining Wildwood Green, Hamilton also owned and operated two Raleigh-area golf practice centers, managing all aspects of each business while continuing to teach.
Throughout his career, Hamilton has received recognition for his teaching expertise, including a nod from Golf Digest as a top-10 North Carolina teacher from 2003-2006 and most recently in November 2019. He has received multiple nominations from his PGA peers for Carolinas PGA Junior Golf Leader, Teacher of the Year, and Club Professional of the Year. Several of his golfers have gone on to compete for NCAA Division I programs, including 2017 U.S. Amateur Champion and the 2016-17 Clemson University ACC Freshman of the Year, Doc Redman.
Hamilton made the cut in 1991 at the Greater Greensboro Open and finished tied for eighth in the 2009 National Senior Club Professional Championship. He played the following year in the 2010 Senior PGA Championship at Colorado Golf Club in Denver.
Hamilton graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and holds a Class A membership from PGA of America.
