James E. “Buddy” Cook was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2017, nearly five decades after his career as a PGA golf professional began.

His vast experience at notable clubs across the Lone Star State includes developing the Briggs Ranch Golf Club and The Golf Club of Texas, as well as stops as the director of golf or head professional at Royal Oaks Country Club, The Dominion Country Club, and La Cantera Golf Club. He began his career as an assistant pro at San Antonio’s Oak Hills Country Club, where he learned the craft under Hardy Loudermilk, an inaugural Texas Golf Hall of Fame class member.

Outside of the state, Cook also had stints as Director of Golf at The Vintage Club (Indian Wells, Calif.) and Tulsa (Okla.) Country Club and served as a golf professional at Indian Springs Country Club (Broken Arrow, Okla.).

Among the notable celebrities that Cook has taught are professional football coach Tom Landry, country music star George Strait, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, motorsports driver Mario Andretti and actress Kathryn Crosby. At Royal Oaks, he worked with junior golfer Justin Leonard, who went on to become a Ryder Cup and PGA Tour star and a major champion.

Cook was named the 1999 Southern Texas PGA Golf Professional of the Year. He has mentored more than two dozen apprentices, including Texas Golf Hall of Famer Randy Smith as well as Billy Harmon and Warren Chancellor.

He later served as tournament director of San Antonio's Champions Tour event. Tabbed by Joe Black to relaunch the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, Cook served as the organization’s chairman from 2009-15.