Nate Grimes grew up in east Denver and graduated from East High School in 1925. He attended the University of Denver, but the Great Depression precluded the completion of his studies. From 1929 until his retirement, he worked for the Equitable Life Insurance Company of the United States.
As a teenager, Nate would roam the north side of City Park Golf Course and recover lost golf balls. With the balls he found, he would trade Floyd Grosebeck for old golf clubs. At daybreak he would appear at the practice range alone because he did not want to be in anyone’s way. Nate was self-made; he would listen to tips from better players and work on these tips until they became part of his game. Nate was perhaps best known for his short game which he perfected by chipping golf balls onto his living room sofa.
Before World War II Grimes played at Green Gables Country Club where he is fondly remembered for his golf skills and helpful ways. After the war he maintained his sharp game at Park Hill Golf Course.
Grimes was a three-time winner of the Park Hill Invitational, which was the largest amateur event in Colorado from the late 1930’s to the mid-40’s. He tied Lawson Little for the Denver Open title in 1931 and won the Denver Amateur and City Championships in 1930 and 1932. He added the Colorado Stroke Play Championship in 1937 in that tournament’s inaugural year. Nate’s proudest accomplishment was in 1929 where he captured medalist honors in the Trans-Mississippi.
