There is a strong relationship between golf and the Oval Office, with the history stretching back more than a century. Nearly every U.S. president in the last 75 years has played golf at some point. The last time a president didn’t play golf was Jimmy Carter, more than 41 years ago, with sixteen of the last 19 presidents having taken to the golf course.
Top 10 Golf-Loving US Presidents
Woodrow Wilson
Wilson holds the record for most golf played by a sitting U.S. president, having played over 1,200 rounds during his tenure. The politician reportedly played with black lacquer golf balls even in the snow.
Wilson used golf to escape the pressures and stress of the presidency, notably in historical times like the morning he declared war on Germany when he engaged in a round with his wife.
John F. Kennedy
JFK is known for his golf-hitting ability. Nonetheless, he stayed off the golf course during his presidency because he didn’t want to appear as a rich man rather than as the people’s president.
Before becoming president, JFK was an avid golfer who devoted much of his life to the sport. He played most of his golf at the Burning Tree Club in Washington, DC. Early in his life, Kennedy was also a member of his Harvard Golf team.
Donald Trump
Trump is associated with golf more than any other president, owning several high-end golf resorts. The former U.S. president even criticized how much golf Obama played during his tenure, replacing the White House golf simulator he found in the office with a $50,000 version.
What is certain is that Trump deeply loves the game and uses his passion in running his golf course business. The mogul also enjoys spending time with celebrities, which extends to the golf course.
Barack Obama
Obama was the eighth left-handed U.S. president and played golf as a left-hander. He even received criticism for playing too much golf, reportedly playing about 333 times in two years during his presidency.
Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight Eisenhower, named Golfweek’s Golfer of the Century in 2000, was a prominent Augusta National Golf Club member. Eisenhower set up a putting green at the White House and played approximately 800 rounds during his tenure.
Eisenhower didn’t grow up playing golf but started at 35-years-old. The politician was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame for revolutionizing golf and making it accessible to the average citizen.
