President Donald Trump is the 16th of the previous 19 presidents to play golf. His ascension to the White House thrust him to our top spot of presidential golfers.
Don’t believe us? No other commander-in-chief has a resume that comes close: a 2.8 handicap index and 19 club championships.
Some chief executives on this list will surprise you with their athletic prowess while others will leave you chuckling at their haplessness – but we promise every name will be of interest.
In honor of this weekend’s Master’s tournament, here are AAN’s rankings of the best presidential golfers.
1.) Donald Trump
“I never really wanted to know a lot about my technique. I really trust instinct a lot, in golf and a lot of things.”
You probably would have expected a man who owns seven golf courses in America alone would have at least some experience right? Well, he indeed does. Donald Trump is an easy pick for number one with a tremendous 19 championship victories, a 2.8 handicap, and according to Jamie Diaz of Golf Digest, his long game on the green is solid. Trump told Diaz that “he’s basically self-taught” and that he lets his instincts guide him.
2.) John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy was more than just your run-of-the-mill golfer; he was the second most impressive athlete on our list. During his life, JFK suffered in constant agony from chronic back pain and endured invasive medical treatments, including several spinal surgeries. Despite that, he cherished his time on the links as a Member of Congress and the 35th President of the United States. As a young man, he joined Harvard’s golf team, which carried the love for the game into his adult life.
3.) Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower loved the game of golf so much you could argue he was addicted. Eisenhower had a putting green installed outside the Oval Office so he could practice his short game whenever he didn’t have time to escape to the links. Fred Corcoran, the famous Golf promoter, said that his devotion to the sport was the best thing to ever happened to it. He was a member of Augusta National where he played a total of 210 rounds while in the White House.
4.) Gerald R. Ford
“I know I am getting better at this game because I am hitting fewer spectators.”
Despite his natural athleticism, Gerald Ford was an average golfer. His reputation, among some, for being worse than he was came from an unfortunate incident where his ball hit spectators watching the game.
5.) George W. Bush
“Now, Watch This Drive.”
The 43rd President of the United States had a mighty swing. He achieved it through long hours of practice and hard work. After he left office, he was able to bring his handicap to a 10.
6.) Bill Clinton
Bubba could break 90 – with a healthy number of “Billigans.” He received an award from the PGA, but many fans grumbled under their breath, because, like his presidency, he played loose and fast with the rules.
7.) Barack Obama
Obama put approximately 1,100 hours into the game of golf while serving his two terms as president of the United States. When Obama first entered the White House, he was at a 17 handicap and put enough time and practice into the game to bring it down to a 13 by the time he left. Despite spending an awful lot of time on the course, he, unfortunately, wasn’t good enough to quit his day job.
8.) William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft is considered the first president to play golf. He would play in front of media. Although Taft professed his love for the game, the president was not the best golfer. He had a handicap that hovered around 20.
9.) Woodrow Wilson
During the First World War, Wilson would play golf almost daily. During the winter, the racist progressive would order the secret service to paint his golf balls black so that he could find them in the snow. Wilson played more than 1,000 rounds of golf while in office, but despite this astronomical figure, Woodrow hardly ever broke 100.
10.) Calvin Coolidge
Silent Cal was indifferent to the sport and like many things did so out of obligation. He left his clubs at the White House.
AAN Staff
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