Former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush attended the Presidents Cup in 2017 at Liberty National – a tradition at the centre of the tournament we’ve seen on many occasions at different editions.
We thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some of the world leaders, past and present, who have played golf in the past and see just how good they were…
Which President played the most golf?
George W.H. Bush
George Bush senior was known for being one of the quickest players to get around a golf course and was once rumoured to have finished a round within two hours.
During his time in office, he carried a handicap in the 20s and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 for his work in golf.
He was the original honorary chairman of The First Tee, a golf charity that aims to educate younger people.
George W. Bush
The younger George certainly played a lot of golf at the start of his presidential term but supposedly stopped due to ongoing wars in the Middle East. Many saw this as an attempt to gain positive press following his famous “watch this drive” speech.
He started playing again after his time in office and is said to have got his handicap down to about 10 at one point.
Barack Obama
During his two terms in office, left-hander Obama reportedly played more than 200 rounds of golf. He held a handicap in the mid-20s but is said to have got it down to around 18 since.
Since leaving the White House he has been pictured tackling numerous courses across the world and recently visited Scotland to take on the Old Course at St Andrews. He also attended the recent Solheim Cup in Virginia to support Team USA.
Bill Clinton
If you thought Barack Obama played a lot of rounds then you’ll be surprised at Bill Clinton’s efforts. The 42nd President once confirmed he played around 400 rounds of golf during his time in office.
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Once he left office he lowered his handicap to around 10, like Bush, but has since been fairly inactive due to other commitments.
His charity, the Clinton Foundation, used to host the Humana Challenge PGA Tour event in California every January. This event is now called The American Express.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump has played since arriving and leaving the White House. He has been seen playing with a number of PGA Tour stars including four-time major champion Rory McIlroy in the past.
The ex-President reportedly plays off low single figures but many have questioned this. McIlroy described the former reality TV star as “quite good for a man in his 70s”, but rock star Alice Cooper replied to a question about who is known in some quarters as the biggest cheat in golf with: “I played with Donald Trump one time. That’s all I’m going to say.”
Similarly, Hollywood actor Samuel L Jackson was once asked who was a better golfer, him and Trump. “Me. For sure. I don’t cheat.”
In 2024, Trump played a round with Bryson DeChambeau in a vlog which can be watched on DeChambeau’s YouTube account. It has to be seen to be believed.
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Dwight Eisenhower
Eisenhower reportedly played more than 800 rounds while in office and famously teed it up at Augusta National on a regular basis where he has a cabin named after him to this day.
The famous tree that also took his name on the 17th had to be cut down in 2014.
David Cameron
It’s not just US presidents that take to the links.
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David Cameron was pictured playing golf with Obama in 2016. Apparently, the American came out on top, but details of the former Prime Minister’s game are scarce…
Winston Churchill
Our glorious leader during World War II was rumoured to be a big fan of the game and played a little but perhaps his best golfing moment was this great quote: “Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an ever smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.”
Kim Jon-il
This might be one of the funniest golfing stories of all time. We’ve all heard it, but in case you haven’t…
Kim Jon-il had never played golf before in his life and on his first round it was reported he played in 34 under par with 11 holes-in-one. Yes, you read that one right.
Apparently, the story behind the amazing round is that the scorer was writing down how many over par he was instead of his actual score which would certainly make more sense (but isn’t as amusing).
NOW READ: The true Presidential debate: Who would win a match between Trump and Biden?
Which President played the most golf? Tell us on X!
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