Nina Caldwell
Golfing traditions have evolved among presidents, from Woodrow Wilson playing in the snow to Trump conducting business on the course. The sport has been used as both an escape and an extension of the Oval Office. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a five-star general and the 34th president of the United States, was an avid golfer and played more than 800 rounds of golf while in office. He brought the game to the White House and had a putting green installed outside the Oval Office. Eisenhower often played with celebrities, golf professionals, and high-ranking politicians, using the sport to foster relationships across political parties. John F. Kennedy, Eisenhower's successor, also played golf, though he faced criticism for it while campaigning in 1960. Kennedy and Eisenhower may have played golf together, but there is no specific mention of them doing so.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times Eisenhower and Kennedy golfed together | Unknown, but Kennedy played with Bradlee a dozen times in their five years together in Washington |
| Eisenhower's frequent golfing partners | Celebrities, golf professionals, and high-ranking politicians, such as Bob Hope, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Sen. Robert Taft, and Gen. Omar Bradley |
| Kennedy's golfing partners | Bradlee, Jackie Kennedy |
| Eisenhower's impact on golf | Brought golf to the White House, increased nationwide interest in the game, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009 |
| Kennedy's impact on golf | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Eisenhower's impact on golf
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, was an avid golfer and is considered golf's "ultimate ambassador". His frequent visits to the golf course, along with his undeniable political appeal, increased nationwide interest in the game.
Eisenhower's popularity was at an all-time high in the changing culture of post-war America, and with a public passion for the game, many Americans took up golf to be more like Ike. The end of World War II, which was led by Eisenhower's command of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, meant that the methods of mass production developed during wartime provided greater financial freedom and more leisure time for the American family. Golf benefited greatly from this trend; in fact, the number of golfers approximately doubled during Eisenhower’s two terms as president. Eisenhower, an enthusiastic player, carded more than 800 rounds of golf while he was commander-in-chief. He would often play with celebrities, golf professionals, and high-ranking politicians, such as Bob Hope, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Sen. Robert Taft, and Gen. Omar Bradley. He also used the golf course to build relationships with representatives from both political parties.
Eisenhower believed that golf epitomized an era of growing families and a burgeoning American culture. In 1953, he wrote: "It is a sport in which the whole family can participate. It offers healthy respite from daily toil, refreshment of body and mind." He also saw the game as a way to foster goodwill and understanding among the international community. The trophy of the World Amateur Team Championship, founded in 1958, is aptly named after Eisenhower, who said in a White House address to championship representatives: "I visualize it as a potent force for establishing friendship between yet another segment of the populations of nations."
Eisenhower's love for the game was such that he had a 3,000-square-foot putting green constructed just outside the Oval Office to help satisfy his itch when he couldn’t make it to the course. He would also take practice swings next to his desk, with a club in his hands, while dictating letters to his secretary. Eisenhower's impact on golf's popularity was immense, and he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009, the first president to receive the honour.
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Kennedy's relationship with golf
John F. Kennedy was a passionate golfer, playing regularly at the Hyannisport Club in Massachusetts and the Palm Beach Country Club in Florida. Kennedy was a member of Harvard University's golf team and was described as a single-digit handicap golfer. He was also competitive, with a beautiful swing, and was considered the most athletic golfer among the U.S. presidents.
Kennedy's love for golf began in his childhood. Growing up on Cape Cod, Kennedy and his siblings took up golf as their family patriarch, Joseph P. Kennedy, was blackballed by a club near Boston due to his Irish heritage. As a result, the Kennedys went to Hyannisport, where the children grew up playing golf.
Kennedy's wife, Jackie, also shared his love for golf. She transformed a pasture into a golf course, where Kennedy held the course record at 37, one over par. Kennedy's regular golf partners included press secretary Pierre Salinger, brother-in-law Peter Lawford, ABC News national affairs editor Bill Lawrence, and senior military aide, Maj.
Kennedy's predecessor, Dwight D. Eisenhower, was also an avid golfer and played a significant role in popularising the sport. Eisenhower frequently played with celebrities, golf professionals, and politicians. He brought golf to the White House, even constructing a 3,000-square-foot putting green outside the Oval Office. Eisenhower's passion for golf influenced Kennedy, who followed in his footsteps, bringing golf to the forefront of the presidency.
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Eisenhower and Kennedy's golfing frequency
Eisenhower was an avid golfer, and his frequent visits to the golf course, coupled with his undeniable political appeal, increased nationwide interest in the game. He was so enamoured with the sport that he had a 3,000-square-foot putting green constructed just outside the Oval Office to practice when he couldn't make it to the course. He played about 800 rounds of golf during his presidency, averaging about two 18-hole rounds per week. He often played with celebrities, golf professionals, and high-ranking politicians, such as Bob Hope, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, and General Omar Bradley. He also formed a close friendship with legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, and the two played together regularly and spent time with their families.
John F. Kennedy, Eisenhower's successor, also played golf, though it was less publicized during his campaign due to his youth, wealth, and Catholic faith. Kennedy was described as a competitive golfer with a beautiful swing, and he played with Eisenhower at least once. According to Ben Bradlee, Kennedy's White House aide and friend, the two played together about a dozen times in the five years they were both in Washington. Kennedy's golfing partners also included his wife, Jackie, who had a golf course built on her pasture as a birthday gift.
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Eisenhower's golfing partners
Golf was a popular pastime of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was an enthusiastic player and a five-star general. He carded over 800 rounds of golf during his two terms as president from 1953 to 1960. Eisenhower's love for the game was such that he had a 3,000-square-foot putting green constructed just outside the Oval Office to practice when he couldn't make it to the course. He also brought the White House to the golf course by playing with celebrities, golf professionals, and high-ranking politicians.
One of Eisenhower's golfing partners was Steve Tobash, a former caddy who became the golf pro at Fort Meade, just 30 miles from the White House. Eisenhower walked countless miles with Tobash along the Bermuda fairways and even gifted him a set of his personally used Spalding golf clubs, which Tobash's family deeply treasured.
While there is no specific mention of John F. Kennedy being Eisenhower's golfing partner, they did interact during the transition period after Kennedy's election in 1960. Kennedy himself was a competitive golfer with a beautiful swing, but he kept his golfing profile low during the campaign, not wanting to be seen as a golfer while already young, handsome, wealthy, Catholic, and a Democrat.
Eisenhower's legacy in golf extends beyond his playing partners, as he left a lasting impact on the sport's popularity in America. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009, recognised as the sport's "ultimate ambassador". His frequent visits to golf courses, coupled with his political appeal, increased nationwide interest in the game. This popularity led to the development of golf courses and facilities bearing his name, such as the Eisenhower Park Golf Courses in East Meadow and Hicksville, and the Eisenhower Golf Club in Colorado, which boasts championship-level courses designed by renowned architects.
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Kennedy's golfing partners
John F. Kennedy was a competitive golfer with a beautiful swing, according to Ben Bradlee, who played with him. Kennedy was a single-digit handicap golfer and an all-round athlete who played on Harvard University's golf team. Kennedy's golfing partners included his brother-in-law, Peter Lawford, press secretary Pierre Salinger, ABC News national affairs editor Bill Lawrence, and senior military aide Maj. Gen. Chester Clifton.
Kennedy also played with future Undersecretary of the Navy Paul B. Fay Jr. at the famed Cypress Point Golf Club in California in 1960. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, celebrated his 43rd birthday at the club, and he played a round of golf before the festivities.
Kennedy's family grew up playing golf in Hyannisport, and his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, was blackballed by a club near Boston in the early 1920s due to his Irish heritage.
While Kennedy was campaigning for Eisenhower's job in 1960, he refrained from being seen as a golfer, despite having a game worth showing off. Kennedy and Eisenhower played golf together only a dozen times in their five years together in Washington, according to Bradlee.
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Frequently asked questions
No, it does not seem like Eisenhower and Kennedy golfed together. However, Kennedy did play golf with Bradlee, a Washington newsman, about a dozen times in their five years together in Washington.
Eisenhower golfed with celebrities, golf professionals, and high-ranking politicians, such as Bob Hope, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Sen. Robert Taft, and Gen. Omar Bradley. He also golfed with Arnold Palmer, a close friend, and golf pro Steve Tobash.
Yes, Kennedy played golf. He was described as "competitive as hell, and had just a beautiful swing. He could hit it a ton, but, like all of us, often had no idea where it was going."
Yes, Eisenhower loved golf. He played more than 800 rounds of golf while he was commander-in-chief, averaging about two 18-hole rounds per week. He even brought golf to the White House, installing a 3,000-square-foot putting green just outside the Oval Office and practising swings next to his desk while dictating letters.
