Ava Romero
Joe Biden's golf game has been a topic of interest for many, especially when compared to that of former president Donald Trump, who was an avid golfer. Biden, on the other hand, has been described as an occasional golfer who treats the sport as a personal break rather than a diplomatic tool. His preferred courses, the Wilmington Country Club and Fieldstone Golf Club, are close to his home in Delaware, and his outings are typically low-key and lacking media buzz. Biden's handicap has been a subject of debate, with some sources placing it at a 6, while others claim it's an 8 or even a 10. The discussion about Biden's golfing skills even made its way into a 2024 presidential debate with Trump, where both men boasted about their abilities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plays golf | Yes |
| Handicap | 6.7 according to the United States Golf Association; Biden himself has claimed a handicap of 6 and 8 |
| Frequency of playing golf | Biden doesn't golf often, but when he does, it's a quiet affair. He has played fewer than 20 rounds since taking office, mostly at Wilmington Country Club and Fieldstone Golf Club in Delaware. |
| Golf as a break | Biden treats golf as a personal break, not a diplomatic tool. |
| Golf as a campaign issue | During the 2024 presidential campaign, Biden and Trump got into a heated discussion about who is the better golfer. |
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What You'll Learn
Biden's golf handicap is over 6
Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, has had an interesting journey with golf. While it has never been a central aspect of his public persona, Biden's relationship with the game dates back decades. He didn't start playing until he was nearing 40 years old in the late 1970s. Biden's handicap index is just over 6, according to the United States Golf Association, and he achieved a handicap of 10 in 2016. During his time as vice president under Barack Obama, Biden claimed to have gotten his handicap down to 6, a number he repeated during the 2024 presidential debates.
A handicap in golf is a numerical measure of a player's ability and potential based on previous scores and how they would fare against competitors. The closer a handicap is to zero, the more likely a player is considered a scratch golfer, essentially shooting around par (72) every time. With a handicap of 6, Biden is better than most amateur golfers, typically shooting in the low 80s to high 70s, which is considered a solid score.
Biden's approach to golfing as president has been markedly different from that of his predecessor, Donald Trump. While Trump turned presidential golf outings into high-profile events, Biden treats them as an occasional break from work, playing fewer than 20 rounds since taking office. Biden's preferred courses, the Wilmington Country Club and Fieldstone Golf Club, are close to his home in Delaware, allowing him to avoid the lavish trips that defined Trump's golf habits.
Biden's first recorded golf outing as president was on April 17, 2021, at the Wilmington Country Club, where he played alongside Senior Advisor Steve Ricchetti. His most recent golf outing was on June 4, 2023, at the same club, marking a continuation of his occasional golfing schedule. Biden's low-key approach to golfing reflects his balanced perspective on leisure and leadership, signalling that golf would not dominate his presidency as it did for Trump.
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Biden's first round as president
Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, played his first round of golf as president on April 17, 2021, at the Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. This marked a continuation of his occasional golfing schedule, with Biden treating the game as a personal break rather than a diplomatic tool. Biden's approach to golf differed from his predecessor, Donald Trump, who made frequent and lavish golf trips, often to his own resorts.
Biden's first round of golf as president was a low-key affair, playing with Senior Advisor Steve Ricchetti and Ron Olivere, the father-in-law of Biden's late son, Beau. Biden's golfing ability had been mocked by former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who claimed that Biden had told him he was a good golfer. However, Biden's handicap index was just over 6 according to the United States Golf Association, and he had not played a round since 2018.
As president, Biden kept his golf outings rare and low-profile, with his preferred courses being close to his home in Delaware. This contrasted sharply with Trump, who played over 300 rounds of golf during his four years in office, costing taxpayers almost $146 million. Biden's approach to the game reflected his balanced perspective on leisure and leadership.
In recent years, Biden's golf outings have become even more infrequent, with his last recorded game being on June 4, 2023, at the Wilmington Country Club. By this time, questions had emerged about Biden's mental acuity and cognitive decline, which ultimately led to his decision not to seek reelection in 2024. Biden's declining health was evident during the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, where he appeared frail and struggled to articulate his thoughts, leading to a wave of criticism from the media.
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Biden's golfing compared to Trump's
Joe Biden played golf for the first time as president on April 17, 2021, at the Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. He played alongside senior advisor Steve Ricchetti, keeping the game informal and low-profile. Biden's relationship with golf dates back decades, though it has never been a central aspect of his public persona. He is a member of the Wilmington Country Club and played golf frequently as vice president.
Biden's golfing schedule as president reflects his balanced approach to leisure and leadership. He doesn't golf often, but when he does, it's a quiet affair. His preferred courses are close to his home in Delaware, far from the media spotlight. He treats golf as a personal break rather than a diplomatic tool. Since taking office, he has played fewer than 20 rounds, mostly at the Wilmington Country Club and the Fieldstone Golf Club in Delaware. He avoids long golf trips and keeps his games local and low-key.
Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, was a frequent golfer, playing around every 4.2 days while in office. By the time Biden had played his first round of golf as president, Trump had already recorded 19 separate visits to golf courses during his presidency, mostly at resorts he owned. Over his four years in office, Trump played more than 300 rounds of golf in 150 visits, costing taxpayers almost $146 million. Trump was a fierce critic of former President Barack Obama's golfing habits, but he far outpaced Obama's record. While Trump turned presidential golf outings into high-profile events, Biden treats them as an occasional break from work.
Trump and Biden have traded barbs over their golfing abilities, with Biden mocking Trump for boasting about his double win at a tournament at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump, meanwhile, has claimed a 2.8 handicap, although many have questioned this assertion. Biden has a handicap of just over 6, according to the United States Golf Association, but he has not logged a round since 2018.
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Biden's golfing compared to Obama's
Joe Biden is an avid golfer, but his approach to the sport differs from that of former president Barack Obama. While Biden enjoys the game and has been playing since the late 1970s, he treats it as an occasional break from his presidential duties, keeping his outings low-profile and local. In contrast, Obama golfed regularly during his presidency, and his trips became high-profile events.
Biden's first recorded golf outing as president was on April 17, 2021, at the Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. He played alongside Senior Advisor Steve Ricchetti, keeping the game informal and low-key. Biden has a membership at two courses in his native Delaware: the Wilmington Country Club and the Fieldstone Golf Club, which he lists as his home club. He played frequently as vice president but had not logged a round since 2018 before his April 2021 outing.
Obama, on the other hand, was a regular golfer who admitted to having "an honest 13" handicap in 2016. While the number of times Obama played golf as president is unclear, his trips became high-profile events that attracted media attention. Trump, who claims to have a 2.8 handicap, criticised Obama about golf at least 27 times on Twitter, according to SBNation.
Biden's approach to golfing as president is in stark contrast to that of Obama and Trump. While Trump turned his golfing outings into lavish, high-profile events, Biden keeps his schedule limited, playing fewer than 20 rounds since taking office. Biden's outings are typically at his preferred courses, which are close to his home in Delaware, and are low-key affairs that lack the media buzz surrounding Trump's trips.
While Biden may not golf as frequently as Obama did, he still enjoys the game and respects it. His approach to golfing as president reflects his balanced outlook on leisure and leadership, treating it as a personal break rather than a diplomatic tool.
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Biden's golf courses
Joe Biden's preferred golf courses are the Wilmington Country Club and Fieldstone Golf Club, both in his home state of Delaware. He is a member of the Wilmington Country Club, where he played his first round of golf as president in April 2021. He also played there in June 2023, marking a continuation of his occasional golfing schedule.
Biden's approach to golfing differs from that of former President Donald Trump, who frequently played at golf courses he owned and turned his outings into high-profile events. In contrast, Biden treats golf as an occasional break from work, playing fewer than 20 rounds since taking office. His golf outings are usually low-profile and local, avoiding the lavish trips that defined Trump's golf habits.
In 2024, Trump challenged Biden to a golf match at his Doral course in South Florida, offering to pay $1 million to a charity of Biden's choice if he lost. While Biden's campaign dismissed the challenge as "weird antics", his former golf instructor, Earl Cooper, expressed confidence in Biden's abilities and believed he could beat Trump.
Biden's relationship with golf dates back decades, though it has never been a central part of his public image. He didn't start playing golf until he was nearing 40 years old in the late 1970s. During his time as a senator and vice president, Biden played golf more frequently, often at the Wilmington Country Club.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Joe Biden does play golf.
Joe Biden doesn't golf often, but when he does, it's a quiet affair. Biden treats golf as an occasional break from work, playing fewer than 20 rounds since taking office.
Joe Biden's preferred golf courses are the Wilmington Country Club and the Fieldstone Golf Club in Delaware, close to his home.
Sources suggest that Joe Biden is not a particularly good golfer. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who played golf with Biden, claimed that Biden was "not a good golfer" despite claiming to be one. Biden's handicap index is just over 6 according to the United States Golf Association, though Biden himself has claimed it to be an 8.
Joe Biden's golf schedule is much more limited compared to former President Donald Trump, who turned presidential golf outings into high-profile events. Trump racked up over 300 rounds of golf in 150 visits during his four years in office, costing taxpayers almost $146 million. Biden's approach is more similar to that of former President Barack Obama, who golfed regularly but did not make it into a media spectacle.
