Nina Caldwell
Former US President Donald Trump was a vocal critic of Barack Obama's golfing habits, frequently taking to Twitter to criticise his predecessor for golfing or vacationing. Trump claimed that he would not have time to golf if he were elected president. However, according to various sources, Trump has spent far more time at golf clubs than Obama had at the same point in his presidency. While Obama played 98 rounds of golf at this stage, Trump had spent all or part of 248 days at a golf course. Trump's actual number of rounds played is likely significantly higher, as his aides often obscure whether he is playing golf during visits to his golf courses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times Obama golfed | 98 rounds through this point in his presidency, totalling 333 rounds in his eight-year presidency |
| Trump's criticism of Obama's golfing habits | Trump criticised Obama for golfing during his eight years in office, claiming he spent too much time golfing and on vacation. |
| Trump's golfing habits | Trump golfed six times during his first month in office and has spent all or part of 248 days at a golf course. |
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What You'll Learn
Obama played 333 golf rounds during his presidency
During his presidency, Barack Obama played 333 rounds of golf, according to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller. This works out as an average of about 41 rounds per year.
Donald Trump, who frequently criticised Obama for golfing while in office, has spent more time at golf clubs than his predecessor. Trump has visited golf courses at least 154 times during his presidency, with documented evidence of him playing golf on at least 70 of those visits. Trump's aides often refuse to confirm whether he is playing golf during his visits to golf clubs, so it is difficult to calculate the exact number of times he has played. However, CNN reports that Trump has spent all or part of 248 days at a golf course, while their own count puts the number at 266 days.
Trump's criticism of Obama's golfing habits continued into his own presidency. He has claimed that Obama played golf instead of working and that it affected his ability to pass legislation. Trump also accused Obama of not considering his carbon footprint when golfing, despite the fact that Trump's "golf-related 'carbon footprint'" has been bigger.
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Trump criticised Obama for golfing too much
During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump frequently criticised Barack Obama for golfing too much. In a 2016 event in Virginia, Trump said:
> I'm going to be working for you, I'm not going to have time to go play golf.
Trump also used Twitter to criticise Obama, claiming that he was golfing or vacationing 38 times during a three-year span. Snopes found that this number was exaggerated, with Trump actually complaining about Obama's leisure activities around 15 times between 2014 and 2017.
Despite his criticism of Obama, Trump has spent more time at golf clubs than Obama did during his time in office. According to CNN, Obama played 98 rounds of golf during his presidency, while Trump had spent all or part of 248 days at a golf course by May 2020. Trump has also been criticised for the cost of his golf trips, with US taxpayers spending tens of millions of dollars on his golf outings to Mar-a-Lago.
Trump's criticism of Obama's golfing habits continued into his own presidency. In May 2020, Trump accused the media of failing to talk about "all of the time Obama spent on the golf course". He also criticised Obama for golfing during times of crisis, such as during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
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Trump golfed more than Obama
During his presidency, Donald Trump frequently criticized Barack Obama for golfing too much. Trump claimed that, as president, he would not have time to play golf. However, Trump has spent far more time at golf clubs than Obama did during his presidency.
Trump visited golf courses several times during his first month in office. Images circulated on social media claimed that Trump played golf six times during his first month, although it is unclear if he played golf on each of those visits to golf courses. Trump and his aides often refused to confirm whether he was playing golf during these visits.
During his eight years in office, Obama played a total of 333 rounds of golf, averaging about 41 rounds per year. In contrast, Trump has spent all or part of 248 days at a golf course, with CNN counting him at 266 days spending some time at a golf course. Trump Golf Count, a tracking website, documented evidence of Trump playing golf on at least 70 out of 154 visits to golf courses during his presidency.
While the exact number of times Trump has golfed is unclear due to the secrecy surrounding his visits, it is evident that Trump has spent significantly more time at golf clubs than Obama did during the same period in their respective presidencies.
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Obama golfed after announcing a murder
Former US President Donald Trump was a vocal critic of his predecessor Barack Obama's golfing habits. Trump had often criticised Obama for spending too much time on the golf course, claiming that he went golfing 38 times during his eight years in office. Trump even suggested during his 2016 campaign that if elected, he would not have time to play golf.
However, despite his criticism of Obama, Trump himself visited golf courses several times during his first month in office. In fact, Trump has spent much more time at golf clubs than Obama had at the same point in his presidency. Obama played 98 rounds of golf through this point in his presidency, while Trump had spent all or part of 248 days at a golf course.
In one of his tweets, Trump criticised Obama for "teeing off minutes after announcing the gruesome death of a great young man by ISIS". This claim was accurate, as Obama did go golfing in 2014 while on vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, minutes after condemning the murder of journalist James Foley by ISIS. Obama conceded in an interview the next month that golfing after announcing Foley's murder was a bad idea, stating that "I should've anticipated the optics".
Obama's golfing after announcing the murder of James Foley is an example of how presidents' leisure activities can be perceived as insensitive or inappropriate, especially during times of national tragedy or crisis. It also highlights the contrast between Trump's criticism of Obama's golfing habits and his own frequent visits to golf courses during his presidency.
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Trump's aides obscure if he golfs
During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump was a vocal critic of Barack Obama's golfing habits. Trump regularly slammed the former president for playing golf while there were pressing issues before the country. He also criticised Obama for flying to Hawaii to play golf, claiming it damaged the "so-called Carbon Footprint". Trump even suggested that if elected, he would not have time to play golf, stating: "I'm going to be working for you, I'm not going to have time to go play golf."
However, Trump has spent far more time at golf clubs than Obama had at the same point in his presidency. Through this point in his first presidential term, Obama had made three vacation trips to Hawaii, totalling 29,978 miles in air travel. In contrast, Trump has made 30 trips to Palm Beach, Florida, totalling 51,540 miles. Obama played 98 rounds of golf at this point in his presidency, while Trump has spent all or part of 248 days at a golf course. CNN's count puts Trump at 266 days spending some time at a golf course.
Trump's aides often refuse to confirm that he played golf during visits to a golf club, making it challenging to determine the exact number of times he has golfed as President. This obscuring of information is notable given Trump's previous criticism of Obama's golfing habits. In one instance, a video posted by Twitter user @MikeNFrank provided the only evidence of Trump golfing, with White House aides declining to confirm the activity.
Trump's golfing has drawn criticism, especially when it occurs during sensitive times, such as when three United States soldiers were killed during a joint US-Afghan military operation in Afghanistan. Trump's aides, while refusing to confirm his golfing, stated that he was receiving continuous updates about the incident.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Obama played a total of 333 rounds of golf during his eight-year presidency, according to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller. That averages out to about 41 rounds per year.
Yes, Trump golfed even more than Obama. Trump has spent all or part of 248 days at a golf course, according to Knoller. CNN’s own count has Trump at 266 days spending some time at a Trump golf course.
Yes, Trump frequently criticised Obama for golfing while president. Trump said that he would not have time to golf if he were elected president. However, he ended up golfing more than Obama.
