Miles Bennett
Former US President Donald Trump has a long history with golf. He owns resorts and courses worldwide and has played with some of the sport's biggest names. However, Trump is also infamous for cheating at golf. Sportswriter Rick Reilly, who wrote the book Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, alleges that Trump uses various tactics to cheat, including moving balls before opponents catch up and claiming victories when he didn't participate. Trump's critics have questioned his numerous championship wins, especially on his own courses, and some professional golfers have admitted to letting him cheat. Trump's cheating reputation has soured relationships with golf organizations and raised questions about his character.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Caddies' nickname for Trump | Pele |
| Caddies' reason for the nickname | Because Trump kicks his ball back onto the fairway |
| Rick Reilly's description of Trump's cheating | Like a Mafia accountant |
| Trump's cheating tactics | Using a "turbo-charged golf cart" to get ahead of his competition so he can move the balls around before people catch up |
| Trump's attitude towards cheating | He has to be the best at everything and can't stand not winning |
| Trump's actions when called out for cheating | Shrugs and cheats some more |
| Trump's cheating incident | Stole his opponent's ball, pretended to make a putt for a birdie |
| Trump's cheating enablers | Caddies and Secret Service agents |
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What You'll Learn
- Trump's cheating tactics include using a turbo-charged golf cart to get ahead of his competition
- Trump has allegedly never won a championship at a course he doesn't own and operate
- Trump has been known to cheat in front of people, and 90% of people interviewed say he openly cheats
- Trump's critics on social media found it hard to believe that he won a championship, again, on a course he owns
- Trump allegedly exaggerates his golf scores, his handicap, and his club championships
Trump's cheating tactics include using a turbo-charged golf cart to get ahead of his competition
Sportswriter Rick Reilly, who has golfed with Trump, has claimed that the former president's cheating tactics include using a "turbo-charged golf cart" to get ahead of his competition.
Trump's cheating has become legendary and was the subject of a 2019 book by Reilly, titled "Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump." In the book, Reilly writes that Trump "throws it, boots it, and moves it. He lies about his lies. He fudges and foozles and fluffs."
One of Trump's tactics, according to Reilly, is to use a turbo-charged golf cart to get ahead of his playing partners and move their balls around before they catch up. This allows him to cheat by claiming that his ball is closer to the hole or even pretending that he has made a birdie.
Trump's cheating is not limited to using a turbo-charged golf cart. He has also been accused of lying about his scores, exaggerating his handicap, and manipulating the value of his courses to get tax breaks. Trump's critics have pointed out that his golf championships are often won on courses that he owns and operates, and they have questioned the legitimacy of these victories.
Trump's cheating has damaged his reputation in the golf world, and many people have stopped playing with him because of it. Despite this, he continues to boast about his golfing achievements, claiming to have won numerous club championships.
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Trump has allegedly never won a championship at a course he doesn't own and operate
Sportswriter Rick Reilly, who has golfed with Trump, has said that the former president has "never won a championship at a course he doesn't own and operate". Trump has claimed to have won 18 club championships, and 23 championships in total. However, critics have pointed out that much of Trump's success comes on his own courses, with at least three other championships at Trump clubs in 2025 alone.
Trump's critics on social media have expressed disbelief at his repeated championship wins, which always seem to occur on courses that he owns. One critic commented that it is "kinda easy to win when you're the only one playing".
Trump's golfing habits have been the subject of a book by Reilly, titled "Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump". In it, and in various interviews, Reilly has alleged that Trump uses a "turbo-charged golf cart" to get ahead of his competition so that he can move the balls around before people catch up. He has also claimed that Trump will call in to a tournament and demand to be awarded the trophy, saying, "I usually beat that guy, give me the trophy".
Trump's relationship with the PGA Tour soured in 2016 when the tour moved the World Golf Championship from Trump National Doral to Mexico City. Trump's ownership of golf courses has also caused controversy in Scotland, where he has been refused by the R&A, the governing body of the game, to stage the prestigious Open Championship at his course in Turnberry.
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Trump has been known to cheat in front of people, and 90% of people interviewed say he openly cheats
Donald Trump has long been accused of cheating at golf, with sportswriter Rick Reilly even publishing a book on the subject, titled 'Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump'. In it, Reilly details the former president's dubious claims on the course, alleging that Trump has "never won a championship at a course he doesn't own and operate".
Trump's critics on social media have also expressed their disbelief at his numerous golf championship wins, especially since many of them have been on courses that he owns. Trump has also been accused of cheating during tournaments he didn't physically attend. According to Reilly, Trump would simply "call in and go, 'I usually beat that guy, give me the trophy'".
Trump has also been known to cheat in front of people, and 90% of those interviewed by a golf.com journalist said he openly cheats. One incident involved Trump playing in a charity event at a prestigious South Florida course. After a poor tee shot, Trump claimed a ball near the hole was his, despite his playing partners not seeing it land on the green. In another instance, Trump drove off in his golf cart after a mediocre shot, only for his playing partner to hit a great shot down the middle. By the time they got to the ball's landing spot, it was nowhere to be seen. Trump was already on the green, holding up his ball and celebrating a birdie. Trump had stolen their ball, hit it himself, and pretended he'd made the putt.
Trump's cheating has been so blatant that he has earned the nickname "Pele" at Winged Foot, where he is a member, because he frequently kicks his ball back onto the fairway.
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Trump's critics on social media found it hard to believe that he won a championship, again, on a course he owns
Trump's critics on social media have expressed disbelief at his golf prowess, with some pointing out the convenience of winning on his own courses. One Twitter user, Shahn Khalfan, commented sarcastically on Trump's win, saying, "Kinda easy to win when you're the only one playing. And of course, he squeezed in 'between meetings and phone calls'—classic narcissist move." Another Twitter user, Beth Martin, drew comparisons to other authoritarian leaders who routinely "win" sporting events, such as Putin and hockey, and Turkmenistan's Berdymukhamedov falling off his horse after a race "win".
Trump's critics also questioned his character, suggesting that his lack of sportsmanship and respect for the rules reflect poorly on his personality. One Amazon reviewer of Reilly's book, "Commander in Cheat", wrote, "This book reveals that Donald Trump only respects himself and he lies and cheats at every opportunity. He is a pitiful individual who will cheat to ensure he comes out first!"
Trump's cheating reputation has spread beyond social media, with professional golfers such as Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson admitting that they have let him cheat against them. Trump's caddies at Winged Foot even gave him the nickname "Pele" because he would kick his ball back onto the fairway. Despite the widespread criticism and accusations of cheating, Trump continues to boast about his golf achievements, claiming to have won numerous club championships.
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Trump allegedly exaggerates his golf scores, his handicap, and his club championships
Sportswriter Rick Reilly, who wrote the book *Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump,* has alleged that former US President Donald Trump exaggerates his golf scores, his handicap, and his club championships.
In 2023, Trump claimed he had won 18 club championships, including one that weekend at West Palm Beach. However, Trump's critics on social media found it hard to believe that the president had won yet another championship, and, notably, on a course he owns.
Trump has a history of winning championships at his own clubs. In 2025, he boasted on social media about winning both the Club Championship Trophy and the Senior Club Championship Trophy at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. He also claimed to have won three championships that year alone.
In 2024, Trump was awarded the Senior Club Championship Trophy at Trump International West Palm Beach, despite not playing in the first round. He had played a round earlier that week and decided to use that score for the first round of the championship.
According to Reilly, Trump has "never won a championship at a course he doesn't own and operate" despite claiming he's won 23. Trump has played at stricter courses like Pebble Beach and Lake Tahoe and has never been in "the top half".
Trump's handicap, a numerical measure of a golfer's skill, is as low as 2.8, according to Golf Digest. However, Reilly disputes this figure in his book.
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Frequently asked questions
Trump uses a variety of tactics to cheat at golf, including moving his ball, stealing other players' balls, and exaggerating his scores. He also takes advantage of his position as a course owner to manipulate the value of his courses and the rankings of his tournaments.
According to Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Lance Dodes, Trump's compulsive cheating stems from a psychological need to be the best at everything. Trump's cheating is so notorious that it has ruined his reputation in the golf world.
"Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump" is a book by acclaimed sportswriter Rick Reilly that details Trump's cheating tactics and lack of sportsmanlike behaviour on the golf course. The book also explores how Trump's cheating extends beyond golf to his business and political dealings.
One example of Trump cheating at golf is when he claimed to have won a club championship at West Palm Beach, despite not playing in the first round. On another occasion, Trump stole a fellow player's ball and pretended to have made a birdie putt. Trump has also been accused of taking mulligans and using a "turbo-charged golf cart" to gain an advantage over his competitors.
