Ava Romero
Former US President Barack Obama's golf habits were a subject of scrutiny during his presidency. Obama played 333 rounds of golf during his eight-year presidency, with an estimated cost of $114 million. Obama's handicap is 13, and he typically scores in the mid-80s to low 90s. Obama used golf as a way to unwind, spend time outdoors, and build relationships with foreign leaders and politicians.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Handicap | 13 |
| Average score | Mid-80s to low 90s |
| Number of rounds played during presidency | 333 |
| Number of women joined him on the links | 3 |
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What You'll Learn
Obama's handicap
Barack Obama's golf handicap was a closely guarded secret during his presidency. When asked about his score at TPC Sawgrass by a reporter, Obama replied that it was "classified".
However, in 2016, after logging his 300th golf round in office, Obama disclosed to Golf Channel's David Feherty that his handicap was "an honest 13". Obama described his game as follows: "I think my irons are good, my drive is straight but unimpressive in length, and my putting's decent, chipping is OK. My sand game is terrible."
Obama was an avid golfer, and his golfing habits were a subject of scrutiny during his presidency. He was often criticised by Republicans for playing too often, and for playing during times of national crisis. However, supporters argued that golf was a way for the president to unwind and clear his mind. Obama also used golf as a way to build relationships and conduct diplomacy, often playing with foreign leaders and politicians.
Obama's golf diplomacy with John Boehner, the majority leader in Congress, attracted particular attention. Boehner had a handicap of between 5 and 8, and the two shared a victory during their round, with some speculating that Boehner may have taken a few extras to avoid humiliating the president.
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Obama's golf partners
Barack Obama has had quite a few high-profile golf partners over the years. Obama has included another elected official in a game only nine times since taking office, and on five of those occasions, that official was Joe Biden, who Obama called one of his "favourite golf partners". Obama has also played 26 rounds with his friend Dr. Eric Whitaker from Chicago, 33 rounds with campaign photographer David Katz, and nine with Walter Nicholson, the brother of his trip director, Marvin Nicholson. Marvin Nicholson has played golf with Obama 103 times since he took office, overseeing all aspects of the president's travel, and his most important role is arguably as First Bro. Obama has also played with sports journalists Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, White House staffer Ben Finkenbinder, and U.S. Trade Rep Ron Kirk. In 2013, Obama played golf with former NBA player Alonzo Mourning at Grande Oaks Golf Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Obama's playing partners have also included Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key, the Malaysian Prime Minister, and childhood friends and White House officials.
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Cost of Obama's golf outings
While it is unclear exactly how much Barack Obama's golf outings cost the taxpayer, we can make some estimations. According to Judicial Watch, a conservative group, the cost of the first family's personal or largely personal travel during Obama's eight years in office came to $US85 million ($118 million). This is likely to climb to $US90 million after additional records are released. This includes the family's annual trip to Hawaii, estimated at $US3.5 million or more.
In comparison, Donald Trump's golf trips are estimated to have cost taxpayers millions of dollars. A 2019 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined four trips that Trump took to his Palm Beach resort during his first term, costing a total of $13.6 million, or about $3.4 million for each visit. This includes the cost of flying Air Force One and a separate cargo plane carrying the presidential motorcade. With seven trips to the resort so far in his current term, the US government has likely spent more than $23 million on Trump's golf outings.
The Trump family's extensive travel has resulted in a significant increase in Secret Service costs. In the last two fiscal years, the Trump family has taken 3,249 protected trips, compared to 933 by the Obama family in seven years. This has led to a massive increase in the Secret Service budget to accommodate the family's travels. For example, in February 2017, Eric and Don Jr. Trump's trip to Dubai to open a Trump-branded golf club cost the Secret Service more than $200,000.
While the cost of Obama's golf outings is not precisely known, it is important to note that Trump's frequent trips to his own resorts and the high number of protected trips taken by his family have resulted in significant expenses for American taxpayers.
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Obama's golf frequency
Barack Obama played a lot of golf while serving as US president from 2008 to 2016. Obama's golf outings were a popular target of conservative critics during his term, who frequently maligned him for how often he played. According to one source, Obama played approximately 41 rounds of golf per year, or about 333 rounds during his eight years as president. This equates to around 1,665 hours, or 3% of his total time in office.
Obama's most frequent golf locations were the courses at Joint Base Andrews, just outside Washington, DC, where he played 107 times. He also played 54 times at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, 27 times at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and 38 times on Martha's Vineyard across seven visits. Obama has played golf with several notable figures, including British Prime Minister David Cameron, House Speaker John Boehner, and retired NBA star Alonzo Mourning.
Obama's golf partners have described him as a competitive player and a serious scorekeeper who counts every shot, good or bad. His scores regularly hit the mid-80s, and he described his golf handicap as "I'm an honest 13." Obama told an interviewer that he had come close to "breaking 80", a goal for amateur golfers.
Obama himself has said that what he loves most about golf is spending time outdoors and outside the White House bubble. He described golf as the only time when he is outside for extended periods, feeling a sense of normalcy away from the presidency. Obama's leisurely playing style contrasts with faster-paced golfers like President George H. W. Bush, who played 18 holes in just 90 minutes.
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Obama's golf courses
Barack Obama is a keen golfer and has played on many courses across the United States. During his presidency, Obama played golf once every 8.77 days, or 333 rounds over eight years, according to Mark Knoller, a CBS News White House correspondent.
One of Obama's most frequent venues for golf was the course at Joint Base Andrews, just outside Washington, D.C. Obama also played 38 rounds on Martha's Vineyard, split between three courses: Farm Neck in Oak Bluffs, Vineyard in Edgartown, and Mink Meadows in Vineyard Haven. Obama's most frequent golf partners were current and former White House aides, including Trip Director Marvin Nicholson, who played 186 times. Obama also liked to play with friends from Hawaii and Chicago, as well as sports figures, including retired NBA stars Alonzo Mourning and Michael Jordan.
Obama's golf outings have sometimes been the subject of controversy. In 2014, during a visit to California to highlight the state's drought emergency, Obama spent the weekend playing at two exclusive desert golf courses: Sunnylands and billionaire Larry Ellison's 19-hole Porcupine Creek. Republicans criticised Obama's water-intensive weekend, which came as the state was experiencing its worst water shortage in decades.
In 2024, Obama played The Park golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, which has been hailed as a must-play public venue and one of the best public courses in the state. Obama is also a member of The Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City, and when he was president, he played at Grande Oaks Golf Club in Fort Lauderdale, the site of the 1980s comedy movie "Caddyshack."
Since leaving the White House, Obama has joined two D.C.-area golf clubs: the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainseville, Virginia, and the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just a six-mile drive from the Obamas' home in Kalorama Heights.
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Frequently asked questions
Obama has said himself that he is an "honest 13".
Obama played 333 rounds of golf during his eight-year presidency, averaging about 41 rounds per year.
On only three occasions, then-White House Domestic Policy Advisor Melody Barnes once in 2009, and then-HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in 2010 and again in 2013.
Obama enjoyed the chance to spend time outdoors and drive a golf cart. He also used golf as a way to build relationships and conduct diplomacy.
Obama's golf scores are classified information. However, an anonymous golf partner has said that he "shoots in the mid-80s to low 90s".
