OPINION

Golf Gives Insights Into Presidential Character

Townhall Staff
Townhall Staff  |  Jun 17, 2011
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It’s difficult to imagine President Obama getting so excited about a drive by John Boehner when they golf together this weekend that he suddenly shouts out, “Whoa, mama!” And the betting is against the president focusing so much on improving his swing that he doesn’t notice that he has rubbed his arm bloody in the process.

If he did either, he’d simply be emulating some of his predecessors in office when they hit the links. Obama is the 17th president to golf since William McKinley made the first presidential putt in 1897. In the 114 years since, Teddy Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman, and Jimmy Carter were the only nongolfing presidents.

All the others played the game, with varying degrees of success. And in doing so, they almost always attacked the course in a way that revealed their personalities. For some, it meant racing through a round; for others, venting frustration at bad shots; and for some, relishing the chance to relax and take liberties with the rules.