Golf Gives Insights Into Presidential Character

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.