The President slept here...

[Joe_Tucholski]

When stationed at Andrews AFB I played a number of times while President Obama was out on the course.  There are three courses there and I recall he usually played the south course (the carts only course).  They kept a few holes in front and a few behind open.  Oddly when he was on the range they allowed other people to hit balls.

[Greg Hohman]

Obama has played Torrey Pines. On one occasion he created a sensation by crashing a wedding at the adjoining Lodge at Torrey Pines.

Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage CA is proud of its presidential golfers. I bet each one from Nixon to the present has played there, with the exception of Carter.

Taft was at Allegheny Country Club outside Pittsburgh in 1909. "The climax of the outing," according to the club history, "was a baseball game between the Yale men - played on the first fairway."

I live in San Diego. What local golfer doesn't want to play Torrey at least once? S/he should otherwise have, in the words of my late father, his or her "head examined." I saw Sunnylands on a public tour and have seen parts of Allegheny's course from the road. I won't go into my reasons in this space for being at the latter two places. I don't expect an invitation to play either.

[Mark Chaplin]

George and Barbara Bush played at Elie some time after he left office.

Bush is a popular R&A member and was a fairly regular visitor. I don't know if he joined prior, during or after his POTUS role.

[Ira Fishman]

As noted above, the Bush family has an inspired connection to golf (Walker Cup, Presidency of USGA). Less noted is President H.W. Bush's commitment to fast play. My understanding is that he thought anything over three hours was slow.

[Ed Homsey]

I should have mentioned that in addition to President Bush (41), Presidents Nixon, Clinton, and, of course, George W. Bush have graced the course at Cape Arundel GC.

[Sven Nilsen]

President McKinley played golf at Lake Champlain in 1897.


Taft was probably the poster child for presidents who golf, to the point where his brother built a course on his ranch in Texas in 1909 for the big man's visit.  He played at Ekwanok and Kebo Valley when he visited Maine, and was known to frequent Chevy Chase when in Washington.


Woodrow Wilson was also an avid golfer.  There's a series of article detailing his visits to a number of Florida courses, including one spot where they had trained an elephant to carry the clubs.

[MCirba]

I ate Donald Trump's French Fries having lunch with him at his Bedminster course after he shoved them in front of me saying, "Have some of my fries...they're GREAT!"


I could go on...

[Bill_McBride]

This thread gives me the opportunity to herald that I was privileged to have hosted President Clinton on two occasions, 16 days apart, when he was just out of office in the summer of 2001. Across these two visits, I enjoyed almost 8 hours of face-to-face access and engagement with the President. He was affable, generous, told amusing stories about politics and golf and permitted all present to treat him regularly and personally.


President Clinton was a proclaimed "9" HCP at this time, and was truly, like any other "9 HCP" I've ever known...many good and decent shots, some clunkers...would probably be a 13 under tournament conditions, could be a 5 if he had time to work on it...earnestly in pursuit of breaking 80 in most rounds. He did take three mulligans on driving holes, so his 81 was faulty in the first of the two rounds, but if you knew the context of a President's golf (just appreciates getting to swing a bit without other troubles), even his ardent critics oughtn't begrudge.


An interesting note is that he came to both rounds armed with a half-gallon Ziploc bag of the most unpresidential cigars you have ever seen. They were oblong, with peeling, coal black leaves, no label band,  and blew thick ash and gray smoke anywhere he lit up which was at least four times. I'm sure they were amazing to his palette, but all I could think of was these things diddling Ms. Lewinsky.


The second round, 16 days later, was a Monday outing for the USO and is worth noting for two reasons that happened right at the end. The first of those was that he holed out a 178 yard 7-wood for an eagle "2" on Rockrimmon's 435 yard 18th hole. Unlike the first round, which was played on a member's day where 100 members and staff ringed the 18th green to watch the President finish their course, this was a shotgun during a non-member outing; there was no one but two Secret Service agents with their backs to the green and the 18th green is just uphill enough, so you can't tell the precise location of the ball from back in the fairway....


We didn't know he had made an eagle until we got up there. And at first, the foursome and the two caddies spread out looking along the rough, the apron or a bunker to see its position. I was the only one cheeky enough (remember at this point, I had enjoyed 8 hours over two rounds, tagging along shot by shot with the President's group, I felt we were "close" ) to look in the cup, wherein I discovered his Titleist and bade him come.


He was as happy as one is with their first ace, and soon the group closed shoulders in congratulations of him, wherein he wept presidential tears of joy on my shoulder. (I kid you not). He went on to recall that as a teenager in Arkansas, he was playing by himself on a 9-hole course with a driveable finishing hole, blind over a hill, gave it a good whack and after looking, found it in the cup. But because he was playing alone, he never spoke of the feat which he deemed was suspicious; "that some older guys hanging on the clubhouse porch, put the ball in the cup as a gaslight gag on a kid." So he was as thrilled to do it, as to have us all witness it.


Shortly after, when he and the group departed for the locker and dinner program, me and my staff were cleaning up the carts and getting ready for the rest of the shotgun to finish. I realized that in all the excitement, he left the record of the deed, the scorecard, on the hub of the steering wheel. I snapped it out and whizzed down to the locker room and handed it to a Secret Service agent at the door, explaining. Before I got very far back down the hallway, he came out the swinging door, holding the card, and shouted after me, "Oh geez Vinnie, thank you man. I don't know what I would do if I forgot this."


He then met me half-way down the hallway, gave me a big handshake and a hug and gave me such warm thanks for all the stuff we had done and been to him over the last two weeks.


At that point, I had ginger ale in my head and I must have floated home that night.


cheers
vk

Vinnie, no details, but was the man a good tipper?

[Greg Chambers]

I ate Donald Trump's French Fries having lunch with him at his Bedminster course after he shoved them in front of me saying, "Have some of my fries...they're GREAT!"


I could go on...

Please don't

[Jon Wiggett]

I ate Donald Trump's French Fries having lunch with him at his Bedminster course after he shoved them in front of me saying, "Have some of my fries...they're GREAT!"


I could go on...

Mike,


I thought they were freedom fries these days

[David Whitmer]

A buddy of mine was an assistant pro at Congressional when President Clinton showed up to play. Apparently only the general manager and head professional knew ahead of time, and were not permitted to tell anyone he was going to play. My friend said the secret service were everywhere, including in the pro shop while the President was playing, to make sure no staff member called anyone to give the news.


A client of mine was on the putting green at Torrey Pines a few months ago when President Obama showed up. The President just walked on to the green and started to roll a few, like anyone else (minus the secret service detail). My client texted me a picture of the two of them with the question "Guess who I practiced next to a little while ago?"

[Tim_Weiman]

John,


One day I got a call from an Irish friend of mine who started off by saying "your friend Bill was here".


I knew that my friend had actually met Bill at Congresional Country Club, thanks to some common insurance industry contacts.


Bill was with a Democrat Congressman from New York whose name I don't remember, but apparently they were looking to borrow some golf clubs.


My friend said "well you guys are in luck. A friend from New York leaves a set here and I'm sure he wouldn't mind".


Then, my friend added he said to Bill "you should know that my friend from New York has a very Republican mother".


Bill apparently got a good laugh out of that comment about my Mom.


So, I have never played golf with any U.S. President, but a set of my golf clubs has!


P.S. Bill is an honorary member, but my Mom was never amused by the statue of Bill right outside the Guarda station!

[Ed Homsey]

President Taft also played at Yahnundasis GC where his V-P was a member.

President Harding once expressed a preference for East Potomac Park.

[mike_beene]

When second Bush was in Crawford during his presidency he often went to Ridgewood Country Club in Waco which is 15 minutes away to play. A friend of mine is the pro there and hung a 63 on him without trying and apologized. Now Bush is often at Preston Trail , Dallas CC and I have seen him on the course at Brook Hollow and Lakewood. Obama played Dallas National a while back after Lakewood was set up for the annual putting tournament and couldn't squeeze him in. One of the Bush guys played Santa Fe either sunrise or sunset at the club and I am blank on name.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

President H.W. Bush's brother is a member at St. Louis C.C. and has played there in the past

[Tom_Doak]

It's been mentioned here before, but in the three-way Presidential race of 1992 between G HW Bush, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot, Clinton was the only one of the three who was NOT a member of Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda.

[Terry Lavin]

It's been mentioned here before, but in the three-way Presidential race of 1992 between G HW Bush, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot, Clinton was the only one of the three who was NOT a member of Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda.

I actually went to one of their debates. Very interesting. I knew Clinton pretty well and thought he had "it".  I didn't care much for Bush going in but I was very impressed meeting the man.  As for Perot, he almost made Trump seem a little Presidential. Almost.

[Ross Harmon]

I've had a few presidential run ins over recent Presidents Day weekends. Doubt I'll run into one at Ballyneal this weekend though.

Bush 43 played Teeth of the Dog on Presidents Day 2011, I met him after his round and saw his entourage at Dye Fore the next day.


Obama played PGA West Stadium Course Presidents Day weekend 2016, the day before I played there.

[Joel Pear]

Ike played the Country Club of York.  There are pictures in the golf shop.  My father-in-law, a past board chairman at the club, told me that the grounds crew at CCY built the putting green and bunker at Ike's home in Gettysburg.

[V. Kmetz]

Vinnie, no details, but was the man a good tipper?

Hi Bill,


On both occasions, there was a member-"host" present and he took care of the caddies. I believe they split $500 each time ($1000 total for 2 rounds) for chasing carts, ...so $250 for 18 holes = $125 per putter, which in those days would've represented about a $100 tip per player.[/size]

Plus we all (including my staff and other starstruck caddies) collect enormous POTUS schwag , including signed caddie bibs, golf balls, ball markers, SS tie pins, three weeks later, a beautiful picture of WJC, me, and the two caddies on the 17th green was delivered to my home address.


As for me, my role those two days became something I didn't anticipate...I was basically a golf-butler-course host for the president, riding along with the group, sometimes watching up close and bullshitting about the hole, golf stories, what have you... sometimes hanging out with the caddie, out ahead, a hundred yards away or talking with the SS Agents. My point is, I was permitted to become more a member of the group than a server expecting a tip...and believe me, if I was given $5000, it wouldn't have been worth what I did receive...almost 9 hours of unfettered, private access and camaraderie with a US President.


cheers
vk

[Brad Tufts]

Taft famously played Myopia a few times as his summer white house was in Beverly, MA.  During one of his rounds he was "trapped" in the deep bunker short of the 10th green until ropes were fetched, tied to him, and he was pulled out!  Now there are stairs... 

Despite Taft being a poor yet very avid player, he enjoyed Myopia and his thank you letter to the club is still hanging in the head pro's office I believe....the note is now 107 years old!