President Barack Obama has played a remarkable 41 rounds of golf since becoming president, easily outpacing his predecessor and possibly damaging his ability to portray himself in 2012 as a populist advocate of average folks.
With the excursions lasting on average at least five hours, the president has devoted a total of more than 200 hours to golf, not counting time spent on the White House putting green. That’s the equivalent of twenty five eight-hour work days, or five work weeks spent smacking golf balls.
The former community organizer’s 41 trips around the links – a standard of recreational activity well beyond the budgets of most Americans – compares to only 24 total outings for former President George W. Bush, according to statistics compiled by White House chronicler Mark Knoller of CBS News. Bush, whose golf outings were used to help deride him as a callow, lazy, rich boy, played his 24th and last round on Oct. 13, 2003, saying he was ending the practice out of respect for the families of Americans killed in Iraq.
Since the April 20 explosion that killed 11 rig workers and started the Gulf oil spill, Obama has teed up seven times, according to White House Dossier’s count. This includes back to back sessions April 23 and 24 while on vacation at the Grove Park Resort & Spa in Asheville, NC, just days after the crisis began.
Obama’s focus on golf borders on obsession. Startled reporters follow him out to the course in the motorcade in the broiling Washington heat and then wait in the air conditioning while he puts in 18 holes. Rarely does he play any less.
On June 19, he dragged the 67 year old Vice President Biden onto the course for a sweltering 18 holes, calling into question whether he was trying to commit murder-by-golf in order to free the 2012 VP slot up for Hillary.
From a period stretching from April 3 to May 22 of this year, the president went golfing eight of nine weekends. WOULD YOUR WIFE LET YOU DO THAT?? WOULD YOU LET YOUR HUSBAND? Michelle, what gives?
He went out only once in June when, with the Gulf of Mexico slowly becoming the new U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and accusations of presidential inattention at their height, White House image counselors appeared to think the golf needed scaling back. But he’s back with a vengeance, having made his way out on the course both weekends so far this month.
Since he’s officially on vacation this weekend in Bar Harbor Maine, there appears to be little holding him back from heading out to the greens at least once.
While on the course, Obama for the most part likes to keep it nice and light, often playing with a youngish crowd. No deep discussions of policy on the links.
One of his companions on nearly every outing is Marvin Nicholson, the affable, White House trip director. Nicholson, a former “body man” to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), is the perfect guy for getting away from it all, having worked as a golf caddy, a bartender, and in a windsurfing shop – where he met Kerry.
Also generally on hand is David Katz, a former Obama campaign photographer.
Emphatically not invited for the most part are members of Congress or senior White House aides.
The White House is of course sensitive to the awkward look of the whole thing. A search of of the word “golf” on the White House page or the photo sharing site Flickr brings back only nine official White House photo results, three of which are neither of Obama nor golf. A search for “basketball,” the everyman’s game, brings back 39 photos.
But who wants to be the White House official to tell the president to cut back on golf? Somebody with another job offer, one would presume.
199 thoughts on “Obama Has Shot 41 Rounds of Golf as President”
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He thinks we think he’s cool and this is ok.
Wow what a jerk…I was so busy trying to make coin last year that I didn’t get even a single day of golfing, camping, nor did I get to do any fishing. My golf clubs are collecting dust, I’ve been fishing only twice so far this year, and still no camping…
For $400k a year, I’d think he’d have to work at least half as hard as the rest of us.
Thats because he’s not really running the show. Pelosi and Reid are. He is irrelevant and can go on vacation and golf as much as he wants. He doesnt care about this country anyway.
Great, I’m working my butt off trying to keep my business open Mr. Hussein Obama. I haven’t had the luxury of the time or money to golf in 2 years. I’m the business owner that creates jobs, purchases inventory, and runs America. From where I sit, you aren’t doing anything helpful for my business or those I employ. I pray we can suffer through the rest of your term until the people get their confidence back when you are gone.
After watching that video on ‘you tube’ of obama at the range. I would suggest that he take some lessons. A lot of lessons…… What a hack!
“Golf is a recreational activity beyond the budget of most Americans” – wow, golf must be really, really expensive in the US, since people I know here in AU with very, very modest jobs (30K p/a US) have managed to maintained a weekly golf game for over 30 years.
Secondly, the guy has one of the most stressful jobs in the world, don’t you think he deserves some time off? (GWB the same)
a) I would like a definitive answer from someone about the charges that W played golf after saying he swore off of it. The Liberal press says he continued to play golf on “secret” trips; Conservative press says “no.” Quite frankly…I’m not sure who to believe.
b) Besides searching the 39 basketball photos I would like to know how many basketball games are played every day at the White House. When you figure time getting changed and showered and on the court it has to be 2 hours each event. Combined with golf and bowling and fund raising that has to kill almost the whole week of Obama. There is a daily staff meeting…people watch and complain about Fox News…Sports teams and musicians stop by to serenade and be serenaded…but when does any hard work actually get done?
It is probably President Bush’e fault that this president spends hours on the golf course
Good one.
Jesus,
I’m a sales guy and I don’t even play that much!
BHO is a load and he just doesn’t care, it’s evident!
At least he’s got a healthy recreational activity done out in the open, not behind closed doors during supposed office hours to an alleged ‘intern’.
since you are from AU, you are irrelevant, so shut up.
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He might as well spend all his time playing golf. He’s not doing much as a president.
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we are now seeing what the uneducated masses elected to the office of President…..this guy had the audacity to blame Bush for everything, just like a child unable to have his way….this will be the worst President since Carter and the worthless bunch he brought to the White House will ruin this country…let us golf, talk about the daughters brace and just ignore the american public…..and now he wants credit for all that looms in the world of Alice…get a life and learn a trade
Obama is not playing golf, but rather playing AT golf. His swing is about as good as his pitching arm…a little weak, to say the least. He might have had a lesson or two from Barney to keep his wrists limp.
What a bunch of crap. Bush spent the entire month before 9/11 at his Crawford Ranch so they could pull off the WTC false flag fiasco without him mucking it up. Let’s see: 30 days X 24 hours = 720 hours in that month alone. So he made a big deal of giving up golf. Bush took more vacation time than any president in history. The golf course is the ideal place for someone whose job is highly stressful. You obviously don’t play or understand the game at all. Get a life and learn to write about something you know about. Of course we may have a long wait.
What is the carbon footprint of reporters waiting in running cars while the president plays golf .
Good question – actually they stay in a building. But there’s the motorcade carbon footprint!
Between all the golf games, basketball games, beer drinking on the White House lawn, is no wonder he’s a complete failure as a president. He should just resign and go play golf full time.
How much time did Bush spend clearing brush on his ranch in Texas? He spent something like 490 days in Crawford, Texas and about the same about of time at Camp David. Just more Obama bashing by people who don’t have their facts straight.
Maybe if this idiot would spend every hour on the golf course our country would be better off. This man will go down in history as the worst president we have ever had by far. He makes carter look like a rocket scientist. When I drive down the street and see a car with an ovama bumper sticker I immediately think,”there goes another person advertising that he is an idiot”. Its always on some stupid little hybrid or other bug. This president and his underbight wide butt wife make me sick. Mr. socialist you have done one good thing, that is you have made all the other socialists feel like its ok to come out of the closet. That is a good thing. Now we need to get rid of all of them. These people make me want to puke.
“I didn’t ask for this golf habit! I inherited it from the previous administration!”
Actually, wives do let their husbands golf 8 out of 9 weeks. IT GETS THEM
OUT FROM UNDERFOOT!
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Whats truly sad about President Obama is that he’s but the Black man down for at least another 25 years. no one will ever trust there vote for a Black man again after the mess this guys created. What a shame for a nobody to ruin it for a whole people.
I love golf, and I don’t mind him liking golf but he has a job. And I believe this man has his prioriities shoved up his ass!!! He is not GOLFER IN CHIEF!!!! He is unfortunately our President, he needs to act like it. He acts like a crybaby that is being picked on on the playground.
I think we should call this presidency a mulligan.
Obama has everyone else running the country. He does not know how to. And besides that he doesn’t care what is going on in America. All he cares about is himself. Egotistical and arrogant. He ranks right up with one of the worst Presidents we have ever had and that will be his legacy. I am glad I did not vote for him. He will be gone in 2012.
WOW! Finally something BHO and I have in common….but, I’m retired.
Elitist oaf. Like all other Marxists it’s “Do as I say, not as I do.” can’t wait to kick his commie a$$ out of DC in 2012 so we can rebuild the country to benefit the producers, not the racists.
Our racist spaz president pretending to be an elitist. Bush worked his butt off in Crawford and saved the economy after 9/11 (you remember, the TERRORIST act by those MUSLIM scum). This clown Obama acts like he’s dictator for life. Remember when those Demicraps were screaching about 5% unemployment when Buish was president? Now 15%+ (the real unemployment number) is okay for youears to come. 2010 we sweep out the Congress trash from Washington. 2012 we sweep out the trash from the White House.
It’s nice to see there is something he can actually accomplish. Not saying he’s good at it, only that he can finish that task.
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Meh. There are 52 weeks in a year, so 41 rounds of golf means less than one round of golf each weekend. Does doing your favorite hobby most Saturday’s make you “obsessed”? Let’s not forget that while Bush may not have loved golf, he spent plenty of time on this ranch instead.
Hey, let him stay on the golf course 24/7/365. Just maybe he will forget about our hope and change.
obama has taken his 3,455 shit this week and i say ‘when is he going to get to work?’ That rounds out his year with 565 hours in the bathroom. Who gives a shit?????
How many hours did Clinton spend on Monica?
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I’ve seen his swing and that second photo looks like part of it. Let me ask this. . . .what’s lower his handicap or his approval rating?
So what? He likes to golf… big deal.
Love the hypocrisy of the left, Bush played 24 times IN 8 YEARS Obama has played 41 times in 18 MONTHS, if Obummer keeps up this pace he would play 218 times in 8 years, of course he ain’t gonna be in office that long. and at least when he is playing golf he is less likely to ruin the country.
All that golf and he still sucks? Figures! That’s the way it is with everything else he does.
How in the world could anyone spend so much time doing something and still be so bad? Have you seen him swing…God it’s painful to watch…not much better than his pitching ability. As a former 5 handicap (thirty years ago), I don’t have the time to play more than 1 or 2x per year. Like many of the other posters, I am too damn busy putting kids through college (without government handouts) and trying to keep my business above water and my employees employed. I am sick to death of this two-bit punk doing everything possible to destroy capital (which he couldn’t spell, let alone create or deploy) and sneaking out to the links. This punk is way above his pay grade. America needs this nightmare to end.
Meanwhile, the INVA$ION continues… http://www.BorderInvasionPics.com
The difference is Bush was vilified by the left for playing golf to the point where he quit until he was out of office…
Worst. President. Ever.
If the job is too stressful for him he should quit…it’s fine to take a vacation and rest up, but doing it every other week is abusing the privilege…Obama has spent a lot of taxpayer money traveling around entertaining himself and his family with fancy largess…’Hey Jude’…don’t you think it’s time to go to work…Actually I would like to see him vacationing and on the golf course more often…Go visit Odinga in Kenya, stay a few months…
The country is better off when he is away from the office and playing golf in
All this guy does is play golf, go to the health club, and take numerous vacations.
7 vacations since he took office?
Ive only had one since then.
I never know that the presidency is a non stop Club Med ?
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