If you think your weekend golf habit is getting out of hand, wait until you meet the presidents of the United States who basically turned the game into a second job. From early-20th-century leaders sneaking out for daily rounds to modern presidents juggling nuclear briefings with nine-irons, golf has been one of the Oval Office’s favorite stress-relief tools.
This list looks at the US presidents who loved golf the most, based on how often they played, how seriously they took the game, and how much golf became part of their political persona. We’re not ranking their politicsonly their obsession with fairways, bunkers, and the occasional very questionable scorecard.
How We Ranked the Golf-Loving Presidents
To build a fair (and fun) ranking, we looked at a few key factors:
- Number of rounds played while in office (where estimates exist).
- Lifetime passion for the game, including pre- and post-presidency golf.
- Reported handicap and playing ability, when available.
- Cultural impact: Did their golf habit become a big part of their public image?
With that in mind, here’s a look at the US presidents who loved golf the mostroughly ordered from “lives on the course” to “still pretty obsessed.”
1. Woodrow Wilson: The Volume King of Presidential Golf
When it comes to sheer quantity, nobody beats Woodrow Wilson. Historians estimate that from 1913 to 1919 he played close to 1,200 rounds of golf while in officemore than any other US president on record. That’s not a hobby; that’s a lifestyle.
Golf as Doctor’s Orders
Wilson didn’t just play because he liked the game. His doctors actively encouraged him to golf for his health and stress relief. So he took their advice very literally, heading to the course almost daily when weather and schedule allowed. He even played in winter, using black golf balls on snow-covered courses so he could keep going year-round.
Legacy on the Links
Wilson wasn’t known as a brilliant ball-strikerhis game was more enthusiastic than elegantbut in terms of passion and frequency, he set a record that will be extremely hard to beat. Any modern president who tries to catch him would basically have to move the Resolute Desk to the clubhouse.
2. Dwight D. Eisenhower: The General of the Fairways
Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower is the face of mid-century presidential golf. During his eight years in office, he’s estimated to have played hundreds of roundsoften cited at over 800making him the clear number-two in total rounds behind Wilson.
The President Who Brought Golf to the White House Lawn
Eisenhower famously had a putting green installed on the White House grounds, just steps away from the Oval Office. If that’s not commitment, what is? Staffers told stories of Ike sneaking out between meetings to roll a few putts, using golf as a pressure valve during the Cold War.
Golf as a Political and Social Tool
Eisenhower wasn’t just playing for fun. He used golf to bond with lawmakers, world leaders, and business figures. On the surface it looked like relaxation; underneath, there was plenty of quiet diplomacy happening on those fairways.
3. Donald Trump: Golf as a Personal Brand
Donald Trump is one of the most golf-identified presidents in historynot just because he plays, but because he owns golf courses and talks about the game constantly. Before, during, between, and after his presidential terms, golf has been front and center in his public life.
Rounds, Resorts, and Controversy
During his first term, Trump visited his own golf properties on hundreds of days, and analysts estimate he played roughly 261 rounds of golf as presidentabout one round every few days in office. After returning to the White House for a second term, reporting has continued to highlight just how frequently he’s on the course.
Trump’s golf habit has raised questions about ethics (foreign and domestic guests spending big money at his clubs) and about how much presidential time is being spent on the links. But there’s no question he loves the game: he often boasts about his very low handicap and claims to have won dozens of club championships at his courses.
A Serious (and Sometimes Controversial) Golfer
Golf writers and fellow players generally agree that Trump is a legitimately good golfer for his age, but stories about creative scoring, generous “gimmes,” and mysteriously favorable bounces have become a running joke in golf media. Still, in terms of passion and time on the course, he clearly belongs near the top of this list.
4. Barack Obama: The Modern “Golfer-in-Chief”
Barack Obama embraced golf as his main way to unplug from the intensity of modern presidency. According to detailed counts from journalists who tracked his leisure time, Obama played about 333 rounds of golf during his two termsa huge number for the 24/7 news era.
Golf as Stress Management
Obama often played on weekends, on vacation in Hawaii or Martha’s Vineyard, and at military courses around Washington, D.C. His foursomes usually included close aides, longtime friends, and occasionally pro athletes. For him, golf was part exercise, part therapy, and part social time with a trusted inner circle.
Criticism and Defenses
As with other presidents, Obama’s golf rounds sometimes drew criticismespecially when they occurred during international crises. The White House often defended his outings by pointing out that every modern president needs ways to decompress and think away from the cameras.
5. George H.W. Bush: Fastest Player in the Presidential Field
George H.W. Bush grew up in a golf family. His grandfather George Herbert Walker and his father Prescott Bush were both deeply involved in the game and served as leaders in the USGA. Golf writers describe Bush as one of the sport’s greatest advocates in presidential history.
“Aerobic Golf” and Rule 6-7
Bush wasn’t obsessed with shooting the lowest score; he was obsessed with playing fast. He championed what he called “aerobic golf,” moving quickly between shots and encouraging everyone to keep pace. Pros who played with him said he was the living example of the rule “play without undue delay.”
A Lifelong Relationship With the Game
Bush’s deep connection to the sport earned him induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement category. For him, golf was about family, friendship, and sportsmanship just as much as score.
6. Bill Clinton: King of the Mulligan
Bill Clinton may not have had the prettiest swing or the lowest handicap, but he might have had the most fun on the course. Stories from journalists, golf writers, and playing partners all agree: President Clinton loved golf and played it with a… let’s say “flexible” interpretation of the rules.
“Billigans” and Presidential Privilege
Clinton famously handed himself extra shotsso many that some people started calling them “Billigans” instead of mulligans. Golf writers joked that he might hit as many as five tee shots before deciding which one “really counted.” Secret Service agents were rumored to help by quietly confirming that the best ball was, of course, the president’s.
Social Golfer-in-Chief
Clinton played often during vacations and loved pairing up with celebrities, politicians, and world leaders. He also leaned into golf as a charitable force, appearing at pro-ams and events that raised money for schools, hospitals, and youth programs.
7. John F. Kennedy: The Most Talented Swing
In terms of pure talent, many golf historians give the edge to John F. Kennedy. Before back problems limited his play, JFK was known as a legitimately strong golfer, with an estimated handicap around 7one of the best of any president.
A Private Passion
Kennedy tried to keep his golf relatively low-profile, in part because his predecessor Dwight Eisenhower had taken some heat for spending so much time on the course. But friends and family recalled that when he did play, he brought a smooth, athletic swing and a fierce competitive streak.
Skill Over Volume
JFK doesn’t rank as high as Wilson or Eisenhower in total rounds, but in terms of ability, he’s often near the top. Think of him as the president who was probably the best golfer in the roomhe just didn’t get to play as much as he might have liked.
8. Joe Biden: A Serious Golfer With a Strong Handicap
Joe Biden doesn’t play as many rounds as some of the other presidents on this list, but he takes the game seriously. Before entering the Oval Office, Biden was listed in USGA handicap records with a handicap around 6 to 7, putting him in the same general ability tier as strong club players.
From Washington Power Broker to Weekend Golfer
Back when he was vice president, golf magazines ranked Biden among the better golfers in Washington. He even joked that running for higher office was bad for his game because it left him less time to practice.
Modern Golf Rivalries
Biden’s handicap became part of the public conversation when he and Donald Trump publicly sparred over whose game was better. Their debate-stage trash talk about handicaps and driving distance turned into one of the most unusual golf rivalries in political history.
9. Gerald Ford: Enthusiastic (If Slightly Dangerous) Golfer
Gerald Ford genuinely loved golfhe just had a hard time convincing the ball to love him back. Ford developed a reputation for wayward shots that occasionally struck spectators. At one event in the 1970s, he infamously hit multiple people in the gallery, leading to headlines and late-night jokes.
Good Sport About a Bad Break
To his credit, Ford handled the jokes with grace. He leaned into the image of the slightly clumsy, well-meaning golfer and never stopped playing. His love for the game was obviouseven if the crowd sometimes watched his tee shots with one eye and a hand ready to duck.
10. Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Great Golfer Before Polio
Franklin D. Roosevelt isn’t usually thought of as a golf-playing president, largely because his presidency came after polio had significantly limited his mobility. But before illness changed his life, FDR was known as an excellent golfer, with some estimates putting his handicap at around 8, on par with other highly skilled amateur players.
Although he could no longer play during his time in the White House, his early love for the game still earns him a mention among golf-inclined presidents. He’s a reminder that behind the serious portraits and historic speeches, many presidents were also passionate athletes in their youth.
What Presidential Golf Says About the Job
Looking across this list, a few patterns stand out:
- Golf is bipartisan. Democrats (Wilson, Kennedy, Obama, Clinton, Biden) and Republicans (Eisenhower, the Bushes, Ford, Trump) have all leaned on the game to cope with the pressures of office.
- The modern media environment changes the narrative. Wilson and Eisenhower could disappear to the course without social media threads tracking every hole. By Obama and Trump’s time, every round became a talking point.
- Golf is part exercise, part therapy, part networking. For presidents, a foursome can double as a strategy session, an informal summit, or just a rare chance to breathe.
At the end of the day, golf for presidents is the same as it is for the rest of us: sometimes relaxing, sometimes frustrating, often humbling, and always a little bit revealing. How someone behaves on the coursepatient or impatient, honest or “creative” with the scorecardsays a lot about how they handle pressure and competition.
Lessons and Experiences From the “Golf-Loving Presidents”
So what can the average golferor curious readertake away from this list of golf-obsessed presidents? Quite a lot, actually. Their tales on the tee box double as life lessons about stress, focus, and character.
1. You Don’t Have to Be the Best to Be Passionate
Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower weren’t necessarily the most skilled golfers on this list, but they clocked huge numbers of rounds because they genuinely loved the game. For them, golf wasn’t about posting a perfect scoreit was about repetition, routine, and mental escape.
If you’ve ever dragged yourself to the course after a long week just for a few quiet hours outside, you’re in good company. Their example says: you don’t need a single-digit handicap to call yourself a golfer. You just need to keep showing up.
2. Golf as Moving Meditation
Presidents deal with pressures that most of us will never experience, but the way they use golf is surprisingly familiar. Barack Obama’s weekend rounds, George H.W. Bush’s high-speed “aerobic golf,” and Joe Biden’s deliberate approach all show how the game can become a form of moving meditationwalk, swing, breathe, repeat.
Many recreational golfers use the course the same way. The phone goes silent, the to-do list fades a little, and the only real problem that matters is “How do I get this ball out of that bunker?” Watching how often presidents lean on golf for mental reset is a reminder that we also need scheduled spaces where our brains can de-compress.
3. Character Shows Up on the Scorecard (and Between the Shots)
Bill Clinton’s cheerful “Billigans,” Gerald Ford’s good-natured apologies after stray shots, and Donald Trump’s loud bragging about his golf trophies all demonstrate something simple: how people behave on the course usually mirrors how they behave elsewhere.
Some presidents treat golf as a strict test of honesty and discipline; others are more relaxed and playful with the rules. The takeaway for regular players is to notice your own habits. Do you quietly adjust lies and ignore penalties, or do you call strokes on yourself? Neither style automatically makes you a good or bad personbut it does give you some insight into how you handle temptation, frustration, and competition.
4. Golf Is a Networking Superpower
For presidents, a foursome can double as a rolling conference room. Eisenhower invited lawmakers, generals, and foreign leaders onto the course. Bill Clinton and both Bush presidents used golf to soften relationships and build goodwill. Even today, “golf diplomacy” shows up in stories about world leaders hashing out issues between shots.
On a smaller scale, the same thing happens at local clubs and municipal courses. Deals are discussed, friendships deepen, and people who might never sit in the same office end up sharing a cart. If you’re trying to understand why powerful people love golf so much, this is a big part of the answer: four hours of undistracted time with someone is rare in modern life.
5. Obsession Needs Balance
Of course, the stories about presidential golf also come with a warning label. When the public thinks a president is golfing while major crises unfold, criticism is swift. That’s not unique to the Oval Office; any of us can slip from “healthy hobby” into “avoidance strategy.”
The sweet spot is finding balance. Wilson’s daily rounds, Eisenhower’s putting-green breaks, or Obama’s weekend trips to the course make sense when they’re part of a broader pattern of hard work and responsibility. The same applies to regular people: if your calendar is all golf and no obligations, something’s off. But if golf is one thread in a full, busy life, it can be one of the healthiest habits you have.
In the end, the “US presidents who loved golf the most” remind us that leadership doesn’t cancel out the need for hobbies. Whether you’re managing a country, a company, or just your own chaotic schedule, there’s value in having a game that gets you outside, humbles you regularly, and occasionally gifts you that perfect shot that keeps you coming back.
