US presidents with the lowest golf handicaps

Golfing among U.S. presidents is culturally embedded in the job—even if you come into the White House as a casual player. It’s seen as a stress reliever for one of the toughest jobs in the world.

One of the first presidents to take up a club was William Howard Taft, who served from 1909 to 1913. Taft loved golf, so much so that it garnered him detractors during his 1908 presidential campaign for playing a “rich man’s game.”

But Taft isn’t the only president with an ardent love for the game. Throughout U.S. history, many of the country’s leaders have used the fairway as a place to relax and occasionally engage in important conversations. “It’s good exercise, but there’s also the chance for dialogue with people in politics,” Mike Trostel, former historian for the United States Golf Association, told CNN. Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy are among the list of U.S. presidents who enjoyed a round of golf. But which one had the best game?

PrimePutt compiled a ranking of the five U.S. presidents with the lowest golf handicaps using data from Southern California Golf Association.

Despite its place in the nation’s highest office, the sport is not without its issues. The exclusivity of the suburban country club and plush hilly greens are what you’d find in a wealthy multimillion-dollar neighborhood, which is not what the average American has access to.

Even with diverse breakthrough talents like Tiger Woods and presidents like Barack Obama seen on the greens, the sport is still seen and is largely represented by wealthy white men. According to the USGA, in 2019, when Woods secured his 15th major championship, African Americans made up only 3% of the country’s golfers.

While the sport continues to struggle with that legacy of privilege, the green still maintains in place in politics. Read on to find out which president can boast of the lowest handicap.

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#5. George H.W. Bush

– Handicap: 11

Before entering politics, George H.W. Bush was raised in a wealthy part of Massachusetts, where country clubs and golf courses were nearby and plentiful. On the greens, Bush was known for his fast playing style and notably could finish an 18-hole course in an hour and 20 minutes. And he wasn’t the only one in his family who was known to be efficient on the greens.

Bush’s father and grandfather were also presidents of the United States Golf Association. What’s more, his son, President George W. Bush, was also an avid golfer; however, two years into his presidency, the demands of the Iraq War put his golf hobby on the back burner.

Bush Sr. was later inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.

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#4. Franklin D. Roosevelt

– Handicap: 8 (estimated)

Franklin D. Roosevelt grew up fairly wealthy. He was born in a mansion overlooking the Hudson River near Hyde Park, New York. At the age of 12, he picked up a gold club for the first time on his family’s estate in New Brunswick. He along with some friends cleared some land to create a nine-hole course, and he fell in love with the sport.

At the age of 17, he served as the secretary and treasurer of the Campobello Golf Club and went on to win the club’s championship five years later. While polio kept him from playing, he made public investments in golf courses, constructing more than 300 municipal courses across the country.

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#3. John F. Kennedy

– Handicap: 7

The Kennedy family was a local political dynasty in Massachusetts before the birth of John F. Kennedy and his siblings.

While in the White House, Kennedy became an avid golfer, but he hid it from the media. He regularly golfed with his press secretary Pierre Salinger, brother-in-law Peter Lawford, and then-ABC News national affairs editor Bill Lawrence.

Similar to George H.W. Bush, Kennedy was a fast-paced golfer known for his speed of play. According to former PGA president Max Elbin’s son, Kelly, Kennedy was an athletic golfer jumping from one tee to the next in no particular order.

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#2. Joe Biden

– Handicap: 6.7

An outlier among this list, Joe Biden grew up in a family that experienced financial ups and downs, and he didn’t start playing the sport until 2001.

However, golf has been a part of Biden’s routine throughout his time in the White House, as both president and vice president. He is also a member of two country clubs in Delaware. His game was a subject of national scrutiny when it came up in a presidential debate during the 2024 campaign.

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#1. Donald Trump

– Handicap: 2.8

Named “golfer-in-chief” by Golf Digest, Donald Trump began playing while at Wharton School of Finance. “I played golf with my friends, and then I started to play with the hustlers. And I learned a lot. I learned about golf, I learned about gambling. I learned about everything,” Trump told Golf Digest.

Throughout his presidency, he routinely played golf. During his first term, he spent almost 307 days at the sport. He has played rounds with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and boxer Oscar de la Hoya. The latter two, however, have raised questions about the quality of Trump’s game.

Currently, Trump Golf manages 18 courses worldwide.

Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. 

This story originally appeared on PrimePutt and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.