Photo by AP
January 2009
| WATCH OBAMA'S SWING IN VIDEO AND LISTEN TO TOP TEACHERS' CRITIQUES |
| • Butch Harmon advises more windup for the President Elect |
| • David Leadbetter wants Obama to strengthen his grip |
| • Jim Flick gives Obama a drill Jack Nicklaus used |
| MORE ON PRESIDENTIAL GOLFING |
| • Editor's Letter: Swing Tips for the new First Golfer |
| • Ranking the golfing Presidents |
| • Jenkins: The Bush golf dynasty |
President-elect Barack Obama will become the 15th of the past 18 American presidents who has played golf. He doesn't play often, but he did during a vacation in Hawaii in August. Vice President-elect Joe Biden, who discovered golf less than 10 years ago, has a Handicap Index of 8.2. Here's our ranking of the golfing presidents, with an assist from Don Van Natta Jr., author of the book, First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush.
1 John F. Kennedy Despite chronic back pain, averaged 80.
2 Dwight D. Eisenhower Had
a green outside the Oval Office.
3 Gerald R. Ford Clumsy, but was a legitimate 80s-shooter.
4 Franklin D. Roosevelt
At 39, polio robbed him of a powerful golf swing.
5 George H.W. Bush Once got his handicap down to 11.
6 George W. Bush Outgoing prez is a capable 15-handicapper.
7 Bill Clinton Can break 90, especially using his "Billigans."
8 Barack Obama The lefty plays more hoops than golf.
9 Ronald Reagan Didn't play often or well (best was low 90s).
10 Warren G. Harding
Struggled to break 95.
11 William Howard Taft
As hapless a golfer as he was
a chief executive.
12 Woodrow Wilson
Played more than Ike but
almost never broke 100.
13 Richard M. Nixon He shot
79 once and quit the game.
14 Lyndon B. Johnson Played with senators to secure votes for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
15 Calvin Coolidge When he vacated the White House, he left his clubs behind.
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