News

'He dropped the putter but quickly picked it back up'

August 27, 2010

Here is a White House press pool report from President Obama's nine holes at Mink Meadows Golf Club on Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday (and when you read it you'll be reminded why, when recounting a round of golf to friends, it's best just to skip to the last hole out of regard for their tedium threshold):

"Shortly before 5:30 p.m. he and his golfing pals - Whitaker, Nicholson, Wolf - came into view of the clubhouse where pool and a couple dozen patrons were waiting on the porch. POTUS hit the ball just short of the green on the 9th hole.

"His partners took their turns. POTUS walked into the woods a moment, perhaps looking for a fellow-golfer's ball. He rode in a golf cart toward his ball, and got out carrying a putter and a wedge. He dropped the putter but quickly picked it back up.

"With the crowd on the clubhouse porch watching, POTUS took three warm-up swings. He then hit the ball and as it got closer to the hole, the crowd oohed and ahhed and, when it stopped, gave him a golf clap.

"POTUS, who until then had not acknowledged his audience, jokingly tipped his White Sox cap to the people on the porch. They laughed.

"Pool was rushed off the porch and into vans so didn't see how the rest of the hole went.

"POTUS walked to his motorcade in the parking lot at 5:41 p.m. with his jacket slung over his right shoulder."

Riveting.

-- John Strege