United States presidents come in all shapes and sizes.

It is ironic that our two greatest presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, could not be more different from one another. Washington was one of the richest men in the American colonies; Lincoln was born and raised in a log cabin in the wilderness. Washington was a poor public speaker, and Lincoln was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, speaker in American history.

In fact, if we scan through the history of our presidents, outside of politics itself, it would be quite difficult to find something that they all have in common. However, the presidents of the 20th and 21st centuries, starting with William Howard Taft (1909–1913), it would appear there is an activity that almost all of them enjoy. It is the game of golf. Seventeen of the last twenty United States presidents played golf, and most of them played it often.

So, what is it about golf? First of all, it is a game that is played in nature, often quiet and serene. It is a way to relax and exercise at the same time. It is also a time to get to know more about a person playing with you.

In my study of leadership, I found that many leaders used a round of golf to evaluate a potential candidate for an important position. When a player shanks a shot into the woods, they may take it well or act like a maniac, revealing how they might react in their business work when difficulties or problems pop up.

Golf reveals things about our lives, and that includes presidents.

Take, for instance, President Joe Biden. The Southern California Golf Associations assessed the 17 presidential golfers by their handicap, of which Biden ranked #2. A man with a handicap of 6.7 (anything under 10 is considered good) probably enjoys playing golf. Yet, for some reason, he stopped playing in 2018. It makes one wonder why. Possibly health issues, perhaps?

John F. Kennedy really loved golf and ranked #3 with a handicap of 7, but ironically, he cared very little for his score. Golf was just a way for him to relax.

#4 in the ranking was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had a handicap of 9 and also loved the game, largely to show off his power. He had the ability to drive a ball over 300 yards, and that was with primitive clubs compared to what we have today. FDR was all about power. He had to give up golf at the age of 39 when he came down with polio.

George W. Bush — ranked #10 — was not an avid golfer but rather saw it as a tool to practice discipline and honesty. His father, George H. W. Bush, ranked #5, loved golf but hated wasting time. He could go through 18 holes in something like 90 minutes, less than half the time for a typical round of golf. He joked about his golfing partners, “It’s amazing how many people beat you at golf now that you’re no longer president.”

As busy as presidents are, they all seem to find time for golf. Barack Obama played 333 rounds of golf during his eight years as president, with a handicap of 13, ranking 9th. Woodrow Wilson logged 1,200 rounds of golf during his two terms, which is quite amazing given that he was ill for much of his second term. Warren Harding was almost as addicted to golf as Wilson. He tried to get out on the course at least twice a week. Apparently, golf has been, for many years, the place to get a break from the heavy pressures in the Oval Office.

So, who would be the #1 best golfer among all our presidents? Which one would have a 2.8 handicap? Yes, you probably guessed — Donald Trump. He does not just like to play golf; he also likes to own golf courses. (He owns nineteen of them, all over the world). Trump is so locked into golf that there is even a separate article in Wikipedia, “Donald Trump and golf.” According to Jack Nicholas, Trump loves golf even more than money and uses it even for American diplomacy. He has played golf with the President of South Korea and five times with the Prime Minister of Japan. Trump has also used golf with members of Congress to discuss his agenda. This has driven the media crazy, but what is the difference if the discussion is in the Oval Office or a golf course?

And by the way, even though golf originated across the pond in the United Kingdom, it does appear this phenomenon is an American thing. British Prime Ministers are rarely golfers. As Winston Churchill observed, “Golf is a game where the purpose is to hit a very small ball into a very small hole, with instruments ill-designed for the purpose.”