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 Apparently, Bill Clinton would be a safe bet in a presidential long drive contest. (Courtesy: William J. Clinton Presidential Library) November is a big political month, so we thought it would be fun to test readers’ knowledge about presidents and golf. No need to pull a curtain or lever or worry about making the wrong decision. We’ve all had enough stress and bludgeoning from four months of campaign rhetoric, right? Question: What president played the most rounds of golf while in office? Answer: Woodrow Wilson, whose doctor suggested he take up the game to help relieve the stress that resulted in his poor heart. From shortly after his 1913 inauguration until his 1919 stroke, Wilson played a round of golf nearly every day but Sunday. Question: What presidents were known as the biggest on-course cheaters, gamblers and drinkers? Answer: Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton were often greeted with bemusement by the press corps when their golf scores were announced. Clinton particularly loved the use of the mulligan. Warren Harding reportedly placed bets on every stroke of every round and was often served scotch and soda on silver platters every few holes. Lyndon Johnson once raised the ire of Dwight Eisenhower by taking two mulligans on the first hole of a match. Eisenhower won every hole of the match, except the 18th, when Johnson made two flawless shots to save par. That was the only hole viewed by the White House press corps, which also rankled Ike. Question: Which two commanders in chief would be favored in a presidential long drive contest? Answer: Though he never played a round of golf as president, Franklin Roosevelt embraced the game as a teenager. While at Harvard, he regularly backed up boasts that he could drive the ball more than 300 yards. Clinton also could drive the ball 300 yards, though rarely straight. Ford, who was a fine college football player, was known to hit some long tee shots, as well. Question: What presidential candidate skipped a debate to speak to the U.S. team at the Ryder Cup? Answer: Though scheduled to appear at a debate about tax reform with Steve Forbes, George W. Bush accepted a request from Ben Crenshaw to share some words of encouragement the night before the final day of the 1999 Ryder Cup. Bush, who was governor of Texas and campaigning for president, caught a plane to Boston, showed up unannounced at the players’ Saturday meeting and gave a speech about the Alamo. The speech was credited by Crenshaw as helping motivate his squad to its dramatic come-from-behind victory. Question: What president was, pound for pound, the best golfer to hold office? Answer: Though he didn’t play much due to physical pain, the game came easily to John F. Kennedy, who usually shot around 80. Not much is known about Kennedy’s golfing exploits while in office, and that’s just the way he wanted it. The Democrat who followed Eisenhower, a Republican, into the Oval Office sought to put as much distance as possible in the public eye between himself and the country’s First Golfer. Source: “First off the Tee” by Don Van Natta Jr. ALSO SEE: The history of presidential golf in Southern California |
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