The following was written by Patrick Lloyd, GAP Director of Northeast Operations, in recognition of President’s Day (2009).
President’s Day was established in 1885 in recognition of George Washington. Today it is a day to celebrate every U.S. president past and present.
Everyone loves the creation of the three-day weekend as a federal holiday, but I can’t help but think of the iconic scenes and photographs of our U.S. presidents and their love for the game of golf.
Golfers can appreciate the passion of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who installed a putting green outside the Oval Office in 1954.
We can also appreciate the countless afternoon golf rounds played by U.S. Presidents to get away from the stressful demands of the office (often counted and detailed by mainstream media). Interesting fact, Lyndon B. Johnson used golf outings with state senators to influence them to vote for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Who could forget the classic Seinfeld episode where they are auctioning off John F. Kennedy’s golf clubs? President Kennedy is largely viewed as the most accomplished golfer to hold office, routinely shooting 79/80.
Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush both carried a 10-11 USGA Handicap Index, a few shots better than George W. Bush (15 index).
Wouldn’t it be interesting to play a four-ball match with the Reagan administration (Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush (a combined 21 index in their prime) vs. President Barack Obama (18 index) and Vice President Joe Biden, who has been as low as a 6.3 index?
President Gerald Ford loved to golf and would have given Kennedy a run for his money. Franklin D. Roosevelt, a notorious long-ball hitter, loved the game. It is estimated he played 800 times during his presidency. Polio made Roosevelt quit the game, as opposed to President Richard Nixon, who reportedly quit the game the day he shot 79, achieving his person goal to break 80.
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 110,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
