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Donald Trump made headlines for his golf game during a trip to Scotland.
With all that’s going on in the world and around the country, maybe it benefits Donald Trump for everyone to be talking about his golf game — even if it’s unsavory.
The president of the United States went viral during a recent trip to Scotland. That’s not because of any sort of policy decision or mainstream conspiracy theory or anything related to, you know, being the leader of the free world.
Instead, Trump had the golf world buzzing over some interesting video clips that emerged from his multiple rounds across the pond.
The most viral clip showed the president allegedly cheating during a round at his Turnberry Resort course in Ayrshire. In the video, one of Trump’s caddies is seen dropping a ball in a favorable lie as the president rolls up behind him in a golf cart. Another video showed the president himself dropping a ball himself.
For all of the claims one could make about Trump as a president, there is something that seemingly seems irrefutable: Perhaps no president in the history of the country has been more connected to the sport of golf than Trump.
The First Golfer: Donald Trump’s Extensive Golf History
For starters, he plays a ton of golf. A quick Google search of “Donald Trump playing golf” will produce no shortage of results — in and out of office. Additionally, Trump has made a pretty penny on owning golf properties.
From Turnberry to Dubai and seemingly everywhere in between, the Trump Golf website boasts it has 30 properties under its name. His courses have been used for PGA Tour and LIV tournaments, and a recent report indicated the former is going back to a Trump-owned course — Trump National Doral — during the 2026 season. According to Sports Business Journal, the Tour is expected to head back to Doral in the spring for a tournament that could be a signature event.
As for Trump’s golf game, there’s a lot more question about what is real and what isn’t. In some ways, his golf performance is a political Rorschach test.
Like everything with the 45th and 47th president of the United States, the claims are monumental. Trump was tweeting about his golf success as far back as 2013, touting his supposed 18 club championships, while claiming Mark Cuban “swings like a little girl with no power or talent.”
Golf match? I’ve won 18 Club Championships including this weekend. @mcuban swings like a little girl with no power or talent. Mark’s a loser
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 19, 2013
Since then, Trump has apparently added to his trophy case. In January, he claimed to have won a senior club championship by shooting a 68 at his club in Palm Beach, Fla.
Trump’s Golf Handicap? It’s Complicated
That came shortly after his now-infamous debate with then-President Joe Biden. That debate is now remembered for Biden’s woeful performance that marked the true beginning of the end for his campaign for reelection. But one memorable back-and-forth from that night was the two bickering over their respective golf games.
“I’m in very good health. I just won two club championships, not even senior, regular club championships. To be that, you have to be quite smart and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way,” Trump said in a presidential debate with all the world watching.
Biden replied: “Look, I’d be happy to have a driving contest with him. I got my handicap, when I was president, down to a six. By the way, I told you I’m happy to play golf with you if you carry your own bag.”
Trump pushed back on Biden having a six handicap: “I’ve seen your swing. I know your swing.”
GHIN handicaps are available to the public, and according to The Spun, Trump’s currently listed as a 2.8. That’s up from 2023 when he was listed as a 2.5. That seems hard to believe, and Trump has also been accused of not logging scores. Objectively, there’s almost no way Trump is a 2.8, which isn’t even a very controversial statement, when you’re talking about a 79-year-old tasked with running the most powerful country in the world.
As for Trump’s swing, it’s actually not bad for an elderly man. Surely, his claims of distance are enhanced, but the move isn’t bad. It’s surprisingly fluid for a man his age, even if he takes the strangest route possible to get there.
But if it works, it works. Swing your swing.
However, the putting stroke is almost scary to watch.
Commander In Cheat?
Then, there’s the elephant in the room, the reason Trump’s golf game is even a topic of discussion: the cheating allegations. Trump might be the best golfing president to ever live, but he’s also the only president to whom there’s an entire book written about his alleged cheating. Longtime Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly wrote “Commander in Cheat” in 2019.
On the flap copy for the book, readers are promised “You’ll learn how Trump cheats (sometimes with the help of his caddies and Secret Service agents)” as well as “lies about his scores (the Trump Bump.)”
The most likely, impartial and nonpartisan conclusion? Trump’s golf game is wildly overstated, mostly by him, and he takes extreme liberties on which no one calls him. However, he’s also probably better than a massive segment of men his age.
At least he plays fast, even if he is a music on the course guy.