Presidents on the golf course
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William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the first president of the U.S. to openly admit playing golf. Other politicians decided to keep their golfing private because at the time, it was considered a game for the rich only.
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Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson holds the record of all the presidents for the most rounds of golf - over 1,000, or almost one every other day. During the winter, the Secret Service would paint golf balls with black paint so Wilson could hit them in the snow.
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Warren G. Harding
President Harding (center) loved the game, but he had a difficult time breaking 100. TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, Calif., the city of his death, is named after him. (AP Photo)
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Calvin Coolidge
President Calvin Coolidge played golf, but he didn't enjoy it. He routinely took 10+ strokes to get to the green, and when it came time to leave the White House, the only item left behind was his bag of golf clubs. (AP)
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Franklin D. Roosevelt
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was an avid golfer until polio robbed him of his swing at the age of 39. (AP photo)
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Dwight D. Eisenhower
President Eisenhower played more than 800 rounds during his eight years in office. He helped popularize the game in the U.S., along with Arnold Palmer, and even had a putting green outside the Oval Office. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File)
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John F. Kennedy
President Kennedy is considered the best presidential player. Though he battled a bad back, he reportedly could have been a single-digit handicap if he had played regularly. (AP Photo)
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Lyndon B. Johnson
President Lyndon Johnson didn't play golf for fun, but for work. He played with senators to secure votes for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (AP Photo)
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Richard M. Nixon
President Nixon took up golf as vice president to get in good with President Eisenhower. He played often during his first term as president, but little during his second. After breaking 80 for the first time, he quit the game. (AP Photo)
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Gerald R. Ford
President Ford could regularly shoot in the 80s. A former football player at Michigan, Ford was long off the tee but very erratic. (AP Photo)
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Ronald Reagan
President Reagan didn't play much after entering office. His most notable round came at Augusta National when it was interrupted by a gunman who took hostages in the pro shop and demanded to speak to him. (AP photos)
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Bill Clinton
Known for his liberal use of mulligans, Clinton is capable of breaking 90. He has also partnered with the PGA Tour's Humana Challenge. (AP Photo/Marcy Nighswander)
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George H. and George H.W. Bush
Both father and son are capable players. Their golf lineage runs deep as H.W.'s grandfather (for whom the Walker Cup was named) and father were USGA presidents. The 41st president is also in the World Golf Hall of Fame. (AP)
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Barack Obama
President Obama is the first left-handed player to hold the title of Commander in Chief. Basketball is his first love, but he is seen more on the golf course. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
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