The First Golfer

The presidential preference for golf is well documented. Far from following the opinion of British statesman Winston Churchill - who once claimed that 'golf is the best way to ruin a perfectly good walk' - residents of the White House have always been keen to hit the green.

President Obama is no exception - and while he has no plans for any Myrtle Beach Golf Vacations any time soon, he's still spent a fair bit of his fledgling presidency knocking a ball about.

Obama - Although flattering, comparing his golf game to that of Tiger Woods is probably inherently racist.

This has led to some political analysts dissecting his swing (he's a 'natural athlete', apparently,) while Republican detractors have used footage of him golfing to attack his political commitment - spoofing the similar scene from Micheal Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in which President Bush makes a dismissive remark about global politics, before inviting the press to 'watch this swing.'

President Bush Senior was also a keen golfer - and frequently travels to Britain to hit the greens at St Andrews. America, of course, offers some of the best golf in the world and more than a few former residents of the White House have been seen at various Myrtle Beach Golf courses.

The junior Bush was often mocked for his golfing passion - especially during the first days of his presidency, in which he sometimes seemed to spend more time on the putting green than in the Oval Office. That's an unfair criticism - especially since he famously 'gave up golf' for the troops as the situation in the Middle East intensified.

Bush - He golfed like he commanded - 'Sometimes wrong, never in doubt.' His style earned him a respectable 15 handicap.

President Clinton is also a keen golfer - although while in office, the press often criticized him for taking 'mulligans' (free shots) while out on the course.


Clinton hated that accusation. "My mulligans are way overrated," he told Golf Digest. "I normally don't take them. I let everyone have one off the first tee, and if somebody makes a terrible shot I say, 'Well, take that one,' and then I give everybody else one.'"

The eloquent Clinton also explained why golf seems to be such a popular presidential sport.

"I like it for the same reason a lot of other busy people don't: I like it because it takes so much time. You can't do well at Golf if you're thinking about anything else - so this is the nearest the President ever gets to being a normal person."

He also explained Golf's fascination for statesmen such as himself: "Golf is like life in a lot of ways: The most important competition is the one against yourself. All the biggest wounds are self-inflicted. And you get a lot of breaks you don't deserve, both ways. So it's important not to get too upset when you're having a bad day.''

For fans of Golf Myrtle Beach is a great location. There are over 100 courses, all within a few miles of the beautiful white sand of South Carolina. Myrtle Beach Golf Packages often include access to many of them - and luxury hotel accommodation.