President Donald Trump loves to play golf. He is as intertwined in the sport as any president who has ever sat in the White House, and that golf habit has stayed steady since Trump took office in January.
Here is CNN on Trumpâs golf outings.
Now that Trump is President, the comments are coming back to complicate his golf habit. Trump has visited the two courses near his Mar-a-Lago estate -- Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach and Trump National Golf Course in Jupiter -- 10 times in the first two months of his presidency.
On Monday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer defended Trumpâs rate of play -- after Trump previously criticized President Barack Obama for playing golf often -- as well as his trips to his own golf courses to work.
âItâs the same reason he can have lunch or dinner with somebody,â Spicer told reporters at the White House. âThe president is entitled to a bit of privacy at this point, which weâve always agreed to. We bring the protective pool, but the president is entitled to a bit of privacy as well.â
Pres. Trump "regularly used to criticize Obama for spending time on the course. How is his golf game any different?" reporter asks Spicer pic.twitter.com/kzXgH5pZo5
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 20, 2017
Spicer said that Trump is using golf differently than President Obama.
âYou saw him utilize this as an opportunity with [Japanese] Prime Minister [ShinzÅ] Abe to help foster a deeper relationship in southeast Asia, in Asia rather, and have a growing relationship thatâs going to help U.S. interests,â Spicer said.
âOn a couple of occasions, heâs actually conducted meetings there, heâs had phone calls,â Spicer added. âJust because he heads there doesnât mean thatâs whatâs happening.â
The golf world and the political world collided earlier this year when Trump teed it up on a Sunday with No. 2 golfer in the world Rory McIlroy.