"Can the one have fun?"

Writing that "some respite from the pressure is clearly a healthy thing," Maureen Dowd says that Barack Obama needs to be able to take his wife on the occasional date or tee it up now and then:

Mixing play with intense work is not only a good mental health strategy; it’s a good way to show the world that American confidence and cool — and Cary Grant romantic flair — still thrive.

Date on and tee it up, Mr. President. It’s O.K. if they’re teed off.

"He's hit the course five times since late April"

Teeing off not long after returning Sunday from Paris, Barack Obama's avid golfing is analyzed by the Washington Post's Richard Leiby.

The attraction would seem simple. It's a great escape; the game demands such attention that nothing else matters. It's time spent with friends, an unhurried afternoon in loose clothing (shorts seem to be Obama's preference). Yet nothing is without deeper meaning where the presidency is concerned. The golfer in chief's approach to the game is subject to analysis in psychological and political contexts.

To some, Obama's frequent outings reflect a cool self-confidence. "Given all the things that are going on in the world and with the economy," says sports psychologist Bob Rotella, "you'd think he wouldn't be caught anywhere near the golf course . . . To some degree it says: 'I'm not going to worry about what people say about me. I'm going to do my job, and I'm going to play, too.' "

Obama Accepts President's Cup Honorary Chairmanship

This is going to really make some of golf's hecklers squirm, as Ron Sirak notes. The question is, will he make an appearance?

Don't take this news lightly. The decision by the Obama Administration to have the President serve as honorary chair was not a cavalier conclusion. The consequences were considered, and the consensus clearly was that it is fine for Obama to be associated with golf.

"I wouldn't say there were lengthy discussions, but it took a little while because he has never done anything like this since he's been elected," PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem told GolfDigest.com. "It had to go through a lot of reviews." What it means is that the myth of the elitist boondoggle label has been exposed as exactly that -- a myth.

"This is very positive for the game of golf, not just for the Presidents Cup," Finchem said. "What this says for him to give the Presidents Cup this kind of recognition is that he has a positive attitude about the game, is a supporter of golf and understands the charitable and other contributions it makes. We could have seven-and-a-half more years of a fan of golf in the White House."

The full release:

President Barack Obama to be Honorary Chairman of The Presidents Cup 2009
President Obama is eighth world leader to serve as honorary chairman in event’s history

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL June 1, 2009

President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America, has accepted an invitation to be Honorary Chairman of The Presidents Cup when the competition is played for the first time on the West Coast, at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, Calif., Oct. 6-11, 2009.

“We are honored that President Obama has accepted our invitation to be Honorary Chairman of The Presidents Cup in October,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “As the eighth head of state to serve in this role, President Obama continues a long-tradition of support and leadership dating back to the first Presidents Cup in 1994. His involvement will not only further enhance the stature of The Presidents Cup, but also that of golf on a global basis.”

President Obama joins a distinguished group of seven world leaders who have held the position of Honorary Chairman at The Presidents Cup. He is preceded by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was Honorary Chairman of the 2007 event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

President Gerald Ford was the Honorary Chairman at the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994 and was followed by President George H.W. Bush in 1996. Australian Prime Minister John Howard was Honorary Chairman in 1998 when the event was held in Melbourne, Australia, and was followed by President Bill Clinton in 2000. Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, was Honorary Chairman in 2003 when The Presidents Cup was staged in Western Cape Province, South Africa. President George W. Bush was the most recent U.S. President to serve as Honorary Chairman, holding that position the last time the event was staged on U.S. soil, in 2005.

The Presidents Cup, a team match play competition featuring 24 of the world’s top golfers – 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe – is held every two years, and since 1996 has alternated between United States and international venues. The Presidents Cup was developed to give the world’s best non-European players an opportunity to compete in international team match-play competition. The U.S. Team has won five of the seven previous Presidents Cups, and the only outright win by the International Team came at the 1998 event in Melbourne. The 2003 Presidents Cup ended in a tie.

More than $4.2 million was distributed to charitable causes from the 2007 Presidents Cup, a record for this prestigious competition and part of the nearly $18 million raised since the inception of the event. Players are not personally paid for their participation in the event; there is no purse or prize money. Each competitor, instead, designates charities or golf-related projects of his choice to receive a portion of the funds raised through the staging of each Presidents Cup.

Meanwhile, back down the 17th, the tortoise backed off a chip so often you felt your life flashing before you, before eventually knocking it close.

Obama And Biden Hit The Green

Nice spot by Robert Lohrer who caught Pete Souza's official White House image of the President and Vice President out breaking in the White House putting green. Thanks to Chip Gaskins for the Flicker version.

Can You Spot What's Peculiar Here?

A reader noticed something really strange about the website for The Golf Courses at Andrews Air Force Base, where President Obama played golf last Sunday.

Hint: if this is a facility restricted to American military, active and retired Federal Employees and their guests, why would this be embedded into the site?

Update on 2009-04-28 18:27 by Geoff

Reader P.O. got it...they offer a Korean translation version of the site. Go easy on the conspiracy theories people!

President Obama Tees It Up; Changes Shoes In The Parking Lot!**

Well, it wasn't a public outcry, but nearly one when sixty commenters chimed in on the all-vital question of appropriate shorts construction.

I must say it's a bit shocking that President Obama passed up the chance to watch day two of the NFL Draft coverage and its orgy of over analysis providing exhibit 1A that America is doomed when it's spending a spring weekend hanging on Mel Kiper Jr.'s analysis of a 7th round pick.

Anyway, the Prez answered one of the most pressing questions of his first 100 days, as posed by Leonard Shapiro: where would the first Obama round be played? Andrews Air Force Base GC. Wait, the high-paid branding experts have even managed to get their hands on a government golf course. Excuse me, The Courses at Andrews Air Force Base.

Note that in the photo gallery accompanying the AP story, the President is changing his shoes in the parking lot. Isn't that forbidden at courses titled The ___ at _____?  I smell a new controversy!

Update on 2009-04-28 02:46 by Geoff

**The pool report by Bartholomew Sullivan leaves out the mention of him changing his shoes in the lot. I smell a cover-up!

The presidential motorcade left the White House at 9:05 a.m. en route to The Courses at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on a hot, sunny morning. Along the uneventful, mostly highway route to the base, the president could have seen a road construction project displaying a sign reading, "Putting America to Work," and would have seen waving tourists on the grounds of the Washington Monument. The motorcade pulled up to the golf courses at 9:28. The president, in tan shirt and tan shorts and golf saddle shoes walked a short distance from his cart and greeted a group on a practice putting green that had been shooting him with their camera phones. Among the president's golfing guests were Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, trade representative Ron Kirk and White House staffer Marvin Nicholson. An entourage of 14 golf carts entered the South Course at about 9:45. The president's cart was driven by the general manager of the course, Mike Thomas, a civilian. Your pool held at the club house, receiving occasional updates from the Secret Service on progress. For example, at 2 p.m., the president was at the 14th tee. But there were no sightings and no readout details on how he performed. The presidential motorcade left the course on the return trip at 3:18 p.m., arriving at 3:52 p.m. The president posed for pictures with his guests near a stairway lined with flowering wisteria, then ducked into the White House at 3:55 p.m.

Golf Projects Sneak Into Economic Stimulus Package?

Nice catch by reader Joel to note that several golf projects slipped that might slip into the economic stimulus package, despite efforts by some Congressional type to keep our sport from benefitting.

"He represents what we as Americans have in common, not perceived differences."

It sounds to me like Tiger Woods heard some of the grumbling about his inaugural festivities appearance, and more than makes up for it with some nice comments in his latest website post:

President Obama recently asked me to speak at the inauguration opening ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was such an honor to be invited and be a part of history and to speak about something that means so much to me, our men and women in the military. He was very busy, so we didn't get to talk much. I didn't want to get in his way. I did ask him if he wanted to play golf and he said, 'I'd love to.' So we'll make it happen. I think the thing that impressed me the most about him was the way he carries himself. He has great leadership qualities, and his accomplishment truly embodies what's best about America. He represents what we as Americans have in common, not perceived differences.

The Stimulus Bill And Golf

We found out that golf was specifically excluded from the Obama stimulus bill passed by the House Wednesday, but there is good news. There wasn't much infrastructure spending despite projections that far more is needed, meaning we'll probably see more debate about infrastructure.

The current bill's spending:

Infrastructure — $43 billion for transportation projects, including $30 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair and $12 billion for mass transit, including $7.5 billion to buy transit equipment like buses; $31 billion to build and repair federal buildings and other public infrastructure; $19 billion in water projects; $10 billion in rail and mass transit projects.

Of course, as I outlined in Golf World, the game could definitely do a whole bunch with a tiny portion of the "water projects" money!

"Congress has moved to prevent money from the proposed $825 billion stimulus package from being used for zoos, aquariums, golf courses, swimming pools and casinos"

Thanks to reader Joel for this:

Congress has moved to prevent money from the proposed $825 billion stimulus package from being used for zoos, aquariums, golf courses, swimming pools and casinos, an effort to ensure the bill funds only what it calls the "highest quality" infrastructure projects.

"The purpose of this bill is to direct funding at projects that are primarily and clearly aimed at benefiting the economic conditions of communities and the public at large," the bill states. "The federal government and all other levels of government are directed to look with a skeptical eye at projects that don't meet that test."
CNN revealed last month that a list of "ready to go" stimulus projects endorsed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors included museum and zoo renovations, aquatic centers, skateboard parks and bike and horse paths. One of the zoo projects in the report is a $4.8 million polar bear exhibit at the Providence, Rhode Island, zoo.

The House Appropriations Committee added those restrictions last week after criticism from watchdog groups like the National Taxpayers Union, which monitors government spending.

"To the people supporting them, these proposals aren't a joke," said Pete Sepp, the group's vice president. "But to the taxpayers funding them, yes this will be a joke for them, only they won't be laughing."

The restrictions in the bill appear meant to address reports about some of the projects endorsed by the U.S. mayors, Sepp said. 

Any followers of politics who know how to find out which fine politician drove the inclusion of this language in the bill? Or is it all done behind closed doors?

Obviously, my Golf World piece was not read by this fine guardian of American values! And clearly, Steve Mona, Bob Combs and the crew down in Florida working to educate our nation's capital have their work cut out for them.

Taking Turf Out Of Play

One of the points raised in my Obama-WPA piece for Golf World revolved the idea of taking turf out of play and in general, irrigating less (perhaps with government incentives, as pointed out in this example). I close the piece wondering if golfers can actually accept less green in the name of Green.

I asked Tom Naccarato, who does digital photo work for architects and clubs looking to simulate what something will look like, to work on a couple of Torrey Pines photos I took last year. Because I can't think of a course with more acreage that needs to be converted to non-irrigated native. (There was one choice spot right of the 7th fairway where irrigation has been turned off and Tom used that for the rough look you'll see in the photo below).

While I was walking around Torrey prior to the Open I met consultant Andy Slack, the irrigation guru brought in to try and right the troubled irrigation system at Torrey. When asked how many acres on the property could be converted to non-irrigated without impacting play, Slack said he felt that 50 acres was an easy target. I would agree. And the ensuing cost savings in irrigation, energy and man power of reducing 50 acres would be incredible.

Furthermore, does this really look so bad? I know the PGA Tour would have a coronary because there isn't full turf coverage and many golfers would wonder what's wrong, but this would seem to me where golf is going to have to if it wants to survive and reclaim some of its "native golf" roots. Click to enlarge Tom Naccarato's digital enhancement of No. 14 at Torrey Pines:

"Woods saw which way the wind was blowing and decided to jump on the Cablanasian train."

Mike Freeman at CBSSports.com makes some solid points but ultimately goes a little far in blasting Tiger Woods' political appearance Sunday when he compares Tiger to Don King.

His words of support for the military were fine -- I'm ex-Army and appreciate that -- but he still said little of substance.

I'd have more respect for Woods if he stuck to his noncommittal persona and turned down the offer. It's true. I would.

Woods' meek appearance had the smell of bandwagon jumping. Too late, Tiger. Some of us know what you're doing, which is being overtly opportunistic.

Woods saw which way the wind was blowing and decided to jump on the Cablanasian train.

Update on 2009-01-21 04:43 by Geoff

The Commish was asked about Tiger's appearance Wednesday:

Q. What do you think about Tiger's being at the Inauguration?

TIM FINCHEM: First of all, I thought it was terrific and I'm delighted that they spent some time together afterwards. And I think that it's just another indication of the persona of Tiger Woods transcending the game of golf and meaning so much more to a lot of people.

I used to say before the Inauguration Day he was the most recognizable guy on the planet, I am not so sure I would say that any more with Obama being President. But certainly the most recognized athlete.

And then to have the opportunity with that audience to reaffirm what he, part of his recognizing the people in uniform, I thought that was a special part of his message. So I was very pleased with the game and happy for him.