RON HART: Presidential balls: Bogeying on America's course

MEMPHIS, TENN. — Barack Obama has already played 25 rounds of golf as president, more than Bush played in his two terms combined. And arguably, more than Tiger Woods will play in the coming weeks.

It was a tough holiday for Tiger. His family hosted Thanksgiving dinner, and everyone was asked to bring their favorite side dish. Apparently, Tiger completely misunderstood what his wife meant.

Obama’s golf outings have been praised by the media, including a Washington Post  headline, “Just the Sport for A Leader Most Driven.” The piece went on to say, “Obama’s frequent outings reflect a cool self-confidence,” but stopped just short of calling Obama “simply awesome” for playing golf.

Always the Obama cheerleaders and impresarios of the inconsequential, the mainstream media lost all credibility years ago.  Now they are just funny.

On the campaign trail they asked Obama softball questions in hopes of guiding our appreciation of him. We learned revealing information such as the all-important historic figure he would most like to have dinner with and why, his favorite book, meal and movie, and the ice cream flavor he ordered on his first date with Michelle. Time Magazine asked a harder question: what was his favorite season, and why? The “why” made many anchors cringe, but the reporter felt he had to ask the tough questions.

The same publication headlined a story about George Bush’s golfing with “Before Golf, Bush Decries Latest Deaths in Mideast.” The piece went on to say, “However incongruous the setting, the president plunged ahead.” In their coverage of Bush versus Obama, the mainstream media redefined their own boundaries of journalistic bias.

Shortly after the negative golf piece by the Washington Post, President Bush gave up golf. Between that and having to wait as our golf bags were inspected by the unionized snails of the TSA, it was clear the terrorists had won.

It may shock the left, but I belong to a private golf club.

Well, I don’t really “belong” there but they allow me to pay dues and play golf. So, I am glad to see  Obama playing golf. He will meet a better class of people there.

Up to this point, Obama shared more friendships in common with Osama bin Laden (both had close friends who tried to blow up the Pentagon) than with American golfers. He just needs to meet better friends.

I bet Rev. Wright, Father Flager, and Harry Reid do not play golf. Reid would never bet a foursome since it takes three or more witnesses to prove a conspiracy.

A recent Wall Street Journal column wondered why Obama has forsaken basketball, a game he is good at, for one he is not. A North Carolina sportswriter did his best to put it in language Obama could understand: “Mr. President, basketball? Yes, you can. Golf? No, you can’t.”

The most troubling thing about Obama’s golf game is that he plays slowly.

Some of his toadies might say, “Take your time, Mr. President; pretend you are choosing a dog or deciding what to do in Afghanistan.” In fairness to Obama, it takes time to tote his teleprompter around the golf course so he can perfectly quote lines from “Caddyshack” on cue.

All politicians who played golf had their quirks.

That is what makes the game so revealing of one’s character. Clinton, aside from having many of the off course traits as Tiger, was known for getting confused by the scoring. He would shoot a six, yell “fore,” and write down a five on his scorecard.

JFK was famously clandestine about his fine golf game and was said to have been a graceful player. Conversely, his brother Teddy Kennedy had trouble driving over water.

Ron Hart is a libertarian op-ed humorist whose new book, No Such Thing as a Pretty Good Alligator      Wrestler, is available on Amazon.com or at www.RonaldHart.com.  Email: Ron@RonaldHart.com