US presidency and golf

Golf among other things has been a great passion with American presidents.

Fourteen of the last 17 presidents have been golfers, but golf writers claim that they (the presidents) are not averse to bending the rules just that bit "" and sometimes a lot more "" to put down on the card a score that would simply not be within their realms.

Mulligans (free shots off the tee) and Gimmes (assuming the putt would have dropped from quite a distance off the cup) have been their staple.

John F Kennedy, who said his predecessor, Lyndon B Johnson, spent too much time on golf courses, was perhaps the swinger, on and off the course.

His style evoked a lot of admiration and he boasted of a handicap of six, though he himself would admit that he could do with better putting.

Ron Reagan had a handicap of 12 and loved telling stories on the course and thought nothing of practising his putting while travelling aboard the Air Force One.

Richard Nixon, with his serious face, was notorious when it came to taking repeat shots and if he did not like the lie, he would pick up the ball and place it somewhere from he could hit easily. If he still muffed it, he would repeat!

Gerald Ford, hampered in his swing because of football injuries, dedicated himself to the game after quitting office. While he was in office, he had a handicap of 11, but more than a few times hit the spectators with his erratic shots.

The current US president George Bush is an 18-handicapper, and his entire family loves the game.

Bush Sr has played golf for almost 60 years now, and his father and maternal grandfather were both single digit handicappers.

George Bush is a great friend of US pro Davis Love III while his father had golf legend Ben Crenshaw as a sometime-coach cum pal.

And what about Bush's predecessor, Bill Clinton? They say Clinton would never miss a chance to get on the course and once signed a card for a 78.

But those who know more about his golf claimed that penalty drops, water visits, mulligans and gimmes were not counted.

Ah, the perks of being a US president.