barack obama Archives • GolfStinks

Sign Of The Times?

September 12, 2014 | By Pete Girotto | 1 Comment

Labor Day weekend has come and gone and with that we prepare for fall and winter. For most of us hacks in the Northeast that also means our golf season is winding down. Now is the time to enjoy the perfect golfing weather and get in a few last rounds before tucking away the ol’ sticks. There are many courses offering up some fall ball specials and we should take advantage of them.

We all deserve a break once in a while to shoot a round of golf, especially on a holiday weekend. Speaking of breaks, it seems as though President Obama couldn’t catch one this past Labor Day. Apparently, he was hoping to hack up one of Westchester’s (NY) high end tracks but they had other plans in mind. Mr. Obama was rejected by all courses including Winged Foot and Trump National.

This seems very strange, or does it? Obviously, if he was to play, it is required that the course shuts down and doesn’t let any members or guests play or even be there. Not a smart move financially especially on a holiday weekend. Another rumor being tossed around was how Obama has lost his star quality. With some of these uppity places, if you are not A-list, you are S-list…or S*** list.

It’s pretty much a given that he wasn’t getting a tee time at Trump National because well, Donald is not a fan of Obama. Actually, I take that back. Mr. Trump did offer the president free golf for the rest of his life but there’s a catch…he would have to resign, now. Oof! Times are a changin’…

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Does Augusta Think Girls Have Cooties?

April 6, 2012 | By Pete Girotto | 2 Comments

When I was a kid our families would get together at our grandmother’s house every Sunday. Coming from a large Italian family, this was a good way for all the aunts, uncles and cousins to see each other. Just like clockwork the older members would sit around the kitchen table drinking espresso and pick at some sort of cake or pie while the cousins would go off and play. And just like clockwork, the boys would either make some sort of a make-shift fort in the backyard or occupy a back room and then implement a “no girls allowed” policy.

This story reminds me of Augusta National Golf Club. A male-only golf club since opening in 1933. Here’s the kicker; a woman can play Augusta only if she is invited by a member but can’t become a member. What’s so secretive that only 300 or so “invited” male members are privy to? Well, well, well Augusta…the day of reckoning has come.

In the past, IBM’s CEOs were normally given memberships to the club (Note: IBM sponsors the tourney). But what if IBM’s CEO is female? Uh-oh! Enter Virginia Rometty. IBM’S new CEO and guess what? She’s a women. Sounds like Augusta is in a little bit of a pickle. Not to mention, Obama and Romney (in a rare instance) both agreed they should allow female members. Yikes, talk about pressure.

I’m pretty sure if women really wanted to be granted membership at Augusta they could get it. Females are damn good at persuasion. How often does a woman buy a man an engagement ring? There you go. I’ll bet if women used a bit of third grade reverse psychology it might work. You know, “We don’t want to be in your stupid club anyway…it smells. We’re starting our own.” The boys laugh it off and tell the girls to go start their own club but in the back of their minds they really want to know what the girl club is doing. Then the boys notice “Hey, they have sandwiches and cake. We don’t have sandwiches and cake.”

I like sandwiches and cake.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Four Strokes and seven yards to go…

February 12, 2010 | By Pete Girotto | Leave a Comment

As we get close to President’s Day, I began to wonder how many presidents were golfers and how would they rank amongst each other.

So, with the intentions of embarking on an arduous journey of research and collecting data, I went online and with the click of a few buttons found the following list thanks to Golf Digest!

Without further ado, the ranking of golfing presidents:

1. John F. Kennedy

2. Dwight D. Eisenhower

3. Gerald R. Ford

4. Franklin D. Roosevelt

5. George H. W. Bush

6. George W. Bush

7. Bill Clinton

8. Barack Obama

9. Ronald Reagan

10. Warren G. Harding

11. William Howard Taft

12. Woodrow Wilson

13. Richard M. Nixon

14. Lyndon B. Johnson

15. Calvin Coolidge

Who would of thought that with such a short term, unfortunately, JFK would be leading the pack? Supposedly he had a handicap somewhere between 7-10! Ike picked-up the game at 37 and played over 800 rounds in his career. His handicap hovered somewhere in the 14-17 range.

Ford was a passionate golfer who consistently shot in the 80 ‘s. He was also known for his errant shots that would hit spectators. After a round at the Bob Hope Classic he jokingly said: “I would like to deny all allegations by Bob Hope that during my last game of golf, I hit an eagle, a birdie, an elk and a moose.”

FDR was quite an accomplished golfer until stricken with polio. However, one of his greatest contributions to golf was the construction of 250 municipal courses that made the game accessible to hundreds of thousands.

A definite must-read for those interested in golfing presidents should check out: “First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush” written by Don Van Atta Jr. Van Atta, a New York Times reporter, humorously approaches the subject and reveals some interesting things such as Bill Clinton ‘s “Billigans.” Van Atta shot a round with the Ex-prez after his term, discovering how, through the use of “Billigans,” he was able to break 80. Go figure, of all the presidents that would cheat…

Sign Of The Times?

Does Augusta Think Girls Have Cooties?

Four Strokes and seven yards to go…

Questions / Advertise

Disclaimers

Privacy Policy