Better at Receiving Than Giving

Now I do not want to undermine Mr Trump’s golfing stature or intimate that he is barmy, but things don’t look that good on closer inspection. He somehow only posted twenty rounds between 2009 and 2016. Why? That for a start doesn’t inspire one with confidence. And further.

Alan Shipnuck, the then senior writer at Sports Illustrated said that playing golf with Mr Trump was a ‘nauseating character study of him’ And further ‘he bends the rules or completely skirts the rules to his benefit’. Hmm, not good either.

Nick Reilly, another Sports Illustrated writer, played with him and claimed that he gave himself ‘a gimme chip’.  However, that was lambasted by a rather riled Mr Trump who then labelled Mr Reilly as ‘a dishonest writer’. Fake news I guess?

Mark Mulvoy, the Sports Illustrated media editor told Washington Post that he had played with Mr Trump in the nineties. Mr Trump said that he had placed his ball next to the pin on one hole and explained it by saying that, ‘the guys I play with cheat all the time, and I have to cheat to catch up with them’. Ok, the picture is building here.

Now in October, Senator Lindsay Graham played in the Columbus Day Foundation Tournament at Trump National GC, Washington, with the owner. He tweeted after that ‘he (the owner) had shot a 73 in wet and windy conditions’. On being questioned further about the round the Senator did not say much, but he did say this about putts, ‘he is better at receiving than giving’.

I think enough said.

Ernie Els reckons that Mr Trump is about an eight to nine handicapper and Rory McIlroy came out with the most politic quote after playing with him this year, ‘he probably shot around 80. He’s a decent player for a guy in his 70’s.’

Well, I don’t like the word ‘probably’ here Rory and ‘around 80’ is far too vague and usually means about 95 once you’ve added the goodwill factor to it. And in this instance, I imagine that was considerable.

Anyway, I am not on a witch hunt against Mr Trump here; heaven forbids I don’t work for the FBI, nor that bloke Mueller. I just understand and adhere to the rules and etiquette of the noble game of golf and have a gut instinct when things appear amiss. And I’m afraid things just don’t stack up for me here. I trust that the president is very probably a decent player for a guy in his 70’s though. But hell, I’m a Comey, straight talking kind of bloke who calls a spade a spade and a bogey a bogey.

My handicap is now very definitely and absolutely eleven. Yes, that’s double figures I know. But an honest writer I am. And an honest golfer too.

Yes, that may well not be a very sexy level of handicap to my female readers out there. However, on the plus side, I do hit a very long ball. Well, when it goes straight that is. If that sort of thing is important to you?

Please go to http://thekiltedcaddie.com/ to find out more about The Kilted Caddie.