The USGA Golf Museum and Library boasts the largest collection of golf artifacts and memorabilia in the world. Many of these prized items were used in USGA championships by the best players in golf history. Others have a different lineage. In honor of Presidents Day, here are sampling of some of the most meaningful artifacts tied to U.S. presidents.
President Eisenhower’s Golf Cart, ca. 1955
Light blue with decorative fringe, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s personal golf cart mirrors his unbridled enthusiasm and unapologetic passion for the game. “Ike” made golf cool and accessible. He counted Bob Jones and Arnold Palmer among his close friends, had a 3,000-square-foot putting green installed at the White House, and spent countless hours studying the mechanics of the swing. During his eight years in office, the number of golfers in the United States doubled.
President Taft’s “Fishing Pole” driver, ca. 1910
President William Howard Taft was the pioneer of presidential golf. Political cartoons criticized his love of the game, but it did not deter him from playing frequently and touting its benefits of good health and character development. The Museum’s collection includes Taft’s custom-made driver, created from a fishing pole to provide added length.
President Roosevelt’s mashie, ca. 1910
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was introduced to golf near his family’s summer home in New Brunswick, Canada. He served as secretary and treasurer of Campobello Golf Club and, at age 22, won the club championship. Before polio prevented him from playing the game he loved, Roosevelt used this hickory-shafted mashie. As president, Roosevelt’s public works programs helped build more than 300 municipal golf courses, including Bethpage State Park’s Black Course, host of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens.
President Harding’s presidential golf ball, ca. 1921
President Warren G. Harding was a strong supporter of public golf. He loved the game and also believed sports to be critical to keeping the nation fit and prepared for defense. Harding donated the team trophy for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in 1923. Harding is the only president to present the U.S. Open champion with the trophy, which he did for Jim Barnes at Columbia C.C. in Chevy Chase, Md., in 1921.
The Walker Cup
Golf has been a shared interest in the Bush family for generations. President George H.W. Bush’s grandfather and President George W. Bush’s great-grandfather, George Herbert Walker, served as president of the USGA in 1920. In the wake of World War I, Walker believed that athletic competition could foster goodwill among nations. Walker presented a plan for what is now a biennial team competition between amateur golfers representing the United States and Great Britain & Ireland. Walker purchased the large sterling silver cup from Tiffany and Company that has been awarded to the winning side since the first match in 1922.