Two of the world’s most powerful mem put aside their differences for a round of golf this past weekend at Joint Base Andrews’ golf course in Maryland. Both President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner play regularly, but Boehner is known as one of Capital Hill’s best golfers ranked 43rd among 150 prominent Washington golfers by Golf Digest.
“The president sees golf as a way to escape Washington, and Speaker Boehner sees golf as part of the politics of Washington. It’s how you raise money, it’s how you get business done. And the president doesn’t see golf that way,” ABC News political director Amy Walter said.
President Obama brought Vice President Joe Biden along this weekend. Biden carries a 6.3 handicap and is ranked 29th in the Golf Digest rankings. Speaker Boehner invited a fellow Ohio Republican, Gov. John Kasich to round out the foursome. Obama and Boehner rode in a cart together, and Biden and Kasich in another.
The golf summit was a casual affair, with relaxed rules and lots of “gimmies” on both sides. With such a powerfully charged political atmosphere, it’s an impressive testament to the beauty and social adaptability of the game of golf.
