Golf has long been one of Donald Trump’s defining passions, and the question of exactly how good he is has become a debate all of its own.

Between an eye-catching official handicap, a string of rounds alongside major champions, and a book dedicated to disputing his scorecards, Trump’s game generates almost as much scrutiny as his politics.

Here is a straight look at the numbers, the eyewitnesses, and the courses behind the reputation.

Donald Trump Golf Handicap

On the Golf Handicap Information Network (GHIN), the USGA-administered system, Trump’s official handicap is listed as 2.8. If true, that figure would make him the lowest-handicapped president in US history — a level that implies he regularly shoots in the 70s or low 80s.

Trump has often gone further himself, making claims of winning dozens of club championships and suggesting his real standard is close to scratch. However, that number is a widely contested statistic.

Skeptics point to his age, the course ratings of the venues he plays, and the fact that relatively few scores have been posted to his GHIN record in recent years. The most prominent challenge came from sportswriter Rick Reilly, whose 2019 book ‘Commander in Cheat‘ documented numerous eyewitness accounts of Trump allegedly bending the rules — from generous ‘gimmes’ to balls mysteriously reappearing in better positions.

Reilly’s central argument, revealed in an interview with The Guardian, is that Trump treats the scorecard as a branding exercise rather than a strict record. Not everyone dismisses the 2.8, though. Golf coach Paul Elvin, founder of The London Golf Performance Academy, told the Independent that from the appropriate tees he believes Trump genuinely can play to that mark or better, singling out his technique as he praised Trump’s rotation and power through impact.

The truth likely sits somewhere between the official figure and the skepticism: a genuinely capable club golfer whose precise number is impossible to verify independently.

Notable Golfers Donald Trump Has Played With

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Regardless of the myths or truth surrounding his handicap, Trump has shared a course with a remarkable roster of elite players, and their eyewitness verdicts are among the better evidence of his standard. Since taking office for the first time, he has teed off with several past and present world number ones.

Rory McIlroy played a full 18 holes with Trump at his West Palm Beach course in February 2017 and offered one of the most-quoted assessments, saying Trump shot around 80 and was a decent player for a man in his 70s. McIlroy — who rode around the course with Trump that day — later distanced himself from any political fallout, but never disputed that Trump moved the ball well.

Other notable names include Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson in a memorable post-Thanksgiving round in Florida, with South Africa’s Ernie Els, and famously alongside Jack Nicklaus and Woods at his Jupiter course in 2019.

More recently, the football world took notice when England captain Harry Kane accepted an invitation to play with Trump in Palm Beach. Kane, a keen golfer himself, called it a surreal experience and was complimentary about the president’s game.

Donald Trump Golf Courses

via trumpgolfdoral.com

Trump’s connection to golf is incredibly powerful, as one would expect, as he has assembled one of the most extensive private golf portfolios in the world through the Trump Organization.

By the company’s own count, 18 courses are spread across three continents, taking in the United States, Scotland, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, with further developments planned in Asia.

The collection includes some genuinely breathtaking venues. For example, Turnberry in Scotland, bought in 2014, is a four-time Open Championship host, while the Aberdeen links opened a celebrated second course in 2025.

In the United States, Doral’s ‘Blue Monster’ is a former PGA Tour and LIV Golf venue, and Bedminster in New Jersey has staged the US Women’s Open and LIV events. The table below gives an overview of some of the best-known properties.

Between his contested handicap, a contact book packed with major champions, and a global stable of courses, golf remains one of the arenas where Trump’s love of competition is most on display.

A silly season in the Formula One driver market could well be on its way, with several drivers weighing up their futures in the sport.

Several drivers, including Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, and Franco Colapinto, are out of contract at the end of the year, which could trigger mass changes. Even top drivers in underperforming teams could be looking elsewhere; the speculation over Max Verstappen‘s future has certainly been interesting.

However, as the summer break continues, and we edge closer to the return of F1, could we see a twist in the driver market?

Williams‘ lack of performance this season is not only frustrating, but also seems to be incredibly disappointing after the expectations coming into the season.

Many thought they would continue this upward trajectory and have another strong campaign. Formula One writer Lawrence Barretto even predicted them to pick up their first win since 2012. This has, of course, turned out to be far from reality, as the team currently reside ninth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Bernadett Szabo via Reuters

There has been a clear regression, with the team missing pre-season testing in Barcelona and creating an overweight car. The mistakes have been costly, and have left them on the back foot. Too many times already this season it has been a battle to get out of Q1; a sad indictment of the predicament they find themselves in.

Even off the track they are embroiled in other difficult situations. The Guardian’s article about the confusing mystery over who owns the team exposed some of the issues, with allegations of sexism, racism, and expenses fiddling all prominent. Furthermore, the contract situation with their drivers could also be problematic, though, they are looking to solve it with one major move.

Carlos Sainz is free to leave Williams at the end of this year, though, there is an option to extend until either 2027 or 2028. The 31-year-old holds an interest in other projects like Alpine and Aston Martin, but this, of course, hinges on which direction these teams decide to go.

Williams are desperate to keep the four-time race winner, with Autosprint reporting that they are preparing a substantial offer. A reported €30 million (£25.7m) contract extension has been put on the table; a significant increase to his current deal of £9.8m a season.

Not only is it almost double his current salary, but it also would put him on more money than some of the sport’s most notable names. Fernando Alonso and George Russell would be lower, while the salary would be equal to that of Charles Leclerc.

It seems like a major risk for a team on the decline, but someone of Sainz’s quality could easily drag them out of the mess. His two podium finishes in a midfield car during the 2025 season really highlighted how he can help a team punch above their weight.

While this may not be possible currently, in the near future, could Sainz bring Williams back into a consistent point-scoring position?

Chelsea will not entertain the permanent sale of Mykhailo Mudryk this summer, GIVEMESPORT understands. The Blues will only consider a loan, and keeping the Ukrainian winger as part of the first-team squad has also not been entirely ruled out.

It is looking more likely Mudryk departs on a loan, though, due to a desire to get the 25-year-old regular minutes following 20 months out with a doping ban.

Mudryk tested positive for the banned substance meldonium while on international duty in November 2024, but this summer he agreed a settlement with the FA. Had Mudryk been tested today, new protocols for substance thresholds would have resulted in no Anti-Doping Rules Violation (ADRV).

Mudryk has already returned to training with the Chelsea first team

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

As a result, Mudryk agreed to accept his ADVR and 20-month ban, since the new testing rules can’t be applied retroactively, while the FA decided to allow him to return to football immediately.

Mudryk, who has not played since November 2024, featured for the first time since returning to the Blues set-up in a pre-season friendly against Juventus in Hong Kong.

The €100million signing from Shakhtar Donetsk is now hoping for clarity on his future before the new Premier League season begins.

Several Premier League and European clubs have made inquiries, including Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg. Coventry City have also been credited with an interest, with manager Frank Lampard having worked with the Ukrainian briefly when he was caretaker manager at Stamford Bridge in 2023.

Mudryk continued to train away from Cobham during his ban in order to maintain his fitness levels and is now working on both reintegration and match sharpness.

Xabi Alonso speaks out on Mudryk’s future

REUTERS/David Klein

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso had said last week that Mudryk’s future was still under discussion. “No decision has been made,” said the new Chelsea boss. “Everything has happened so quick, so the main thing is thinking about the person, to feel that he was back in the group dynamic, part of a team, and we need to assess. But for sure, he’s a special player. It’s a special case with him, so we need to be sensitive.”

Mudryk’s Chelsea contract runs until 2031, while an amendment to his contract was confirmed in a list of FA transactions in April last year.

Timeline of Mudryk’s Chelsea career:

January 2023 – Mudryk signs for Chelsea for £89m

October 2023 – Scores first Chelsea goal in 2-0 win over Fulham

March 2024 – Scores winning goal in the play-off against Iceland to send Ukraine to Euro 2024

December 2024 – Provisionally suspended by the FA for a positive doping test

June 2025 – Charged with breaking anti-doping rules

April 2026 – Banned for four years, to last until 2028

July 2026 – All charges were dropped and Mudryk was free to play again