First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush

by Don Van Natta Jr.

Some students of the presidency say that we can learn the most about the men who've occupied the Oval Office by studying their ideology. Others say political savvy or family background or regional influences are paramount. But Don Van Natta argues for another standard—by observing the way they play golf.

Fourteen of the last seventeen presidents have been golfers, and Van Natta explores two Why is the game of golf so attractive to the men who occupy the Oval Office? And what do their golf games reveal about their characters? Some presidents relied on golf to escape the burdens of office, while others brought those burdens with them. And few have been able to resist the perks of high office, bending the rules and freely taking mulligans. Is it really surprising to learn that the section called "Hail to the Cheats" features the golfing escapades of Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, and Warren Harding?

Not content to rely solely on the history books, Van Natta takes the reader on a round of golf he recently played with Bill Clinton and draws on extensive interviews with the golfing ex-presidents about what the game means to them. For history buffs and golf aficionados alike, First Off the Tee is a cheerful romp and a unique way to share the links with America's duffers-in-chief.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Presidents, History

358 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

About the author

Don Van Natta is an investigative correspondent for the New York Times. He has been a member of three Pulitzer Prize-winning teams, and he is the author of the New York Times bestselling First off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers and Cheaters from Taft to Bush.

Reviews

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically a history of the presidents of the US from the late 19th century until 2002.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, and have given it as a gift to non-golfers who are more interested in presidential history than golf. Each president since William Howard Taft is covered and placed into categories: The Purists (JFK, Ike, etc.), Worst Off the Tee, Hail to the Cheats, and a section on the Bushes.

Many golfers believe that you can know a lot about a person based on how they treat the rules of golf. While I did not vote for Bill in 1992 (and still can hardly believe that he defeated Bush), I will admit that he has many fine qualities including teaming up with President Bush (#41) to raise money for various natural disasters including Hurricane Rita (hit my area in 2005). It will come as no surprise to his fans and detractors to find that Bill Clinton is known for his desire to take extra shots, known as mulligans in the game of golf. To be fair, he claimed that it was his way of practicing, but he would take so many extra shots during a round that things became quite confusing as to which was the actual ball in play. His way of using these extra shots came to be known as "Billigans".

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very clever premise - each chapter is devoted to a different president's golf game. Through golf, the reader gains insight into each president as a person and as a leader. Some chapters were more interesting than others, and some presidents' characters were more fully developed than others, but overall a very interesting read. Definitely recommend this to anyone who likes golf and politics or history.

[Charlie Schnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy golf you will enjoy this book. I am surprised by the low ranking on Goodreads, it is better than the 3.00 it has. I really enjoyed learning about the golfing presidents. However, the authors bias to 41 and 43 really irritated me. The time spent bashing 42 didn't sit well either. If you like golf and are a conservative you will LOVE this book, but if you can leave the politics out of it you will enjoy regardless.

[Tony Frampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book. I would imagine it would be pretty boring for the average non golfer, unless you’re obsessive about our Presidential history. The general premise that how one conducts himself on the course is analogous to life leads nobody to be shocked that Clinton and Nixon were the biggest cheaters of them all. Written in 2002, an update likely would be another bestseller (although maybe we’re not ready for more Obama and Trump stories just yet).

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you're a fan of golf, a fan of the Presidency, or both, this book provides enlightening details about the golf games of our Presidents and how the character of these great men translated to the links.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like golf and politics, this is a fun book for the nightstand, as the author shares great--and greatly entertaining--stories of each of our presidents who has ever swung a club.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine combination of two important interests of mine, golf and the presidency. It's a quick and fun read.

[Matthew Stetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some legendary Bill Clinton golf stories......liked the "Billigans".

[Andy Trawick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good, I've read it three times!

[Chuck Gerber · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a gift to me by a very "thoughtful" friend who rescued it from the near bottom of the bargain bin @Barnes & Noble in Midtown. I happened to notice it last week while searching the bookshelves(some 15 years later) for a new book to take to work at a golf pro shop. Other than the poor grammar and stories, the book is mildly entertaining. A more truthful perspective into these guys might have made for a better piece. I find the Clinton stories a sad introspective into a pretty sad character. Thankfully, this was written well before this country was blessed with the presence of obama. Can't even begin to imagine those strories.

[Paul Szydlowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A profile of golfing presidents, From William Howard Taft to George W. Bush, we learn that how one behaves on the golf course really does reflect how one behaves in all aspects of life. Some readers may disagree, but none prove this more than LBJ, for whom there were no rules. He would take 400-600 strokes per round without ever keeping score, hitting each shot 4,5,6 times until he got the outcome he desired - then moving on to the next shot. Very much as he seemed to approach politics.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

his research seemed to say that

Trump was #1
Kennedy #2

I guess someone needed a better back and owned a golf course or somethings

there's some good footage and analysis of Kennedy swinging



.........

I said to someone recently when I saw the photo of Kennedy in his photos
and the home movie camera footage of him swinging

'wow he swings like a girl!'
'he swings like ME!'

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more about each president's connection with the game than it is their politics. There's a couple vague attempts at connecting policies to the performance on the greens, but for the most part the book focuses on the frequency of playing, how they played (handicap) and provides a few fun anecdotes for each Commander and Chief. If you only have a passing interest in golf, but an active interest in history - you will still find this book enjoying. I have never golfed but read it and enjoyed it; then I gave it to my dad, an avid golfer, who also enjoyed it.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting twist on traditional presidential histories. You don't have to play golf (as I do not) to appreciate what Van Natta has to say about how presidential golf games reveal a great deal about the Presidents' characters. My one note of criticism would be Van Natta's blatant partisanship. I believe this indicates a great deal about his inability to be impartial in his more serious reporting duties at The New York Times.

[Carolyn Bay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and pretty informative. I caught one error. He said that Ronald Reagan went to Eureka College in Peoria, Illinois. Eureka College is in Eureka, Illinois near Peoria, but across a river and into the next county.