How the golf industry shanked the Obama years

This year has been a series of “lasts” for the Obama Administration.  In March, President Obama filled out his last NCAA tournament bracket in the Oval Office. Two weeks ago, he and the First Lady hosted their last White House Easter Egg Roll.  And this past weekend he likely enjoyed one of his favorite sporting events, The Masters, for the last time as Commander, or as some would say, Duffer-in-Chief.

One would think the President’s devotion to the links, coupled with Mrs. Obama’s dedication to fitness and active lifestyles, would produce an ideal public forum for an industry like golf to tell its story of the game’s many benefits – mental, physical and even its positive impact in America’s communities.  Only in Washington can such potential get turned upside down.  

{mosads}Despite a steep reduction in the number of golfers and abysmal interest among millenials, the leading golf organizations representing the game in the U.S. completely whiffed on a three-foot putt to promote themselves over the past eight years.  

The current problems confronting participation in golf are not going away.  According to recent data from the National Golf Foundation, fewer individuals tried the game in 2015 than in the previous year, with a total of 24.1 million.  When you consider over 30 million people participated in 2005, the decline is alarming.

In light of these crosscurrents, a golf-obsessed weekend warrior of a President should have been a standard-bearer worth embracing – a gift from the golf gods – and a platform to tell the story of who plays golf in the 21st century amidst all the demands on our time.  Hey, if the President can sneak away and play nine holes, you can too!  

Of course, President Obama’s golf regimen alone would not have negated declining participation numbers, and to its credit, many of golf’s leaders are embracing new methods to spur participation.  But, it does highlight a major problem inside a struggling industry. If the golf industry won’t get your back, who will?

The truth is, today’s politically combative reality required that golf’s leadership defend their game from the brutal characterization of the sport as an inaccessible activity only for those who have time and money.  And what became the symbol for partisans and golf haters alike?  President Obama – and his many rounds of golf.  

As President, Obama has logged 270 rounds of golf on 18 courses across six states.  Each round provided an opportunity for partisan hacks to smear the game along with the golf-loving President, who, in critics’ minds, should focus on the duties of the office and not play any games, let alone golf.  

Reporters loved to write these stories.  White House press staff reiterated again and again that the President, like all previous presidents, deserved an appropriate amount of time to clear his mind. For President Obama, that meant long walks on the fairways and greens.

Still, inexplicably, golf’s governing bodies never had his back.   Worse, it seemed to have taken them by surprise.

Criticizing what presidents do on the weekends or during vacations is as American as apple pie.  President George W. Bush was mocked for spending too many hours clearing brush at his ranch in Texas. In 1956, President Eisenhower was attacked for quail hunting during the Dien Bien Phu Crisis. And our founding fathers often wondered aloud why Thomas Jefferson spent so much time at Monticello.    

And that brings us back to the Easter Egg Roll.  The eighth and last event hosted by the First Family had a terrific roster of talent, including famous singers, actors and athletes, including Shaquille O’Neal – a legend from President Obama’s other favorite game.  But, not a single golfer or golf representative attended this perennial event devoted to fitness and active lifestyles.  And that’s on golf – not President Obama.  

As the Obama Administration approaches its final hole, one thing is clear: the golf industry is losing its most fervent, non-professional ambassador – and they shanked what could be their last shot for some time.  Unless, of course, golf course resort developer Donald Trump wins the election in November.  But that scenario presents a whole different public affairs challenge for the game of golf.

Maloney is a Democratic strategist with the Locust Street Group, a national bipartisan public affairs firm in Washington, DC.  He is an avid golfer