Obama lost $3 to lawmakers on the golf course

by Jordan Fabian - 07/22/15 1:20 PM ET

President Obama came away with a slightly thinner wallet after golfing with a trio of House Democrats last weekend.

Democratic Reps. John Yarmuth (Ky.), Joe Courtney (Conn.) and Ed Perlmutter (Colo.) hit the links at Andrews Air Force Base on Sunday for a rare round with the president.

{mosads}Yarmuth and Perlmutter lost the game to Obama and Courtney, the Kentucky lawmaker told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

But the golfer-in-chief and his partner had to cough up $3 to Yarmuth and Perlmutter after losing bets on some holes on the back nine.

“We ended up losing the match but won $3 because we pressed successfully,” Yarmuth told the newspaper, adding that he and Perlmutter won the last three holes.

The game came amid Obama’s sales pitch to Congress on the Iran nuclear deal. Yarmuth said the foursome didn’t talk politics on the course.

“It was all pleasure,” he said. “We didn’t talk any shop, and the president was just a joy to play with.”

Yarmuth said in another interview that Obama scored an 86, “which is pretty good.”

“That’s all legit,” Yarmuth said on “The Bill Press Show,” adding that the lawmakers and Obama played “a very honest game.”

“He’s got a lot of natural ability. He loves the game,” Yarmuth said of Obama.

While the president did not lobby the representatives over the Iran deal while they played, he did say, “I will be calling,” Yarmuth recalled.

– Jesse Byrnes contributed.

– Updated at 1:52 p.m.

Tags Barack Obama Ed Perlmutter Joe Courtney John Yarmuth