How good of a golfer is the US President, Donald Trump? This question has been in everyone’s mind for quite some time now. Especially with his handicap index rate reported as 2.8, according to USGA Handicap Index Information. However, some folks, like sportswriter Rick Reilly, have continuously raised eyebrows about the accuracy of this claim. He even ended up writing a whole book on Trump’s cheating cases in his book “Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump.”

But nobody really cared about his handicap index or scores until the 2024 Presidential Election debate. At the first US election debate, the now-president and his rival Joe Biden fought over their golfing skills. It was then when Trump bragged about having a handicap of three, making people interested in his golf life.

With that established, let’s look at his top performances. But of course, keeping aside the cheating skepticism.

Senior Club Championship (January 2025)

Donald Trump just crushed it at the Senior Club Championship at Trump International Golf Club, Palm Beach on 12th January 2025. He scored an impressive 68 with a Stableford point of 40. That was even better than his previous record of 70!

The report was first shared by one of his fans on their Instagram story, who also topped it with an emoji of Trump’s iconic red hat that says “Make America Great Again” to reflect her admiration for the senior golfer. Interestingly, “Shark Tank” host Kevin O’Leary also posted the news on his social media, highlighting Donald Trump’s 4-under par.

But was he able to ease those cheating tags? To answer in short: No. To answer long, it is complicated. You see, Over the years, there have been several questionable incidents in Trump’s golfing history, including a mysterious round of 68 that appeared on the GHIN website back in 2019. Strangely, that post was quickly taken down, but the site still shows a score of 70 paired with a slope rating of 147.

Honestly, that’s an extraordinarily impressive score on an extremely challenging course. Why challenging? Well, when Pebble Beach is set up to host the U.S. Open, it shows a slope rating of 147. That ultimately makes Trump’s stellar score not just good but almost too good to be true!

Bedminster Senior Club Championship (August 2023)

In August 2023 the 78-year-old golfer claimed that he shot a 67 at his course in Bedminster, New Jersey. According to the reports, this would have beaten all LIV golfers who played on the same course weeks earlier in a LIV Golf event. Only six LIV golfers shot 67 or lower of the 144 rounds. Which again raises doubts.

After winning the tournament, Donald Trump quickly took it to social media, saying, “It is my great honour to be at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach tonight, AWARDS NIGHT, to receive THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY & THE SENIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY.” He added, “I WON BOTH!”

He continued, “A large and golfing talented membership and a GREAT and difficult course make the play very exciting. The qualifying and match play was amazing. A large and distinguished group will be there tonight. Very exciting, thank you!!!” The post concluded with Trump adding, “For some reason, I am just a good golfer/athlete—I have won many Club Championships, and it is always a great honor!”

However, not everyone was convinced of Trump’s achievement. President Joe Biden even mocked Trump’s win, reposting his message with the comment, “Congratulations, Donald. Quite the accomplishment”. Rory McIlroy too joined Biden when he said that if the new president is so good, then he should be picked up for the Ryder Cup team.

Surprisingly, despite the skepticism, Trump received praise from some notable golfers. John Daly, for instance, spoke highly of Trump’s golf skills, saying that he’s a decent player who just needs to work on his chipping. And that’s not all; the senior citizen also received the 2024 Trump International Golf Club Most Improved Player award from 18X major champion Jack Nicklaus last year. Hard to believe? Well, there are more tournaments where the President wins.

Winged Foot Golf Course (2020)

Trump shot as low as 71 at Winged Foot Golf Course in 2020. The Mamaroneck, New York, track, which hosted the 2020 U.S. Open, is known for its toughness. Only seven golfers managed to shoot 71 or lower in the final round, with just one finishing under 70. And Trump felt special about it, he did not shy away from bragging.

During an appearance on Clay Travis’ radio show, the now US president confidently claimed that he shoots in the “low 70s quite a bit” at Winged Foot, where he’s a member. Interestingly, the last time the U.S. Open was held there was in 2006 when Geoff Ogilvy won with scores of 71, 70, 72, and 72, finishing five over par.

But then again, there’s a whole book by Rick Reilly about how Trump cheats at golf, so it’s tough to know what’s really true. “If Trump is a 2.8, Queen Elizabeth is a pole vaulter,” Reilly wrote in his book, chronicling numerous incidents of Trump cheating on the links. “He cheats like a mafia accountant,” Reilly even said on CNN.

Tiger Woods too shared his views on Trump’s Winged Foot win, saying that it is one of the three hardest courses in the world. With it being in his home state, Trump probably has an edge having played it multiple times.