Former President George W. Bush got his first hole-in-one at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas Wednesday.
“With coaching from @thebushcenter CEO Ken Hersh and board members Mike Meece and Bill Hickey, I scored my first hole-in-one at the home of our Warrior Open and the @attbyronnelson. Next golf goal: live to 100 so I can shoot my age,” Bush posted on Instagram Wednesday.
The photo depicts Bush, 72, by the 12th hole, which the club’s member scorecard notes is a par 3 hole that is 164 yards from the white tees.
Bush said in 2008 that he abandoned the sport while he was president in 2003 after a truck bomb in Baghdad killed U.N. special representative Sergio Vieira de Mello and at least 21 others.
He said: “I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them.”
He had been mocked in Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” 2004 movie for denouncing a terrorist attack in Israel by declaring, “I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorists killers” and then following up as he prepared his swing: “Now watch this drive.”
Bush later resumed playing and defended the golf habit of his successor Barack Obama when he was being accused of playing too frequently, saying: I “I think he ought to play golf” further elaborating, “I know the pressure of the job, and to be able to get outside and play golf with some of your pals is important for the president. It does give you an outlet.”
Golf is a popular presidential past-time. President Trump plays frequently — and owns golf courses around the world. President Bill Clinton was an avid golfer. Dwight Eisenhower was the most active presidential player. He practiced every morning and had a putting green installed outside his office. He played at Augusta so frequently — 29 times during his presidency from 1953 to 1961— that the club established an Ike’s Pond and an Eisenhower Cabin on the course.
