New York Golf Courses Turned President Obama Away On Labor Day Weekend
Several highly exclusive golf clubs in the New York area reportedly turned away President Barack Obama’s request to tee off over the Labor Day weekend, after they were given just several days notice that he would be in the area.
The Daily Mail reports that The Trump National Golf Club, the Winged Foot Golf Club and the Willow Ridge Country Club all turned down requests from President Obama to schedule a tee time. The clubs were reportedly only given one or two days notice by the president’s advance team, and may have turned down his request in order to prevent their regular members from being inconvenienced. Membership at several of the golf clubs can cost upwards of $100,000 annually.
Report: golf courses snub Obama refusing to let him play http://t.co/FefMSnaQxm pic.twitter.com/hdKJHD4bJK
— David Nelson (@DavidNelsonNews) September 10, 2014
President Obama was in New York over the Labor Day weekend to headline several fundraisers and was originally scheduled to overnight in Westchester County before attending the wedding of White House chef Sam Kass and MSNBC host Alex Wagner the next day. On Aug. 28, the White House informed the media that the president’s schedule had changed, and he instead spent Friday evening back in Washington, before making a second trip to New York the following day, as Politico notes.
Of course the Trump golf course rejected Obama’s tee time: http://t.co/TSxASJt0Ez pic.twitter.com/OVE8Oj8Log — Talking Points Memo (@TPM) September 10, 2014
Neither the managers for the golf courses nor the White House has commented on the situation. President Obama has recently come under fire from political opponents for golfing on Martha’s Vineyard shortly after delivering an Aug. 20 speech in which he spoke about the beheading of James Foley. As the Inquisitr previously noted, the president addressed the controversy during a recent interview with Chuck Todd, admitting that his actions had been poorly timed.
Obama wanted to play golf on Labor Day weekend. Several clubs told him ‘no’. http://t.co/V9YyX1ezzh pic.twitter.com/fskayRrsKs — Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) September 10, 2014
As NBC 4 New York points out, the decisions to turn down President Obama’s request were likely made for strictly business reasons. A presidential visit would require sequestering the entire golf course, excluding all other members on what is one of the busiest golf days of the year.
Sources said that the King of Morocco also failed to secure a tee time at some of the same courses that weekend. Of several establishments contacted by NBC 4, the Fairview Country Club in Greenwich alone said that it would have accommodated President Obama’s golf outing if asked.
[Image via Washington Times]
