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Sports

Donald Trump Under Investigation for Obstruction of Golf Etiquette

He did it at his own golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Screencapture via Twitter/@MikeNFrank

Golf, the gentleman's game, a game of honor, self discipline, and lots and lots of etiquette. It is not a game for the uncouth, and yet it is also a game for the rich and spoiled. One such rich person is our current president, Donald Trump. He owns several courses around the world and frequents them quite often while running the country. On the weekend of June 9, Trump played a round at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey where he was spotted driving on his own green by Twitter user @MikeNFrank.

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This is obviously a tremendous, tremendous no-no in golf. People take great pains to merely avoid stepping on someone's putting line and here's the President of the United States whipping his golf cart around on it. Here, from Golfweek, are some helpful tips for the president re: safe and respectful golf cart operation:

Keep your cart away from tee boxes, and about 30 feet away from the greens. Signs near the green might say, "No carts beyond this point," or arrows might point to the cart path. Do not drive close to water hazards, grassy mounds or bunkers. The water can damage the cart, and the cart can damage the mounds and bunkers. Many golf courses do not allow golf carts on the fairway of a par-3 hole.

To give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe Mr. Trump has an ailment he is trying to hide from the press—not unlike fellow President Franklin Delano Roosevelt—and he must rely on the cart more than he'd like to admit. In May, he famously took a golf cart to a photo op at the G7 Summit rather than walk the 700 yards to the location of the picture.

Now, it was significantly less than 700 yards from just off the green to the spot on the putting surface he eventually drove to, but I'd wager he expends more energy shooting 18 holes than he does representing the country.