Taft. Eisenhower. H.W. Bush.

President’s Day brings a lot of lists.

Here’s a different one.

Not the most rounds played.
Not the lowest claimed handicap.
Not who hit the longest drive.

Instead, the three Presidents who, from a golf historian’s perspective, most influenced the game in America:

• William Howard Taft — the first to normalize it

• Dwight D. Eisenhower — the most influential

• George H. W. Bush — the one who helped grow it forward

William Howard Taft

The First to Make It Presidential

In the early 1900s, golf in America was still gaining its footing.

When Taft played regularly — and publicly — he helped legitimize the game in American culture. A sitting President on the golf course wasn’t yet common. Taft made it normal.

He wasn’t known for artistry around the greens or tournament-level scoring. That isn’t the point.

The point is visibility.

When a President plays, the game moves closer to the mainstream. Courses gain attention. Participation grows. The perception shifts.

Taft didn’t just play golf. He made it presidential.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Golfer-in-Chief

If Taft normalized golf in the presidency, Eisenhower embedded it into American golf culture.

A longtime member of Augusta National Golf Club, Eisenhower played extensively during and after his presidency. His connection to Augusta helped elevate its national visibility at a time when televised golf was emerging.

And then there was the Eisenhower Tree.

The large loblolly pine on the 17th hole at Augusta National became famous because Eisenhower reportedly asked if it could be removed after it interfered with his tee shots. The club declined.

That story captures something essential about golf.

Even Presidents don’t get relief from a tree just because they ask.

The Masters grew during Eisenhower’s era. So did television coverage. So did the cultural footprint of Augusta National.

His influence wasn’t about low scoring.

It was about presence.

George H. W. Bush

Growing the Game Forward

George H. W. Bush loved the game and played it for decades.

But his most lasting golf legacy may not be his own rounds.

In 1997, Bush was one of the founding supporters of The First Tee — an initiative designed to introduce young people to golf while teaching life skills and character development.

That matters.

Because the long-term health of golf doesn’t depend on Presidents playing.

It depends on juniors learning.

The First Tee shifted focus toward access, mentorship, and values. It helped make the game more welcoming and more sustainable.

Bush’s influence wasn’t about scorecards.

It was about opportunity.

Why These Three Matter

Taft made presidential golf visible.

Eisenhower tied the presidency to Augusta and the Masters during a formative era.

Bush helped ensure the next generation would have a pathway into the game.

Three different forms of influence.

All lasting.

Presidents come and go.

Courses remain.
Traditions endure.
And the game continues to ask the same thing of every player — discipline, patience, and precision.

History may remember them for different reasons.

Golf remembers them for how they shaped the game.