Obama Brings "Game" To Golf

By: Jamie Farnsworth
Topics: White House

KAILUA, Hawaii — Basketball has always been President-elect Barack Obama's game. Over the course of the campaign, playing a game of basketball became Mr. Obama's election day ritual. But on his first full day in Hawaii, he picked up a different game — golf.

The president-elect played 18 holes Sunday with a few local friends and a staffer, Eugene Kang. Kang, a University of Michigan alum, has been playing golf since the age of ten and undoubtedly helped the president-elect's score. Around the 9th hole, Mr. Obama bumped into his traveling press corps hanging out by the snack bar.

Mr. Obama ordered a couple hot dogs and some other snacks before turning and waving to the press. He told the group of reporters following his every move to head up to the club house and put a few beers on his tab, no one took him up on the offer.

When asked how the game was going, Mr. Obama smiled and said, "I'm not that good."

"Gene though," Mr. Obama said, referring to staffer Kang. "He's got game."

Here are a few pictures from his trip to the golf course yesterday.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Here's a picture of Mr. Obama arriving at the course.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Mr. Obama practices on the driving range.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Mr. Obama smiles at the traveling press corps as he arrives to play. Behind him is Kang, a member of his staff.

(CBS/Jamie Farnsworth)

Another picture of the president-elect and friends.

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by pathologize December 24, 2008 3:57 PM EST: You go out to eat and trust that the person that fixed the fast food washed his, her, or the monkey''s hands! You hope that the food was inspected properly, You pray that the manager was not on her period the day she bathed in the kitchen sink, No one did any QC on the food that you yourself eat for free. I mean really... are you making a point or wasting salt?
I worked at Labcorp through a temp service formally known as Starmed. When I filed a complaint about another employee all hell broke loose in the work place I was labled a whistle blower. The case was closed. In my report I told the Attorney General the problems that I was facing. I was a Certified Phlebotomist never a complaint for 3 years at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, 1 year at Plasma Biological(my first job after college 1987) So you know I new the drills. but when I move to AZ. First day on the job someone called me a monkey, aunt jemima, I filed the reports went through the proper channels and lost my job. I was Collecting samples from babies, children, adults young and old. you wanna know what the chief complaint was? Patients were returning because my Co-Worker was cutting up. I saw her drop several vials of blood in the sharps container. But she was more of an asset to the company than me. How can you mistake an identity if you''re labeling one by one? Never break the code and put it back on the shelf Sometimes you have to let the medicine work within!; Reply to this comment


by rahrahusa December 23, 2008 9:08 PM EST: "What the liberals dished out..." Hah... OK Joe the plumber holdin a six pack. Only 1 side used the term elitist. BTW, this golf course - which is located in AMERICA - costs $35 on the weekends. In Hawaii, $35 for golf is the equivilent to a consignment shop in Anchorage, you betcha.; Reply to this comment


by rahrahusa December 23, 2008 9:08 PM EST: "What the liberals dished out..." Hah... OK Joe the plumber holdin a six pack. Only 1 side used the term elitist. BTW, this golf course - which is located in AMERICA - costs $35 on the weekends. In Hawaii, $35 for golf is the equivilent to a consignment shop in Anchorage, you betcha.; Reply to this comment


by barbaram99 December 23, 2008 6:36 PM EST: People, the man has business over there plus family there. He is from there. My friend stuck his head in my room as he knows I am on the net. He told me people are not trhilled over it. He lost his grandmum who was white and he loves that kin. So what. They showed he shirtless and that is the uppty. I don''t allow shirtless males in my home. At same time I am covered properly. I am older.; Reply to this comment


by leflame December 23, 2008 1:45 PM EST: I still don''t understand everyone''s such praise over Obama. He is a man and someone who has an extraordinary task in front of him of getting this country back on its feet. Everyone wants to point fingers and blame the current administration, which has some responsibility but not the total blame.

I am so tired of being the only person that can objectively see that we have put ourselves in the current economic peril. Both democrat and republican alike are to blame for our lack of foresight and lack of truthfulness. We have become a nation of short sighted, immediate gratification, and not worry about the future citizens.

Any thinking American could have seen this day coming when seems like everyone was putting everything on credit and not being responsible. Believe me I have made my share of mistakes financially, but I have only myself to blame. I don''t blame Bush, the government or anyone else. Between everyone there has been enough greed to go around. So lets wake up and realize that self accountability and responsibility needs to awaken so everyone should work together to get through this.

I support Obama not because I voted for him, but he is our next president and needs all to work together to make our awesome nation great again. The U.S.A. is the best country in the world, lets not fail divided but work unified for the same cause, peace and prosperity.; Reply to this comment


by Mccarthyaw December 23, 2008 1:00 PM EST: At least somebody can afford to spend some winter time in Hawaii while so many others are worried about where there next mortgage payment is going to come from.

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Posted by endurorob at 07:40 PM : Dec 22, 2008

You are completely right. Obama should have no down time, even though he is from Hawaii...

How about all the vacation time Bush took? I believe he took the most days off than any other president before him. What kind of picture does that send to those people who can''t make their mortgage.; Reply to this comment


by reaganitegop December 23, 2008 9:35 AM EST: Obama HI Vacation Picks
Wow, what a hunk... I''m going to make this my screensaver.

And please continue to bring us those great articles on Obama''s neckties, puppy selection process, and how he likes to play basketball.

Don''t worry about the stench of the political smoke-plume coming out of Illinois either, that''s all just a "distraction"... after-all, our intentions SHOULD be suspect if we ask to know all the details, right?.

Thankfully, facing long stays in the Gray Bar Hotel, Rezko and/or Blago might be just a bit more motivated than the media is to shed some light on the many problematic events in Obama''s past. What a pity we have to look to scoundrels like these to bring reality to a large part of the electorate, when the clues were there all along for anyone who cared to take more than a dismissive glance.

http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/; Reply to this comment


by endurorob December 22, 2008 10:40 PM EST: At least somebody can afford to spend some winter time in Hawaii while so many others are worried about where there next mortgage payment is going to come from.; Reply to this comment


by credibility2 December 22, 2008 8:33 PM EST: This is more media coverage over-kill. Instead of concentrating on his boy sports stuff, why isn''t any focus going towards the cost for the Obamas and some of their buds staying in a multi-million dollar mansion in light of all of the suffering of so many during these economic tough times. Seems to me like he''s flaunting it, much the same as he''s done in the past few years and throughout his campaign. I guess that''s OK because of who he is? The RNC spends a wad of moola on Palin and the sick left goes ballistic and assails her and her wasteful ways. There''s no difference in what Obama is doing.; Reply to this comment


by pbkster December 22, 2008 8:29 PM EST: When your at rock bottom change of any kind is an improvement. I think I''d take my chances.; Reply to this comment