President Trump installs new golf simulator in White House

On Feb. 2, President Trump headed to the golf course for the first time in 69 days — by far the longest golf-free stretch of his presidency. But now, extended stretches in Washington won’t have to mean putting away the sticks: The Washington Post is reporting Trump has had a simulator installed in the White House itself.

The system, which costs in the range of $50,000, replaces an “older, less sophisticated golf simulator” installed under President Obama, according to the Post. Trump paid for the system and its installation himself. But thus far, an official said the system remains unused, despite its convenient location in the president’s personal quarters.

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President Trump, who has played roughly 140 times since taking office in January 2017, made a high-profile return to the course two weeks ago alongside Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus at his golf course in Jupiter, Fla. He tweeted about the round afterwards, posting a photo and then endorsing Woods’s play.

“Everyone is asking how Tiger played yesterday,” Trump tweeted. “The answer is Great! He was long, straight & putted fantastically well. He shot a 64. Tiger is back & will be winning Majors again! Not surprisingly, Jack also played really well. His putting is amazing! Jack & Tiger like each other.”

The simulator is the latest in a longstanding tradition of presidential recreation on the White House grounds. Big-time golfer Dwight Eisenhower installed a putting green in the backyard, while Obama turned what had been a tennis court into a basketball court before reportedly adding a simulator of his own.