Donald Trump has been ruthlessly mocked after the President claimed he has won 38 club championships despite widespread scrutiny over his achievements on the golf course

11:54 ET, 29 Nov 2025Updated 11:54 ET, 29 Nov 2025

BALMEDIE, SCOTLAND – JULY 29: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a driver after teeing off during the opening of his new golf course at his Trump International Golf links resort on July 29, 2025 in Balmedie, Scotland. President Trump is visiting Scotland in a trip that’s part-vacation, part-work, as he stayed at his Trump Turnberry golf course, followed by Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, between July 25 to 29. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)(Image: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump has been compared to a “toddler” after he boasted that he has won 38 golf club championships.

The President is never shy in bragging about his achievements in golf, although there is widespread scrutiny over the legitimacy of Trump’s victories, which have taken place at Trump-owned courses. Among the doubters of Trump’s golfing prowess is author Rick Reilly, who wrote the 2019 book ‘Commander-in-Cheat’ about the President’s alleged antics on the golf course.

Trump’s supposed achievements were on the agenda once more as he spoke to service members on a Thanksgiving call from his Mar-a-Lago estate. The 79-year-old boasted about his golf skills and dropped some statistics that were inconsistent with previous claims.

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“I’ve won 38 golf championships and I don’t get to practice very much,” Trump said, having previously claimed he won 36 club championships. “I beat a 27-year-old kid… I’ve won 38 of them, every one of them legitimately.”

President Trump then used the opportunity to take a shot at his predecessor, Joe Biden. He said: “A lot of people talk, but they can’t play, like Biden. Biden can’t hit a ball 30 yards.

“I’m telling you, I looked at his swing. He cannot hit a ball 30 yards. He said he was a 6-handicapped. That was the only thing that made me angry during the debate with him.”

Former Sports Illustrated reporter Reilly, whose book accused the President of cheating in a wide variety of ways, was quick to mock Trump’s latest claims about his achievements.

Reilly posted on X: “Ha! Trump adds about 10 every time he brings this up. Problem is, he hasn’t actually won any [club championships]. None.”

He added: “You beat Trump, he throws you out of the club. It’s like when you let your toddler beat you in a foot race. He thinks it’s real.”

Reilly pulled no punches in his book on Trump’s conduct on the golf course. He wrote: “To say ‘Donald Trump cheats’ is like saying ‘Michael Phelps swims.’

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“He cheats at the highest level. He cheats when people are watching and he cheats when they aren’t. He cheats whether you like it or not. He cheats because that’s how he plays golf … if you’re playing golf with him, he’s going to cheat.”

Trump’s claims coincide with fresh analysis from HuffPost, which indicates the President’s golf excursions since he returned to office in January have racked up an eye-watering $71 million bill for taxpayers.

The President requires an extensive security and Secret Service presence any time he plays golf. There are also huge travel costs, including the use of Air Force One, and everyday Americans have been left to foot the bill.