Obama and Cameron – Golf and The Game of Global Politics

As Obama probably understands, the game of golf has much in common with the game of global politics.

Barak Obama played the 286th round of golf while in office at The Grove with UK PM David Cameron. Curiously, the round got considerably more press coverage in the UK than it did in the United States.

It’s not known who picked up the tab for the greens fees at the pricy Hertfordshire resort. Obama, as a non-resident, would have paid £155 ($225) and Cameron a more reasonable £115 ($165).

Despite extensive photo coverage of the round by the Daily Mail that included a shot of Obama and Cameron jollying along a cart path in a golf cart with the US President at the wheel, whether or not the twosome took advantage of The Grove’s caddie service is also unknown. Caddies could have followed along in the entourage that trailed behind the world leaders.

We do know that Obama won the match and we know that Cameron – who is more skilled with a tennis racquet than a 9-iron – lost only one ball, but we don’t know the final score. Some things apparently remain State Secrets, despite intense efforts by the press to provide full coverage of all political goings-on.

Obama didn’t travel to the UK only to play a round with the PM. Or did he? Historically speaking, golf and politics go together like strawberries and cream, or fish and chips, or fried chicken and potato salad? Well, maybe not fried chicken and potato salad.

The links aren’t necessarily a place where deals are made, but they’re certainly a venue for taking the measure of a man – or a woman – with whom you’re negotiating the deal. It’s a sport that quickly revels who is willing to take a risk in order to reap a big reward and who’s more likely to take the safer middle path to the objective. Effective political negotiators can make good use of this insight.

Golf provides a lens into individual strategizing like no other sport. It’s much easier to out-strategize a golfing opponent than to overpower him – or her.  Managing the field – some might think of it as political nuance – is as critical as distance off the tee – or some might label it power politics – in a round of golf, as it is in the game of global politics.

We’ll not know how effective Obama was in his appeal to Cameron to stick with the EU until Parliament votes, but we do know that as US Presidents go, Barak Obama ranks high in his use of the sporting venue for political strategy sessions. Nothing wrong with that.

Next: Golf and Politics

Although Barak Obama has eclipsed George W. Bush, his predecessor, he’s going to need to put in considerably more time on the links during his final months in office to match Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 800 rounds played during his 8 years and office; and it’s not likely that any US President will ever be able to match Woodrow Wilson’s 1200 18-hole rounds that he played while President.