Donald Trump’s frequent golf outings since returning to the White House have cost US taxpayers at least $101.2 million (£80 million) in just over 14 months, according to analysis by HuffPost. The figure already amounts to around two-thirds of his entire first-term golf bill, and at the current rate, the total could climb towards $300 million (£240 million) by the end of his second term.
Trump’s latest appearance at his West Palm Beach course on Saturday marked his 56th visit there since his 2025 inauguration and his 110th day playing golf during his 435 days in office. That means he has played on more than a quarter of his days as president. The costs stem from the logistical operation involved, including Air Force One flights, transport planes and large security teams.
Mar-a-Lago is the most expensive regular stop, costing about $3.4 million per visit due to the need to secure both the Atlantic coast and the Intracoastal Waterway, with armed boats and a Coast Guard vessel deployed. Trips to Bedminster in New Jersey cost around $1.1 million each, while visits to Trump’s Doral resort in Florida cost about $2.7 million a pop. The most expensive trip so far was a visit to his Scottish resorts last summer, costing $9.7 million.
The figures are based on a Government Accountability Office report from his first term, which found that four early 2017 trips to Mar-a-Lago cost $13.6 million. The main cost drivers – Air Force One, vehicle transport and security – have not changed, and the figures have not been adjusted for inflation, meaning the real cost is likely higher. During his first term, Trump took two years to reach $100 million in golf spending, playing 293 days at his own courses for a total of $151.5 million.
The White House has begun listing these outings as ‘executive time’ in his public schedule. When asked what that involves, the press office responded: ‘Executive time refers to executive time.’ Critics have taken aim at the spending. Jordan Libowitz of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said: ‘At a time when gas prices are spiking and Americans across the country find themselves in an ever-worsening affordability crisis, the president has burned through over $100 million in taxpayer money in order to make promotional appearances at his golf courses and hobnob with millionaires and billionaires.’
Before entering office, Trump criticised Barack Obama for his golf habits, saying during his 2016 campaign that he would not have time to play golf because he would be too busy ‘working for you’. He later criticised Joe Biden for his trips home to Delaware. Obama’s golf outings were far cheaper, as he mainly played at Joint Base Andrews, a short journey from the White House. Biden’s travel also used smaller aircraft or Marine One helicopters rather than the larger Air Force One.
