Donald Trump’s Golf Habits Has Already Cost Taxpayers Over $70M But It’s Far from Over

Donald Trump’s love for the game of golf is no secret to anyone. But this love has revived a familiar expense line for U.S. taxpayers. Back in his first term, Trump spent a whopping $151.5 million in taxpayer-funded golf travel and security. And this time, the amount could be far more.
Within a year of his second term, he has already spent close to $71 million as of late November 2025, which could potentially reach $75 million by the end of the year. Going at the same pace, he could spend $300 million by the end of his second term, per a HuffPost analysis.
The biggest chunk of these expenses comes from his trips to Mar-a-Lago. It is a private, members-only club owned by Donald Trump. He bought it in 1985 and turned it into a private luxury club and resort. Since he retook office in January 2025, he has made 16 trips to Mar-a-Lago. These trips are particularly expensive because the nearest airport which can accommodate a Boeing 747 is the Palm Beach International Airport.
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A single trip to Mar-a-Lago in a Boeing 747 costs around $3.4 million in travel and security. So the cost of 16 trips reaches close to $54.5 million.
Besides that, he took nine trips to his Bedminster, NJ, golf resort and one to his newly acquired Aberdeen, Scotland, course. Each of his trips to New Jersey is estimated to cost $1.1 million, and his single trip to Scotland cost taxpayers nearly $10 million. The New Jersey trips are far more affordable because the Somerset Airport in Bedminster cannot support a Boeing 747. It has short runways that are not equipped for larger aircraft like the 747. Therefore, President Donald Trump has to take the smaller 757 instead.
Across all these trips for his golf habits, Trump has spent $70.8 million so far. In November alone, he made four trips to Mar-a-Lago. So, even if he takes just two more trips to his favorite golf course in December, the expenses will probably reach $75 million. And at that rate, it would cost taxpayers $300 million across the four years of his tenure. This would be close to twice the amount he spent in his first term, which was $151.5 million.
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During his first term, Trump made a total of 547 visits to his own properties. This included 145 visits to Mar-a-Lago, according to an analysis by Crew. There were 328 trips to his own golf courses and an additional three to others. The cost estimation for his 2025 visits comes from the ones he made in 2019.
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A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from 2019 highlighted the cost of Trump’s Florida trips. The report found that across four trips, the POTUS spent $13,568,000. Of these, $8,468,000 accounted for the cost of the Department of Defense, $5,071,000 for the Department of Homeland Security, and $29,000 for other executive agencies. $13,568,000 in four trips brings it down to $3,392,000 or close to $3.4 million.
What’s more, astonishing is that HuffPost’s analysis does not account for inflation. It considers the same cost of trips as in 2019. Per the CPI Inflation Calculator provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $3.4 million in 2019 held the same buying power as $4.28 million. So, if the inflation is accounted for, the golf travel expenses in Donald Trump’s second term can be way more than $300 million.
There’s more to it. The Guardian reports that there are additional expenses incurred by the local law enforcement. “The Palm Beach county sheriff, Ric Bradshaw, has said that his department spends $240,000 a day to help the Secret Service protect Trump,” The Guardian reported.
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Comparatively, former presidents, including Joe Biden and Barack Obama, spent much less than Trump. Both Biden and Obama frequently play golf matches. During their time, Biden visited Wilmington, Delaware, and Rehoboth Beach, while Obama played at Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews and other courses. However, they used smaller aircraft, including Boeing 757 and others. Thus, the cost of their trips was less compared to that of Donald Trump.
By now, everyone knows how much Trump loves to play golf. But how good is he at it?
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Donald Trump’s handicap
Donald Trump’s official golf handicap is 2.8. However, he claims that he is much better at golf than the numbers show. At a press conference during the 2025 Thanksgiving, the POTUS said that he could be closer to scratch or better. In fact, he said that he legitimately won 38 golf championships. Of these, he claimed to have won six this year.
Trump employs an aggressive style. He prioritizes golf course progression over classic form. For his swing, he relies on a tip from Ben Hogan’s book. He lets his arms swing through rapidly while relying on hip positioning for straight shots. He clears his hips aggressively, which he says looks unconventional but improves accuracy.
But it’s not him alone; many other professional golfers and analysts have praised him, too. The legendary Jack Nicklaus has said that Donald Trump is the best professional golfer he has encountered. Analyst Mark McGowan also praised his power despite an unpolished swing.
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While Donald Trump’s golf love is exceptional, the associated expenses are skyrocketing. The taxpayer-funded expenses tied to golf travel in his second term are on track to substantially exceed first-term levels.