President Donald Trump’s golf-related travel and security cost taxpayers more than $115 million, independent trackers estimate

President Donald Trump’s golf-related travel and security have cost taxpayers an estimated $115 million during his second term, according to an independent tracker monitoring his public schedule. The estimate follows another weekend in which Trump celebrated winning two club championships at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course, renewing scrutiny over both the frequency and cost of his golf outings. The figures have also revived comparisons with former President Barack Obama, whom Trump frequently criticized for playing golf while in office.

Independent tracker puts Donald Trump’s golfing costs near $115 million

The independent tracker Is Trump Golfing Today? — which compiles the president’s public schedule using flight data and White House pool reports — estimated that Trump’s golf-related travel and security costs reached $114.97 million as of August 3. The total includes approximately $80.2 million for 59 days spent at Mar-a-Lago and nearby West Palm Beach, $13.6 million for 34 days at Bedminster, $10 million for a five-day trip to Scotland, about $7 million tied to 47 days at his Washington-area golf course and smaller amounts associated with visits to Jupiter, Fla.

The calculations rely on a 2019 Government Accountability Office report, which found that early first-term trips to Mar-a-Lago cost roughly $3.4 million each because of expenses including Air Force One flights, Coast Guard patrols and C-17 cargo aircraft transporting the presidential motorcade. The tracker converted those figures into daily costs using an independently developed methodology and noted that the overall expenses could be 20 to 40% higher once advance teams and travel days are factored in.

Donald Trump’s golf-related travel and security costs could reach $300 million by the end of his second term

According to reports, the estimate builds on earlier reporting by HuffPost, which placed Trump’s golf-related travel and security costs at $101.2 million as of late March, after he had golfed for 110 days in just over 14 months in office. Based on that pace, the outlet projected the total cost could approach $300 million by the end of his second term.

Separately, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) reported that, as of mid-June, Trump had made 259 visits to properties he owns, including 148 visits to golf courses. CREW said he had spent time at one of his properties on 191 of his first 512 days back in office, with Mar-a-Lago accounting for 102 visits.

Comparisons with Barack Obama’s golf record

Trump’s golfing habits continue to draw comparisons with those of Obama, whom he repeatedly criticized for playing golf while in office. According to Is Trump Golfing Today?, Obama played 333 rounds of golf across his two terms, representing about 11.4% of his 2,922 days in office. The tracker estimates Trump played on 20.05% of his first-term days and 26.4% of his second-term days so far. Is Trump Golfing Today? estimates Obama’s total presidential travel expenses at about $105 million over eight years

The difference in estimated costs is largely attributed to travel. Obama played most of his rounds at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, allowing him to travel by motorcade. Trump’s frequent trips to private clubs in Florida and New Jersey, meanwhile, require air travel and larger security operations. However, direct cost comparisons are difficult, as estimates from various agencies vary depending on methodology and the types of travel included.

Donald Trump celebrates another golf title

The latest estimate follows Trump’s announcement that he won his 43rd career club championship after claiming two titles at Bedminster. “I won with a score of 70, and am so honored in that, unlike the rest of the field, I’m given very little time to practice, because I’m focused on many other things,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. In addition to drawing attention to the mounting taxpayer cost estimates, the post prompted renewed discussion about the amount of time the president spends at his golf clubs.