Donald Trump's Absolute Worst Golf Looks Have Us Doing A Double Take

Donald Trump is an avid golfer, even if he doesn't always dress the part. His golf reputation may be blown by now, but he's still a connoisseur. Nonetheless, when he became a first-time presidential hopeful, he assured voters that he would have more important things to do. "I love golf, but if I were in the White House, I don't think I'd ever see Turnberry again. I don't think I'd ever see Doral again," Trump told a New Hampshire crowd during a 2016 rally (per NBC News). "I'm going to be working for you, I'm not going to have time to play golf. Believe me," he told a Virginia crowd later that August.

That proved to be a hard campaign promise to keep once he was elected president in November 2016. For instance, the 45th president reportedly spent 293 days golfing during his first term. Then, within the first six months of his second presidential term, Trump is said to have visited his golf courses 62 times. He certainly has enough of them, with 15 golf courses around the world, including in Florida, New York, California, Ireland, Scotland, and the United Arab Emirates. There are whole websites devoted to how much time Trump spends golfing, such as Trump Golf Tracker and Did Trump Golf Today, which can also track the approximate amount of taxpayer money that's spent on these golf trips.

Despite this, the president doesn't always have the fashion to match his passion for the sport; the wardrobe for his beloved 18 holes is almost as bad as Trump's golf course behavior itself. He may have models and fashionistas in his family thanks to Melania and Ivanka Trump, among others, but apparently nobody has taught him how to coordinate colors, match styles, sew and hem, take in waists, and so on. His ensembles out on the links often seem uncomfortable, cringe-worthy, or just arbitrary, and as a result, he often comes across looking a bit dumpy, dorky, or dated on the green.

People generally associate a pastel Polo shirt and a pair of khaki pants with the game of golf, but leave it to Donald Trump to show up in a full suit and coattails. Granted, he wasn't actually playing a full round of golf on May 27, 2010, when he arrived at the Menie Estate near Aberdeen, Scotland. Instead, he hosted a media event to promote what would become the Trump International Golf Links, a course that would remain controversial more than 15 years on.

Trump's outfit for the event was a patently ridiculous one for any golfer to wear. Accompanied by bagpipe players in full regalia, Trump wore a black suit, fancy coat, and gold tie to pose for pictures with his golf iron and hype up what he claimed would be "the world's greatest golf course" (per The Globe and Mail). Ever since 2007, the real estate magnate had been promising a £1 billion investment in the area and thousands of jobs, pledging to build a massive golf resort replete with 36 villas, 950 holiday apartments, a 450-room hotel, and hundreds of houses for purchase, in addition to two golf courses.

Despite Trump's PR stunt at the time, plenty of people were skeptical, from nearby landowners who refused to sell their property to environmental activists who were upset by the proposed development. It turns out they were right to be suspicious; by 2024, the entire facility had an estimated value of £33.2 million, a far cry from the £1 billion Trump promised. Ultimately, the golf course damaged his reputation in Scotland and resulted in Trump being found liable for misrepresenting the property's value. This sour history makes Trump's fancy outfit on the links that day in May all the more bitterly ironic.

Speaking of Aberdeen, Donald Trump wore something a bit more appropriate for a round of golf at the Trump International Golf Links Course two years later. Trump landed in Balmedie, Scotland, on July 10, 2012, for the grand opening of his golf course, and wanted to be the one to drive the first ball. Joined by his three children from Trump's first marriage and former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, the family enjoyed the course in private three days before it technically opened to the public.

In an unsettling bit of foreshadowing, Trump had a penchant for wearing bright red hats on the golf course. This time, it was about three years before red caps would become synonymous with his MAGA brand after he announced his first presidential campaign in 2015. He wore a matching red jacket that was halfway zipped up and had its collar popped, looking straight out of an '80s movie. It was a gaudy look that felt two decades too late, and his formless baggy khaki pants weren't helping at all. It was definitely one of Trump's most unflattering golf outings.

In fact, Trump's look may remind one of 1985's "Back to the Future," and was specifically reminiscent of the character Biff Tannen, a bully he has been compared to many times before. Trump had a bit more weight on him in 2012 compared to his second presidential term, and when he took his hat off, his messy blond hair, large red jacket, and generally outsized persona all matched Biff perfectly. "Back to the Future" co-writer Bob Gale has even claimed Trump inspired the character, especially for the sequel, in which Biff is a cruel and powerful billionaire.

While not always as outdated as his Biff Tannen jacket, Donald Trump has often worn red outfits while golfing, something made famous by Tiger Woods. He's especially fond of a specific bright crimson jacket, one that pairs terribly with his hair and skin color while out on the sunny links. The vivid color of the jacket only makes his wispy hair look thinner and practically nonexistent when the sun hits him, brightening his mane while exposing his naturally pale and somewhat splotchy skin. It seems like this was another makeup-free golf weekend for Trump, but with an outfit like this, he actually could've used some color.

Trump's outfit in the above picture from May 26, 2019, made him look terrible next to the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two golfed together at the Mobara Country Club in Chiba, Japan, three years before Abe's shocking assassination. Abe was one of the rare international leaders to develop a seemingly strong friendship with Trump, and it was largely founded on golf. Just two weeks after the 2016 election, Abe visited the president-elect at Trump Tower and hand-delivered the perfect gift: a gold-plated golf club.

Abe even called his work with Trump "golf diplomacy," using the sport to strengthen diplomatic ties and discuss economic relations between America and Japan. Abe looked like a million bucks on the links for their round of diplomacy in 2019, wearing appropriate attire (a Polo shirt and a snazzy blue blazer), but Trump looked like he was headed to a Christmas party despite it being late May.

It took more than a decade for Donald Trump and his companies to finish constructing the second 18-hole golf course he promised at the Trump International Golf Links course in Balmedie, Scotland. It finally opened in late July 2025, and Trump took five days away from Washington, D.C., during his second presidential term to attend the grand opening. While there, Trump planned to have some au naturel golf outings at his multiple Scottish courses. He first stopped at his Trump Turnberry Golf Courses in South Ayrshire before heading to the opening of the other course.

Trump wore what seemed to be the same golf outfit across multiple days and golf courses, and while it looked very comfortable, it also seemed like pajamas. Even tackier, Trump was wearing his own merchandise, sporting a branded, quarter-zip knit jersey sweatshirt that costs around $575 on his website. At least he didn't literally wear his Trump brand pajamas, which retail for about $175, but it was close enough. With matching plain black pants, Trump's cozy look was a far cry from the fancy outfit he wore for publicity shots before either Balmedie golf course was built.

Plus, between the breeze and the all-black fabric of his outfit, Trump's clothes seemed perpetually wrinkled throughout his time on the links. He didn't seem to mind, though; in fact, having five days devoted largely to golf put the president in a good mood. He was even kind to the press one day, with Trump smiling and saying of them (via BBC News), "They're not fake news, they're wonderful news."

Starting in 2022, Donald Trump began hosting the LIV Golf Invitational tour, a profitable men's tournament that is financed by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. In 2023, he scheduled three of these tournaments at his different golf courses, despite Saudi Arabia's human rights record and connections raised by critics following 9/11. In fact, Trump received a letter from family members of people who died on September 11 asking him to distance himself from LIV Golf.

Instead, Trump continued to embrace the tournaments. While playing on May 25, 2023, he told reporters at the LIV Golf Pro-Am at the Trump National Golf Club, "They have unlimited money, and they love it. And it's been great publicity for Saudi Arabia" (via USA Today). He added, "They've been great for golf. The Saudis have been fantastic for golf." For the event, Trump wore an oddly wrinkled knitted jersey over a collared shirt, layering two collars together, which seemed warm for a late May day.

Trump played the course with his son, Eric Trump, along with Graeme McDowell, Bob Koepka, and Patrick Reed, and he looked somewhat uncomfortable throughout the event. His clothes seemed especially tight this time around. While the president would lose weight later that year, his pants seemed especially tight on him at the time and were very unflattering on his behind. The Saudis surely didn't care.

On August 13, 2023, Donald Trump showed up to another LIV Golf Invitational, this time looking more like a confused great grandad than a presidential hopeful. Pictures of Trump at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on this day show someone who is likely overheated and tired, considering how rough he looks, but his outfit makes it much worse. Plus, it seems like this was one of Trump's makeup-free golf outings, revealing his age with some stark honesty.

Trump wore his black slacks very high up, belted above his belly button. His tucked-in white shirt didn't do him any favors, either, especially with how much he was sweating. For whatever reason, this uncomfortable outfit has been a go-to for the president, who often hikes his pants so far up that he seems to be giving himself a wedgie. You can find an especially embarrassing example of this below.

Your next President, President-Elect Donald J Trump, today at the beautiful Trump International Golf Club Palm Beach!! TRUMP-VANCE 2024! #MAGA #donaldtrump #trump2024 #palmbeach #florida @realdonaldtrump @teamtrump @trumpwarroom @trumpgolfpalmbeach @trumpgolf @whitehouse45 📸:... pic.twitter.com/B4asbHZoJ0

— Michael Solakiewicz (@michaelsolakie) December 18, 2024

People have certainly noticed Trump's grandad aesthetic on social media, where this look of his gets routinely mocked. As one person commented on X (formerly Twitter) about a similar outfit from December 2024, "Grandpa pants ... Belted as high as Gravity will allow!" Another added, "That belt is doing hero's work. I honestly don't know how that works. [It's] like putting a belt around the lower 3rd of a bowling ball." A third person put it more bluntly, writing, "Them pants get hiked any more and they'll be under those massive man t**s."

Donald Trump looked surprisingly bright and chipper when he played the Edgewood Tahoe golf course for the 2006 American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament in Stateline, Nevada. Unfortunately, when paired with his dorky, try-hard outfit on July 13, Trump's beaming smile only made him seem sillier. The real estate magnate wore baggy, formless khakis yet again, hiking them up to his belly button as he would continue to do. Of all Trump's fashion choices, ugly khakis pulled up past the gut has to be one of the president's most unfortunate. On this day in Nevada, though, his ensemble somehow got worse.

Trump tucked his pale yellow shirt stiffly into his pants, and it clung tightly to him. Considering his hair, yellow is not the best color for Trump, but he managed to make it worse by wearing a red baseball cap that clashed with the shade of yellow and the beige pants. It all added up to make Trump's skin look pale and his hair look abnormal. On top of that, he wore what looked like a fancy, expensive golf glove over one hand. It was like an overeager pick-me look worn by the kid who always gets picked last at gym.

The July 2006 Celebrity Golf Tournament would turn out to be of historic interest to future presidential scholars, as it was the location of Trump's alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels (whose actual name is Stephanie Clifford). In 2024, Trump would be found guilty of 34 felony counts regarding his attempt to quiet Daniels with $130,000, with the president violating campaign finance laws in the process.

Donald Trump participated in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am National Tournament seven times between 1993 and 2006, scoring a fabled hole-in-one during his very first competition there. Unfortunately, he was never able to live up to that early little miracle. He and his team did poorly again on February 12, 2005, when they were in Pebble Beach, California, for the tournament, but at least he looked ... different.

Trump wore his typical big khaki pants to the AT&T event, only this time, he didn't tuck any shirt in. He seemed slimmer in 2005, so it's surprising that he didn't take advantage of less baggy pants or a more interesting top. Trump wore a red collared shirt, which was short-sleeved and Polo style, and seemed more than appropriate. It even matched his red hat, though this was still one decade ahead of any MAGA hats.

So, what's the problem? Well, Trump ruined the whole look with a bizarre dark vest, which was almost sleeveless, yet still had awkward openings on the shoulders for nonexistent sleeves. The clunky, bizarre top looked more like a bulletproof vest than golf attire. The result left him with sleeves upon sleeves, collars upon collars, and a heavy distraction that ruined an otherwise decent outfit. No wonder Trump didn't get a hole-in-one this time — who could succeed at anything in that outfit?

There were several surprising things about Donald Trump's attendance at his Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland back in late July and early August 2015. For starters, he wasn't there to actually play the game, but to instead watch the Women's British Open on his own golf course. Next, the event came just a couple of months after his infamous entry into the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump's fiery rhetoric even affected his athletic hobby, with the PGA of America pulling the Grand Slam of Golf that year from the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles. Finally, Trump brought his wife and son along to watch the players; all these years later, it's almost surreal to see Melania and Barron Trump on an outing with the president.

Trump wore a bizarre blue windbreaker to the event that also felt a bit unique, or at least unusual for him. He rarely seems to wear nylon or polyester, as well, and he's not often seen in this light color of blue. It actually looks like a decently functional jacket, but it's just too puffy and anomalous on Trump, and he looks uncomfortable as a result. Additionally, and as usual, his bland khakis aren't helping.

By contrast, Melania wore a similarly functional jacket for the weather, but with her matching dark colors, perfect fit, and chic accessorizing, the outfit works wonders on her. On the other hand, Trump looks like he grabbed his jacket off the floor as he rushed out the door.