Since returning to the office in January 2025, Trump has frequently traveled to his own properties, including golf clubs in Florida, New Jersey, and Virginia. The estimated taxpayer cost of those trips has exceeded $100 million, according to outside analyses based on government travel-cost estimates.
The spending has fueled debate over presidential security costs, official travel practices, and potential conflicts created when a president visits businesses he personally owns.
Golf has long shaped Trump’s presidency
Donald Trump has always treated golf as more than a simple hobby. His private clubs often double as informal offices, where business deals get made, and political allies get courted between casual rounds.
Since returning to the office in January 2025, he has spent a striking share of his workweeks at his own resorts. Critics say the pattern raises fresh questions about how any president should spend public funds.
Supporters counter that golf gives any sitting president a much-needed break from constant pressure and daily scrutiny. The real argument centers on who should pay when that break happens at a privately owned club.
The bill has already passed $100 million
The estimated taxpayer cost of Trump’s golf-related travel has exceeded $100 million during his second term, according to outside analyses based on previous government cost estimates.
Trump has spent significant time visiting his own golf properties since returning to office, drawing criticism from ethics groups and political opponents over presidential travel expenses.
The figures remain estimates because no federal agency publishes a dedicated running total for presidential golf costs.
Why does Air Force One cost so much?
A major expense during presidential travel is operating government aircraft, including the Boeing 747 used as Air Force One.
Previous government estimates show that flights between Washington, D.C., and Florida can cost more than $1 million in aircraft operating expenses alone, including presidential aircraft and supporting logistics.
Presidential trips also require additional transportation, security personnel, and equipment, including the motorcade’s vehicles. These costs can significantly increase the total expense of a visit.
Mar-a-Lago visits add up quickly
Mar-a-Lago itself has no golf course of its own, yet it sits close to two Trump-owned clubs nearby in West Palm Beach and Jupiter, making it a frequent home base for weekend golf outings.
Each trip is built around those nearby courses and reportedly costs around $3.4 million once security, staffing, additional fuel costs, and travel logistics are fully factored into the total presidential expense picture for that single outing.
Bedminster trips in New Jersey cost noticeably less, at around $1.1 million apiece, since a much smaller aircraft can safely land there instead. Distance and airport size shape much of the final price tag each time.
Fun fact: Trump bought the unfinished Bedminster, New Jersey development for reportedly far less than the $35 million the previous owner had already invested.
Critics call the spending self-dealing
Opponents argue the current arrangement lets taxpayer money flow directly toward properties the president personally owns every single time he picks one of his own courses for a working weekend getaway instead of somewhere else.
Lawmakers have repeatedly pointed to the rising total as clear evidence of wasted public resources, even as many American households nationwide are struggling with grocery bills, rent, and other everyday living expenses.
Ethics groups say the current setup blurs lines between official presidential business and private profit, since club membership fees and nearby property values can rise from the added national exposure and attention it regularly brings.
The White House defends the trips
Administration officials generally frame these regular golf outings as legitimate working visits that include phone calls, meetings, and quiet diplomacy conducted away from the more formal and rigid setting of the Oval Office itself.
Officials also note that presidential travel always carries steep security costs, no matter where a sitting president happens to go, since the protective security bubble surrounding the office never really shrinks much.
Some allies argue that comparing modern costs directly to earlier decades ignores inflation and greatly expanded security threats, making comparisons across presidencies somewhat misleading for casual outside observers reading the coverage today.
Past presidents approached golf travel differently
Independent trackers estimate that President Trump has spent significant time visiting his golf properties since returning to office in January 2025. Different trackers produce different totals because some count confirmed rounds of golf while others count visits to golf properties.
Barack Obama frequently played golf at the courses at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, a military facility closer to Washington, D.C. than many private destinations.
Presidents’ travel costs vary widely depending on aircraft, security requirements, destinations, and other operational factors, making direct comparisons difficult.
Fun fact: In February 2016, candidate Trump told a rally he would never visit his own golf courses again if elected, saying he would rather stay in the White House and work. He has since golfed regularly at those same properties.
What comes next for taxpayers
No single federal agency currently publishes an official running total for presidential golf spending, leaving reporters and watchdog groups to estimate rough costs using older accountability office methodology and some rather careful public math instead.
That reliance on estimates means every headline figure carries some built-in uncertainty, even as the broader trend toward much heavier spending still seems fairly clear across several independent news analyses published this year.
Whether public pressure ever changes these travel habits remains uncertain, but the ongoing debate over presidential leisure costs still looks quite likely to keep on resurfacing throughout the remainder of this current term.
TL;DR
- Estimates from outside trackers and analyses suggest Trump’s golf-related travel and security costs have exceeded $100 million since the beginning of his second term.
- Different trackers report different golf totals because some count confirmed rounds while others count visits to golf properties.
- Critics argue the spending raises ethical concerns, while the White House says presidential travel can include official business and security requirements.
- No federal agency publishes an official running total for presidential golf spending, so available figures remain estimates.
If you liked this story, don’t forget to follow us for more exclusive content.
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
If you liked this, you might also like:
