by Rick Reilly
First published 2019
Donald Trump owns 14 golf courses worldwide and claims he's a 3 handicap who has won 18 club championships. Sportswriter Rick Reilly investigated these boasts by interviewing over 100 golf professionals, amateurs, developers, and caddies. The result reveals systematic deception. Trump cheats during rounds, sometimes with help from caddies and Secret Service agents. He inflates his scores through what Reilly calls the "Trump Bump." He declares every course worth $50 million regardless of reality. He drives golf carts on greens and ignores basic etiquette. Beyond the fairways, Trump stiffs contractors, intimidates neighbors, and lets golf decisions influence political choices. Reilly traces these behaviors to hustling tactics Trump learned at public courses as a college student. The book argues that Trump's golf conduct reveals his true character, showing how his need to win overrides honesty and fair play.
Genres: business, politics, sports, non-fiction, biography-memoir, current-affairs
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, expose
256 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing