Inside Donald Trump’s Fascinating Relationship With His Golf Courses | Sunday TODAY

President Trump's ringing in 2018 at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, not far from his golf club in the same area, one of 18 golf courses owned by the Trump organization. And while the White House hasn't always said whether the president has been hitting the links this holiday, he has been spotted a bunch with clubs in hand. NBC News' Stephanie Goss has been tracking the president's recreational habits over his first year in office to find out just how important this game is to the 45th president. On Christmas Day, President Trump tweeted, Tomorrow, it's back to work. But the next day, the president's agenda included a round of golf. In fact, the president was seen at his golf course three days in a row, an indication of Mr. Trump's love of the links. The president joins a legacy of presidents passionate about the game, even though he criticized his predecessor for playing too often. He's played more golf than most people in the PGA Tour, this guy. I'm going to be working for you. I'm not going to have time to go play golf and believe you. There seems to be time. NBC News has been tracking the president's golfing habits and found Mr. Trump has spent 89 of his 345 days in office at one of his golf courses. That's equal to a quarter of his time as president. Oh, nice. Good shot. That's a good shot. That's right. Professional golfers who've played with Trump say he's actually good. He's a good player. He was a good player. I think he's probably the best sitting president ever to play golf. But his swing, much like his presidency, is unconventional, unusual at the top, corrected by the time the club hits the ball. He's not real long in terms of hitting it a long distance, but he's real straight and real consistent. So he's always in play. So he's consistent. Yes, I know. Golf Digest reporter Jaime Diaz played with Trump twice. He just goes with what always has worked for him. And he trusts instinct, which I think is one of his kind of mantras. Sort of how he approaches Twitter. Yes. Good point. Golf Digest ranked him the best golfing president in history. His handicap in the single digits. Although some question if it's legitimate. The winner of 19 club championships, all at his own courses. There was also the time he got a hole in one and then made the CEO of GE tell the story at the White House. He looks to the three of us and says, you realize, of course, I'm the richest golfer in the world. That's a comment. Then gets a hole in one. I actually said I was the best golfer of all the rich people. To be exact. Golf is not just a passion for the president. It's a business, even though his son Eric now officially runs it. Membership at his clubs are for the wealthy. Some initiation fees in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In Trump's most recent financial disclosure, he reported income for the golf clubs totaling more than one hundred and fifty million dollars for the last year. The longtime pro at the West Palm Beach Club, who Trump hired himself, says his boss's success comes from a deep knowledge of the game. He has a vision that that's pretty remarkable as far as what he sees that other people don't. Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in New York is by any measure a beautiful course designed by golfing great Jack Nicklaus. This is one of Donald Trump's few public courses, but it's not a typical public course. To play here, you have to pay one hundred and seventy five dollars. I mean, it almost looks like we're in Scotland here. This is the Bronx and I'm standing on what used to be a trash dump. I'd like to see golf be an aspirational game. President Trump once told Fortune magazine, let golf be elitist. Let people work hard and aspire to someday be able to play golf, to afford to play it. Doesn't sound very populist. It's not. It's the opposite of populist in terms of golf. And he doesn't apologize for that. I think maybe he thought that's his brand. And while critics may say golf isn't good for a presidency, perhaps the president can still be good for golf. Here's what candidate Trump predicted. I think it would be very good for golf. Because very simply, I love the game. Which few will dispute. How great is that? Even if they shudder in horror as he drives his golf cart straight over the greens. For Sunday Today, Stephanie Gosk, New York.