Commander in Cheat

Rick Reilly, a sportswriter known for his long run as a Sports Illustrated columnist, turns his attention to Donald Trump's relationship with golf. Trump owns and operates a large group of courses worldwide and has long promoted himself as a skilled player with a low handicap and a record of championship wins. Reilly argues that little of this holds up.

Drawing on his own dealings with Trump and on interviews with more than 100 people, including professionals, amateur players, developers and caddies, Reilly examines how Trump plays, scores and talks about the game. He describes alleged cheating, including help from caddies and Secret Service agents, a scoring habit he calls the "Trump Bump," and claims about the rank and value of his courses. He also looks at breaches of golf etiquette.

The book goes beyond the links. Reilly covers the contractors Trump allegedly failed to pay, the neighbors he is said to have intimidated, and the ways his approach to golf seems to carry over into his political life. He traces these habits to the hustling he picked up at a public course where he first learned the game as a college student, later refined through decades of business dealings.

Written in a sharp, humorous style, the book is aimed at general readers interested in politics, sports and the character of public figures.