Will Dickey/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Why President Kennedy wanted a meeting with Arnold Palmer at the White House in 1963

Originally posted on HITC | By Jordan Harris | Last updated Dec 31, 2025 4:17 PM ET

John F. Kennedy is certainly one of the most iconic Presidents the United States has ever had, despite the Democrat spending less than three years in office.

Of course, Kennedy was involved in one of the most seismic events of the 20th century. His assassination in Dallas in November 1963 stopped the world in its tracks.

Golf wise, the news prompted play on Saturday of the Cajun Classic on the PGA Tour to be cancelled. The tournament would conclude with two rounds on Sunday.

Kennedy’s death also came before he was able to hold a meeting with golf’s biggest superstar at the White House.

The plans President Kennedy had for Arnold Palmer at the White House

Arnold Palmer had won six of his seven major championships by 1963. The 1962 season was the second time the King had won two majors in the same year.

So it is little surprise that Palmer was the player Kennedy hoped to speak to as he looked to make improvements to his own golf game.

Credit: Bettman via Getty Images

According to a story on the Haggin Oaks website, Kennedy once went out onto the golf course with a White House photographer in the hope of getting his swing on film.

His hope was for Palmer to visit and critique his action.

Unfortunately, the plan was for the meeting with Palmer to take place once Kennedy had returned from Dallas. Sadly, they would never get that opportunity.

What Arnold Palmer did think of President Kennedy’s golf swing

As it turns out, Palmer would get the chance to view the footage of Kennedy’s swing nearly half a century later.

Judging by his assessment, the President had plenty of room for improvement. As reported by TIME magazine, Palmer suggested that Kennedy looked to have the ability to be able to post a score in the mid-80s.

Considering that the President is the most powerful person on the planet, and some of the issues Kennedy was dealing with – particularly when it came to foreign policy – it is pretty impressive that he was able to play at anything like a reasonable level on the golf course.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: