Congressman John Boehner will often weep when recalling his humble beginnings in Ohio.
But the House Speaker has a deep affection for a sport many consider far from blue collar America: golf. He's even a member at the Burning Tree Club in Bethesda, an exclusive course that does not allow female members.
Boehner's love for the game has earned him a nod from a golf publication as one of the top duffers in Washington.
In Golf Digest's June issue, he's ranked as the ninth best golfer in Congress, and 43rd overall among Washington's political class. The magazine says his handicap is a 7.9.
Boehner's spokesperson, Michael Steel, told the Associated Press that golf is as much a part of his job as a politician as it is a recreation.
"Boehner often says that on the golf course, you can't hide who you really are," Steel said. "It really gives you a chance to get to know someone. And that's crucial in business and politics."
It's a hobby that the Speaker has taken some heat for in the past. During the 2010 election, his opponents posted billboards around Ohio that asked, "When was the last time you golfed 119 times in one year?" Boehner told Golf Digest in 2005 that he was playing 100 rounds per year.
