Obama-Boehner Golf Summit: Political Game, or Not?

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are all set for a friendly round of golf Saturday. But Republicans and Democrats are taking divergent approaches to the golf summit, Politico reports.

The White House is emphasizing the assistance that the outing may provide in moving forward a bipartisan deal to cut the budget deficit. But it’s not spending much time promoting Obama’s golf game. Golf Digest rates him a 17 handicap, and many observers call that a generous estimate.

Meanwhile, House Republicans are playing up Boehner’s more advanced golf skills — he shoots in the mid-80s. But they downplay the political significance of the match and don’t foresee it creating a sudden close friendship between the two combatants.