President Obama Returns to Favored SoCal Golf Locale for Father's Day

With his wife and daughters away in Europe, President Barack Obama is spending Father's Day weekend in one of his favorite golf vacation destinations.

Obama arrived in Palm Springs and headed straight for the course at the Sunnylands estate, which is closed for the summer. But a forecast high of 115 degrees wasn't keeping Obama and childhood friends and golf partners Bobby Titcomb, Greg Orme and Mike Ramos off the fairways.

He typically favors two private courses in the area -- Sunnylands and Porcupine Creek, owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison.

As California grapples with a drought crisis, the courses in the desert oasis of Palm Springs have been criticized for their water use.

White House spokesman Eric Schultz responds that many courses have taken water mitigation steps aimed at conservation.

Schultz says Obama discussed government efforts to deal with the drought during a private meeting with California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday while in San Francisco.

Before traveling to the Bay Area, Obama was in Los Angeles on Thursday and Friday to attend private fundraisers and record a podcast episode with local comedian Marc Maron.

Asher Klein contributed to this report

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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