White House Chef Sam Kass Joins President Obama For A Second Golf Game In Hawaii

A fivesome for a rainy day of golf at the Turtle Bay Resort...
White House Assistant Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass on Friday enjoyed his second game of golf in Hawaii with President Obama, playing with his boss for more than five hours on the championship Arnold Palmer Course--designed by the master himself--at the swank Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore.

Kass, a frequent golf partner for President Obama, last joined the President for some fun on the links on December 22nd.  The chef  remained in Hawaii with the First Family when the President returned to Washington to deal with the fiscal cliff legislation.  The President's party was a fivesome, and also included Hawaiian pal Bobby Titcomb, Chicago pal Marty Nesbitt, and White House aide Marvin Nicholson, the White House said.

As is standard practice, the White House did not release a score for the game, which took place amidst gusty winds and occasional downpours after the President arrived by motorcade at 11:55 AM.  He was back at his rental compound in Kailua at 7:07 PM, before heading out again for the evening.  Update: The President dined at Nobu restaurant in Waikiki.

The President's press pool was unable to offer details on the game, thanks to being held "in a restaurant near the driving range and not in a position to see much," according to the scribe on duty.

The President was spotted briefly during the trip to the resort, and pool noted he was wearing a white polo shirt as he climbed into his SUV.  The trip across the island, on winding cliffside roads, took close to an hour, with some  drama: "As it happens, not even the president of the United States can avoid having to pull over for an ambulance or waiting in the island’s notoriously bad traffic," pool reported.

On Thursday, President Obama went bowling with his daughters at the lanes at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and also thrilled locals when he stopped for a favorite treat: Shave ice at Island Snow.  On Wednesday night, following another day of golf, the President and First Lady Obama had their first dining excursion of 2013, visiting Alan Wong's restaurant in Honolulu for a three-hour dinner with friends.

The President, First Family and Kass will depart Hawaii late on Saturday night, flying overnight back to Washington, with an expected arrival at the White House on Sunday morning at 11:45 AM.

"The President will spend next week in Washington, DC and attend meetings at the White House," the White House said.

*Photo at top is President Obama playing golf at the Kaneohe Klipper Course in Oahu, Hawaii, Dec. 26, 2010/Pete Souza/White House.  Kass photo by Obama Foodorama.   The pool on duty in Hawaii was  Jeremy Peters of The New York Times.