Obama Spends Father's Day Golfing On South Side
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A day after attending the wedding of a family friend, President Barack Obama spent much of the day Sunday golfing with friends in the Beverly neighborhood.
It's been a whirlwind 48-hour visit home for Obama and his family.
They had a late night visiting friends in the Kenwood neighborhood on Friday. Then, on Saturday, the Obama family attended the wedding of Laura Jarrett, daughter of top White House aide Valerie Jarrett, down the street from the Obama home.
CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports, for Father's Day, the president left his home late Sunday morning to go to the Beverly Country Club to golf with friends Martin Nesbitt and Eric Whitaker, as well as trip director and frequent golf partner Marvin Nicholson.
Most of the people relaxing down the street at the Dan Ryan Woods Forest Preserve didn't even know the president was only a couple of blocks away, but they were happy he was home for Father's Day.
Cameras were not allowed into the country club and reporters were asked to leave the premises while Obama was golfing.
There were no such restrictions a couple blocks away at the Dan Ryan Woods, where many families flocked to the picnic areas for a Father's Day tradition: grilling.
For 15 years, Darrick Jones has cooked for friends and kids from the Roseland neighborhood on Father's Day at the Dan Ryan Woods. He said he admires the president as a leader and a father.
"He's everything we could look up to as a father figure. Look at his family, it's beautiful," he said.
Gwan Taliaferro said, "He has set, with his daughters, an example for all black men to actually do something in the community, and to actually have a part in their raising."
That got no argument from Shemiah Clark and his group from the Mason's lodge. They have gathered at the Dan Ryan Woods every Father's Day for 14 years to play cards, and grill food.
They were pleased that the president was right up the street this year.
"He's a great father, and he's trying to do the right thing towards people," Clark said.
There was no word on how the president fared on the links on Sunday. He was scheduled to leave Chicago Sunday evening to fly to Mexico for a G20 summit in Los Cabos.
He's got plenty to tackle there, focusing on the economic crisis in Europe.
