Mamie Eisenhower, painted in 1953 by Thomas E. Stephens
Eisenhower was a golf enthusiast later in life, and he joined the Augusta National Golf Club in 1948.[44] He played golf frequently during and after his presidency and was unreserved in expressing his passion for the game, to the point of golfing during winter; he ordered his golf balls painted black so he could see them better against snow on the ground. He had a small, basic golf facility installed at Camp David, and he became close friends with the Augusta National Chairman Clifford Roberts, inviting Roberts to stay at the White House on numerous occasions.[45] Roberts, an investment broker, also handled the Eisenhower family's investments.[46]
Oil painting was one of Eisenhower's hobbies.[41] He began painting while at Columbia University, after watching Thomas E. Stephens paint Mamie's portrait. In order to relax, Eisenhower painted about 260 oils during the last 20 years of his life. The images were mostly landscapes but also portraits of subjects such as Mamie, their grandchildren, General Montgomery, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln.