Although sports analogies of political campaigns were common in cartoons, especially of boxing and horseracing, the choice of golf was novel. The sport finally took hold in the United States in the 1880s, and grew in popularity over the ensuing decades. One sports historian has labeled the first two decades of the twentieth century the “great years” for golf. An avid sportsman, Taft was the first president to play golf while in office, and his well-publicized participation gave the game new visibility. The number of players on public golf courses doubled during his administration.