Trump hyped his relationship with golf great Arnold Palmer — who thought he was disgusting: report

President Donald Trump on Thursday paid tribute to golf legend Arnold Palmer before departing for a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

"I’m going to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the home of the late, great Arnold Palmer - There was nobody like him. I got to know Arnold well, played golf with him, and miss him," Trump posted on Twitter.

He included an ad for "Donald J. Trump's Fabulous World of Golf" -- which aired for two season on the Golf Channel.

Sportswriter Rick Reilly covered Trump's relationship with Palmer in his 2019 book Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump.

"Trump use to tell people he and the King were tight; Palmer told golf writer James Dodson 'It was more like this,' with Palmer crossing his hands and putting them on his own throat," Golf Digestreported in a review of the book. "Palmer's daughter, Peg, also recalled a moment during the 2016 campaign before Palmer passed away. 'My dad made a sound of disgust—like 'uck' or 'ugg'—like he couldn't believe the arrogance and crudeness of this man who was the nominee of the political party that he believed in. Then he said, 'He's not as smart as we thought he was.'"

The book also reported caddies gave Trump the nickname "Pele" due to how often he would kick his ball from the roughs to the fairway.

The book also noted that Trump may face legal difficulties with his courses.

"On his financial-disclosure declaration during the presidential campaign, according to Reilly, Trump valued the Trump Westchester course, and every course he owned, at $50 million. However, Trump is currently suing the town of Ossining for its $11 million tax valuation of Westchester, as Trump's lawyers insist the course was only worth $1.4 million. Trump is facing similar issues with Trump Los Angeles (missed and late tax payments), and his Scottish properties at Turnberry and Aberdeen have failed to deliver the profits the Trump Organization promised to the government," the magazine reported.