Those close to Obama say the president — who owns a home in Chicago — is more of an “urban guy,” who prefers hitting the basketball court and the golf course on weekends to blow off steam. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, upon returning from Camp David on his most recent trip, Obama headed straight for the links. And while Camp David includes a movie theater, bowling alley, swimming pool and endless biking and hiking trails, Obama prefers to stick close to the White House when he’s not on vacation.

A senior White House official called Camp David a “tremendous resource” and said the president “enjoys” his time there but that he’s “a city guy and loves the heartbeat of a city.” That sentiment echoes a New York Times Magazine story last year that said Michelle Obama has told dinner guests her husband “does not care for it all that much.”…

Obama isn’t the first president who hasn’t completely taken to the hideaway. Harry Truman “didn’t like it all that much because he found it too isolating,” Knutson said.