Obama Spending Father’s Day Weekend in Golf Destination

Residents stand along the President Barack Obama's motorcade route, Friday, June 19, 2015, in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Anageles, Calif., hoping to see the president as he drives past en route to an interview with comedian Marc Maron near by. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

SAN FRANCISCO— With his wife and daughters away in Europe, President Barack Obama is spending Father’s Day weekend in one of his favorite golf vacation destinations.

Obama plans to be in Palm Springs on Saturday and Sunday, where he typically favors two private courses — the Sunnylands estate and Porcupine Creek, owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison.

As California grapples with a drought crisis, the courses in the desert oasis of Palm Springs have been criticized for their water use.

White House spokesman Eric Schultz responds that many courses have taken water mitigation steps aimed at conservation.

Schultz says Obama discussed government efforts to deal with the drought during a private meeting with California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday while in San Francisco.