Updated

President Obama played golf on Saturday following his major announcement that he had decided the United States should take military action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons on civilians during that country’s civil war.

The president and Vice President Biden left for the course within minutes of his Rose Garden speech in which he asked Congress to first approve such action.

They played at nearby Fort Belvoir with regular Obama golfing partner Marvin Nicholson, the White House trip director, and with Nicholson’s brother, Walter Nicholson, rounding out the foursome.

Obama is an avid golfer, and his outings have resulted in critics frequently saying throughout his presidency that the president is enjoying himself while too many Americans are out of work or suffering through another crisis.