President Obama sent a tweet touting the benefits for his signature federal health care law and, along with first lady Michelle Obama, wished a "speedy recovery" to former first lady Barbara Bush Wednesday.

Then, the president went golfing at the Mid-Pacific Country Club in Lanikai.

His golf partners today were Hawaii friends Bobby Titcomb and Mike Ramos; Chicago friends Marty Nesbitt and Andrew Dibble; aide Marvin Nicholson; and White House chef Sam Kass.

The 18th hole on the course is visible from a public street, where a crowd had gathered to catch a glimpse of the president.

Obama, wearing a white golf shirt and beige cap and khaki shorts, used a range finder from the fairway to see how far away the hole was from the green. The president’s approach landed about 22 feet from the hole, generating cheers from the crowd.

The president drove his own golf cart to the hole, marked his ball and watched his partners putt and miss.

Obama’s first putt came within a foot of the hole and he was given a gimme, scoring a two-putt.

The president waved to the crowd and said, "Happy new year."

Someone in the crowd shouted, "We love you!" And he replied, "I love you back."

The group spend a little over five hours on the course.

It was the sixth golf outing in 12 days of vacation for the president, who skipped his usual morning workout on the first day of the year.

Obama previously golfed at the Mid-Pacific Country Club on Dec. 23.

The president’s motorcade left the course at about 4:29 p.m., getting caught in some slow traffic on the way back, past Kailua Beach Park.

The president is spending the rest of the evening at home.

Obama sent a tweet from the administration’s @WhiteHouse Twitter account to mark the major benefits of his signature federal health care law taking effect.

Earlier in the day, in a personally written tweet, signed off with his initials, the president referenced a Seattle boy who stood next to him and other lawmakers when he signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010.

"I signed the ACA for kids like Marcelas Owens. He lost his mom bc she couldn’t afford coverage. Today millions of Americans finally can," the tweet said.

Obama and his wife said in a written statement released by the White House that they were wishing former first lady Barbara Bush a "speedy recovery" after she was hospitalized with a respiratory-related issue.

The president said Mrs. Bush is blessed to have a loving, supportive family and, in his words, a "vibrant spirit that we hope will have her feeling better soon."