A Martha’s Vineyard tradition for Obama and family

By NBP Staff | August 14, 2015, 20:09 EDT

President Barack Obama is back in Massachusetts for his annual Martha’s Vineyard vacation, a 17-day island golfing dalliance that eclipses the amount of vacation time the average American worker receives fourfold.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk over to greet people after arriving at Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., Friday, Aug. 7, 2015. The president is returning to his summer vacation spot of choice, the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard, for more than two weeks of hoped-for rest coupled with extended pursuit of his favorite leisure sport: golf. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

During their sixth vacation to the Vineyard, the president and his family will be staying at a $22.7 million mansion in Chilmark and spending time with the glitterati, including television producer Larry David and NBA players Alonzo Mourning and Ray Allen.

Last summer, Obama attended a high-priced fundraiser for Senate Democrats while on the Vineyard. He also had to break from his 2014 vacation to deliver a statement to the traveling press after receiving criticism for not speaking out immediately on the violence in Ferguson, Missouri.

This summer, here’s what GOP candidates gunning for his job in 2016 are saying: nothing.

Media coverage has instead focused on his music playlist and his reading list, which tops out at an exhausting 2,771 pages.

When he returns to Washington, Obama will have a lot on his plate, as Congress will be voting on his Iran nuclear deal.

This article was compiled from staff and wire reports.  Political reporter Evan Lips contributed to this story.