Donald Trump, who regularly condemned Barack Obama for taking too much time off, has now enjoyed more than three times as many holiday days as his predecessor had enjoyed at the same stage in his tenure.

The US president announced he is to spend the next 17 days at his private golf club in New Jersey.

It means that by the end of August, Mr Trump will have taken 53 days of leisure, since his inauguration in January, while Mr Obama had taken 15 days during the same time span, according to The Washington Post.

The US leader has spent 13 of his 28 weekends away from the White House - mostly at his Mar-a- Lago resort in Florida’s Palm Beach or in Bedminster, New Jersey.

His aides described the latest break as a “working vacation”, saying it will be similar to the time he hosted Shinzo Abe of Japan at his luxury Florida resort.

They also pointed out that the holiday is partly driven by necessity, as the White House is to be vacated of staff to allow for heating maintenance works.

It comes shortly after it emerged that Mr Trump will have played at least 33 rounds of golf since taking office, nearly double the 17 rounds Mr Obama played over the same period.

It has been reported that the current president's aides have declined to report the full extent of his golfing activity.

In his 2004 book Think Like a Billionaire, Mr Trump wrote: “Don’t take vacations. What’s the point? If you’re not enjoying your work, you’re doing the wrong job.”

He tweeted the quote in 2012 as part of a long string of attacks on Mr Obama’s vacation habits.

“Can you believe that, with all of the problems and difficulties facing the US, President Obama spent the day playing golf?”, Mr Trump asked in 2014.

In a similar attack two years earlier, he tweeted: “President Obama's vacation is costing taxpayers millions of dollars - unbelievable!”.

Mr Trump's trips have already cost the taxpayer $30m (£22.9m) on private travel to his estates, according an estimate from the liberal think tank, Center for American Progress.

Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images

Much of this has gone on round the clock secret service protection, as well as coast guards and other agencies. Travel costs for his entourage have also raised costs.

Mr Obama incurred costs of $100m (£76m) during his eight years in power, the group said.

Mr Trump is notably guarded about his golf trips.