The Major League Baseball trade deadline has been dominating the ESPN headlines the past couple weeks. In the past, trade deadline week was one of my favorite times of the year. I was an avid baseball fan like so many other Americans. Oh how the times have changed! Nowadays, the only thing that comes to mind when talking about the MLB is the use of steroids.
The media has completely blown steroid use in Major League Baseball out of the water, possibly for good reason. There will always be the “steroid era” in baseball, but hopefully things will get back to normal with the new testing program. I certainly have better things to watch on television now.
Fortunately for golf fans, our sport has seen a steady rise in popularity over the past decade. That being said, I can’t help but think about the possible use of steroids by professional golfers. I know it sounds a little silly, but there are so many different kinds of performance-enhancing drugs these days. I won’t sit here and point my finger at any specific golfers, but that doesn’t mean all golfers are clean.
That brings me to my main question this week: should there be steroid testing in golf? It’s not something every golf fan thinks about, but it wouldn’t hurt to run things through your mind once or twice.
Over the past decade in golf, it’s no secret that physical fitness has improved at all levels. The world’s best golfer is the best example of this. Tiger Woods is definitely more ripped and muscular than Jack Nicklaus was in his day. Other top golfers have made goals each year to get in better physical shape before the season (David Duval and Davis Love III come to mind).
If steroid testing was a part of professional golf, it would clarify my suspicions. I’m probably not the only one that gets a little suspicious about the improved physical fitness regime in golf either. Unfortunately, professional baseball has made me think this way. There is nothing wrong with trying to keep a sport clean.
Nick Faldo had this to say early last year: “It’s been clean forever, probably because we’ve proven there’s nothing out there we can take to enhance our performance. So there’s no point looking. Golf has a very good reputation and, fortunately, nothing in the wings is going to dent it.”
Nick Faldo was a great golfer, but he can’t possibly speak for everyone involved. And there is absolutely no way Faldo would know if someone took steroids or not. I’ve known people that took steroids, and I had no clue until they told me about it. Like I mentioned earlier, there are steroids for everything these days. Golf isn’t necessarily about physical strength, but professional golfers still have to be in great shape week in and week out. After all, baseball used to have a great reputation, too.
There are people that will argue that steroids can’t help a golfer out in any way. That is wishful thinking. In the age of improved technology, increased driving distance, etc., now is the perfect time to think about the possibility of steroids in golf. The use of steroids may not help a golfer putt, chip, or hit a golf ball, but they could certainly help a golfer hit the ball further. The use of steroids doesn’t help a baseball player hit a baseball, but they can sure increase the distance the players can hit the ball.
And besides, how would anyone know if steroids would help a golfer or not? They wouldn’t, unless they tried them out and tested things out on their own. I’m not sure if steroids would help me become a better golfer or not, and I don’t plan on finding out any time soon. That being said, nobody can say they help or hurt a golfer until they try them.
Also, it would be nice to see a steroid testing system implemented before things get out of hand. Things probably aren’t that bad right now, but if someone did admit to taking steroids, the game would crumble just like Major League Baseball has. A million questions would arise, and the media would be second-guessing everyone’s records (most notably Tiger Woods’ records).
A lot of long-time golf fans may think this idea is silly, but it could get ugly if any golfer ever admitted to using steroids in their professional golfing career. It would be so much easier to get things straightened out sooner rather than later. We live in a different world of sports nowadays people, and it’s time to start thinking in that manner. As unfortunate as it sounds, it’s still the truth.
Finally, how nice would it be to laugh at all the other professional sports if all golfers tested negative for steroids? It would prove how clean the sport truly is. That would definitely be a breath of fresh air in the world of professional sports.
Not having a current steroid testing procedure in place makes it ok to do it and play golf every week. That’s the main problem. Whether or not any professional golfer is taking steroids at this time, it’s still ok to do it if they choose. That’s not going to cut it. Every professional athlete should be tested and held accountable regardless of the sport. It’s unfair for professional baseball players and football players to go through tests while professional golfers sit by the wayside.
If steroid testing in golf is ever approved, the governing body needs to punish offenders the correct way. If a golfer fails a drug test, they should be suspended a year right from the start. If they fail a second drug test after returning, they should be banned from the professional scene forever.
There is no reason anyone should have to take steroids to play the game of golf or any other professional sport for that matter. It’s just the way our society works at times. If professional athletes (yes, golfers are athletes) can’t be clean while playing sports, they don’t need to be playing anyway. It can be very harmful to their respective bodies, and it sends a negative message to today’s youth.
The Final Say
This topic may not be in the minds of many golf fans, but it has been on mine for quite some time. If it’s possible for things to happen in other sports, it’s possible in golf as well. Golf is supposedly a clean sport, and I believe that for the most part. However, we would all be so naive to think there aren’t any professional golfers in the world taking some kind of steroid right now. The odds just aren’t in your favor if you think that way.
Steroid testing in golf wouldn’t hurt the integrity of the sport in any way. If a lot of people failed drug tests, it would be a reality check for many fans. However, it would be nice to get it under control now instead of ten or twenty years from now. If nobody failed a drug test, then it would prove just how clean and worthy of respect the sport and the golfers truly are. It’s a win-win situation any way you look at it. The time has come for the governing bodies to get something done about it.
That’s all I have to say this week, and it’s your turn to tell me what you think. Is it crazy to think there should be steroid testing in golf? Also, would it hurt the sport in any way if drug testing was implemented? Finally, do you think every professional golfer in the world is 100% clean (of steroids) right now? If you have anything to add, and I’m sure you will, feel free to comment below or discuss it in the forum. Thanks for reading this week’s Thrash Talk!
Photo Credit: © All Sports Nutrition.
I don’t believe there are many – if any – “substance users” on the PGA Tour. There may be a lot of science behind steroids these days, but that doesn’t change the simple fact that hitting a golf ball far is primarily about speed, not strength, and that steroids don’t help with speed. Not to mention the horrid effects steroids could have on other parts of your game.
Plus, pros know as Dave knows: success in golf is about hitting GIR and putting. Driving distance has little to do with it.
So, while I agree that drug testing should be instituted, my reasoning is simply that it would eliminate suspicion and would allow the PGA Tour (etc.) to say “see, our athletes are clean.” Not testing makes it look like you’re hiding something.
There could be a number of players using food (vitamin) supplements who would unknowingly test positive for some illegal substance. A lot of trainers recommend products you can get on pharmacy shelves. And don’t forget ephedrin contained in antihistaminics to fight summer allergies.
On the more conscious side of drug taking, one must not forget that a steroid regimen in training will increase stamina and strenght. Even if the drug will not keep you from choking in the final holes or will not improve your speed and technique, being less tired after four days of competition will help you to a better finish.
I am not saying this is happening, however, this is sport, this is human nature and like you say, let’s not ignore the possibility.
With so much money at stake, the incentive to gain any type of advantage through whatever means possible is too great to ignore. I would think steriods in golf, like for baseball pitchers, would be most beneficial for recovery purposes. Technique aside, a slight physical advantage could reap huge dividends.
I agree, that the level of use is nowhere near other sports, and I am concerned about drugs other than steroids also. Did you notice how skinny the guy who one Tour De France was? Steroids is all about recovery! It also has effects on mood, many useres have an enhnced feeling of confidence, injury recovery is also enhanced. A golfer with arthitic joints, a bad back or tendonitis could get them legally and just over medicate. You don’t get the huge muscle mass increase unless you lift a lot of heavy weights also. The kind of strength training most golfers do, which enhances speed, would not increase bulk dramatically.
Substance abuse in golf is alcohol. Yes it has negative effects. But, for some a beer or two takes the edge off and that can actually help. What about JD and JD? Quote: “I had to be taken to a hospital because I’d passed out with my eyes open and the guys I was drinking with though I’d had a stroke or something. The next day I shot 2 under.†Also, there is a study out that links alcohol consumption with increased Testosterone production.
Good article, Cody!
In the latest issue of Golfweek (07/29/06) there is an article that details that the International Golf Federation will be conducting drug testing at the World Amateur Team Championships in South Africa. Looks like it might be gaining some momentum.
There seems to be a want/need for drug testing but it looks to be difficult to implement an uniform policy with so many different organizations (PGA, R&A, USGA, etc.).
I know of a couple of good amateur players who are currently using steroids. With the rigours of working out to increase their distance so that they can compete with the other players at the elite level they find it beneficial in their recovery. Where they used to struggle to practice for hours on end and also work out they now find it quite easy. In this day and age where distance is promoted as the holy grail among young players it is no suprise at all that some of the smaller players are looking for something that lets them compete with the big guys.
Very good article, well thought out and I agree with the vast majority of it. I have no idea if pro golfers are using anything so I won’t join that debate, but I concur that if there’s nothing to hide (as we all hope), let’s not hide it.
I only disagree with the severity of punishment that should be meted out to drug cheats in all sports: mandatory life bans are the only answer – let the cheats know they are risking EVERYTHING, their entire career/exalted position in society/vast wealth and celebrity. Then their choice gets real simple: either play clean, or go back to being Joe Public.
I have heard that Prozac is actually the performance enhancing drug of choice on the tour. Prozac supposedly smooths out the emotional highs and lows. If that is what Prozac does, it may be more beneficial to a tour player than steroids.
1) Steroids obviously can help with ‘speed’. Why do you think track and cycling atheletes use them? Don’t you think that bat speed is increased by MLB players who use them as well?
2) Well, don’t you think it is easier to go at the pin with a wedge as opposed to a 6-iron?
C’mon, do a little research, and stop being so naive. Sure, Tiger, Bubba, J.B., Camillo, etc. all could get their physiques naturally, but steriods help an athelete do it quicker. And they, too, could be longer with use of testosterone supplements.
Its only a matter of time with this kind on money at stake. Somewhere right now, a college kid with a great swing and timing is juicing to get an advantage. We’ll see a few of them on the tours in a few years.
For the recovery benefits (endurance, recovery from working out, etc.).
Perhaps you should read myth #1 in this article. Clearly the evidence shows that hitting wedge from the rough is not much easier than whatever the more accurate drivers are hitting from the fairways (the difference ain’t 6-iron to wedge, either – please don’t overly exaggerate in an attempt to make a point – it’s more like 8-iron versus wedge).
I’ve done my research (and read Dave’s). I wish you would do the same. I’ve given you a link this time instead of referring vaguely to “Dave.”
I agree that it’s a matter of time. I agree the Tour should have testing in place now. But let’s not make up reasons why they should, Rob.
❓ Why test golfers for steroids?
It is clear that the Federal government has an agenda to make professional sports take “responsibility” for steroid use. Steroid use without a prescription is against the law and the government wants to make it more difficult for people to break the law. The Feds are probably leaning on all professional sports to test their athletes. I think this issue is more about control than health or safety of the public…..but that is another topic.
Do I think that the PGA should test for steroids? No. It would be nice to know out of curiosity if a player had used steroids the week before they hit their longest drive, but steroid induced power can not be the most important part of the game. It is really a game of skill and precision. You can hit a ball 400 yards, but if you are off by 3 degrees you are 50 yards in the rough. Golf clubs are so light these days that women are even hitting the ball 300 yards.
Could steroid use help someone who is already talented? Yes, but mandatory testing is not something I agree with. I don’t like the idea of calling a person a liar, or a cheater(mandatory testing), before you even give them a chance to answer the question. I think it is the government’s job to do that kind of injustice, not the PGA’s. Testing an amatuer is even more rediculous than testing the pros. I think the funniest thing is that so many golfers are really skinny, or extremely overweight. I am sure those guys are juicing 😕 .
I really don’t like what the Federal government did to the MLB players, and golfers may go to mandatory testing to avoid that type of situation. Who wants to testify before congress that they had never taken steroids?
I would like to know that I am on a level playing field with the pro’s, but I still have a hard time sinking a 10 foot putt.
I think that there should be testing in the Tour and if they don’t pass something definatly should be done. I don’ tknow if they failed two test ban them forever is the right thing to do but something deffinatley needs to be done. I am a avid golfer and play 3 times weekly. I am currently in college and playing golf and we all can hit the ball along way becasue of technology but not as far as the pros are hitting it. Steward Appleby never hit the ball as far as he is hitting it now. He is hitting some drives over 350 that’s insane i avarage about 294 on driving distance with a 94% of fairways hit. I don’t see how he can just step up and hit the balls that far. Also Freedie Couples although i like freedie he is getting old and still pounds it out there. So anyways i think there should be testing in Golf. Thanks
If performance enhancing drugs are banned in sports, there must be impartial testing. The only reason for not testing is so the use can continue unabated and the players taking illegal drugs can escape detection. “Private tests” are totally unacceptable.
I notice steroid use in womens pro golf, I was into bodybuilding fo many years and I can point out the ones that are juicing. 300 yard drives for a gal?