Golf in the Olympics???

[TN94z]

So with all of the "Golf in the Olympics" discussions going on, I thought I would make a thread to find out everyone's opinion on this subject.

List your top 5 reasons that Golf should be or should not be in the Olympics.

[ControlJunkie]

1. Golf is played world wide, just as other sports in the Olympics.
2. I have no evidence to back this up, but I gotta believe that golf is played much more than sports like polo or archery.
3. I think the underlying "tradition" in golf fundamentally agrees with a lot of what the Olympics are about.
4. Golf has an international governing entity, world championships, and has testing for PEDs.
5. Finally, Jordan wouldnt be able to brag to Tiger anymore about how he has a gold medal, and Tiger doesnt :)

[Uber$winG]

Golf should be an Olympic Event.

1. If that ribbon and stick dance thing that the pseudo-gymnasts do is an Olympic Event than golf should be one too.

2. Golf is universal, even if you don’t like golf, you like shiny things in the sunshine… like golf clubs.

3. Golf is predicated on drama – which is perfect for the Olympics.

4. National pride… USA.

5. Because an Olympic gold medal is the one piece of hardware that Tiger is missing in his trophy room.

[Cooker]

Golf should be in the Olympics because:

1. It is a sport everyone can relate to, and one of the most popular in the world.

2. It has Worldwide representation.

3. It has a long tradition and great sportsmanship, if not one of the best.

4. One of the greatest athletes and most recognizable worldwide plays the game.

5. Because I think it should, besides, its another excuse to watch more golf...

[Chilli Dipper]

1. In the last decade, men and women from 15 nations representing every continent except Antarctica have won major championships. Few other sports can claim champions from all corners of the world.

2. The IOC prefers sports that can offer multiple formats for competition. An Olympic golf tournament can include stroke and match play, individual and team events.

3. Any cries of elitism can be muffled by the fact that the original country club sport, equestrian, has been an Olympic mainstay since 1908.

4. In this day and age, every world-class city (and potential Olympic host) has a world-class golf course in close vicinity, making it a far more feasible event than sailing, which must be held several hundred miles away when the host city is landlocked (as was Beijing, Atlanta, or Moscow).

5. Golf is a precision sport, much like archery or the shooting sports, but requires a much greater degree of athletic ability.

[ControlJunkie]

1. In the last decade, men and women from 15 nations representing every continent except Antarctica have won major championships. Few other sports can claim champions from all corners of the world.

Very strong points! I especially like #1 and #3. You win in my book. These are all very solid!

[MI Rob]

Pretty much everyone has made some very good arguments for why golf should be an Olympic sport. I must agree that golf should be an Olympic sport.

[dpg1682]

i have only one reason. Golf is an actual sport!!!!!!!!!!!! Ping pong is an olympic event and its hardly a sport more of a game.

[Sir Ryan]

Would be huge...

[microcrayfish]

I doubt Tiger will be winning any Olympic golf gold medal, if he even plays at all. Even if golf does get in it won't be at least until 2016, Karate and Squash were the leading vote getters last time there was a vote and I doubt they will be lose out to golf next time, besides, they're both better suited to an Olympic games format (I'd also add rugby sevens to that list). So you're probably looking at 2020 if at all, by which time Tiger will be 43 and will have topped every wins record in golf by a wide margin, what's a golf medal going to prove by that time?

If golf ever does get into the Olympics it'll just end up like other big "pro" sports like basketball, baseball and soccer where the best players don't end up going because they're more worried about their paychecks than their national pride.

[Knockglock]

I doubt Tiger will be winning any Olympic golf gold medal, if he even plays at all. Even if golf does get in it won't be at least until 2016, Karate and Squash were the leading vote getters last time there was a vote and I doubt they will be lose out to golf next time, besides, they're both better suited to an Olympic games format (I'd also add rugby sevens to that list). So you're probably looking at 2020 if at all, by which time Tiger will be 43 and will have topped every wins record in golf by a wide margin, what's a golf medal going to prove by that time?

The best players in basketball and soccer do go to the Olympics. From the dream team of the 90's with Jordan, Barkley, etc. to the '08 team with Lebron, Kobe, D-Wade and tons of other stars. The exception is baseball.

I'm sure if Golf was an Olympic sport, the best golfers in the world would go. It's the freaking Olympics for god's sake, winning a gold medal is a once-in a lifetime chance. Plus all major golf leagues would probably take a break and not schedule anything so they could go to the Olympics.

[microcrayfish]

The best players in basketball and soccer do go to the Olympics. From the dream team of the 90's with Jordan, Barkley, etc. to the '08 team with Lebron, Kobe, D-Wade and tons of other stars. The exception is baseball.

The soccer team players have to be under 23 apart from 3 players per squad (and clubs try and block the top ones that do get picked) and you can't tell me that the 2000 and 2004 US men's basketball teams were made up of the best players - a whole bunch of top NBA players pulled out - the only reason 2008 was any different was the fact that they didn't want to risk losing again.

[Shorty]

Golf, like tennis should NOT be in the Olympics.
An Olympic gold medal should be the pinnacle of achievement in a sport.
Tennis and golf each have four events every year that any player would value above an Olympic gold medal.

[Golfaway]

It'd be great to watch gofl in the olympics, though I am not sure in which format will it be played.

[trumps4]

I'm on the fence. I'd love to see some kind of team golf competition in the Olympics as long as it was unique from anything we already have. Perhaps 2-man, captain's choice, playoff format. If it looked to much like the Ryder/President's Cup, I think I'd rather them just leave it out.

[Cussin hacker]

Golf, like tennis should NOT be in the Olympics.

I'm with you Shorty. Golf should not be in the Olympics!

(1) The Olympics should never have let pro's in. (2) It would interfear with PGA tour events. (3) PGA pro's would kill the non Pro's. (4) Four majors already (5) Tiger doesn't need a oly medal any more than MJ did.

[HytrewQasdfg]

(1) The Olympics should never have let pro's in.

You have that right. I can't think of a single event that is better because they have allowed pros in. Basketball was much more interesting when it was amateurs (and the US team was made up of the best college players.)

As an amature sport though, golf offers a lot as an olympic sport.

[DavidFehertysBike]

Im a big fan of the idea, but think the proposed format is stupid. A 72 hole medal event is no different from any other event that touring pros play. I think it should be 36 stroke quali leading into a 36 man match play showdown.

I dont like the fact that there isnt a team element either. The proposal should have had both. I dont know how many players each country would send, but some kind of two ball or best ball team gold medal should be decided. In track, you have a 100m individual gold medalist, and also a 4x1 100m relay team. Golf's format should be similar. If the format is to go with just a 72 hole tournament, its not worth it and golf shouldnt be in the olympics. It's only going be a one time wonder if there isnt more depth to it. The top pros would go to the inarguaral event, then probably never return.