How do you win the debate about whether golf is a sport or not?

[dhanson]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Well, golf isnt a sport, its a game.  Why does it matter so much to you though???

your reasoning (i assume) being that, in order to play golf, you must follow a strict set of rules, thereby making it a game. in which case the following is true for every other "sport" given that, for reasons of fair play, the very definition of the word implies a set of rules.

i want to preempt you quoting dictionary.com which calls golf a "game" - search for basketball, football, baseball, ect, of which all entries begin with "a game in which." a definition without context is not a good definition.

golf is kind of in between in terms of how you would define it. it falls somewhere between a "precision sport" and an "athletic sport." it really shouldn't be included with things like billiards, bowling, and darts, but also shouldn't be included with soccer, football, or basketball.

[B-Con]

your reasoning (i assume) being that, in order to play golf, you must follow a strict set of rules, thereby making it a game. in which case the following is true for every other "sport" given that, for reasons of fair play, the very definition of the word implies a set of rules.

i want to preempt you quoting dictionary.com which calls golf a "game" - search for basketball, football, baseball, ect, of which all entries begin with "a game in which." a definition without context is not a good definition.

golf is kind of in between in terms of how you would define it. it falls somewhere between a "precision sport" and an "athletic sport." it really shouldn't be included with things like billiards, bowling, and [b]darts[/b], but also shouldn't be included with soccer, football, or basketball.

Ironically, in my post above, I almost used darts as an example of "obviously not a sport". But before I submitted I did a quick Google search to make sure it wasn't... Turns out there's a lot of argument on the Internet about whether or not it's a sport, and there are a lot of proponents. But that was a completely different can of worms, so I omitted it. :-P Also, I think bowling is widely considered a sport... Anyway, I think your categories are good to consider. Some people think of sweat-drenched atheletes with bulging muscles fighting for some sort of ball when they think of a sport, but there really are two types: strength (how much can I do), and precision (how carefully can I do it), with most typical ball sports being a mixture of the two. Being toward one side of the spectrum shouldn't cause it to be any less of a sport, IMO.

[markpf189]

Everyone has their own opinions on what a sport is, so at the end of the day you can only go by definition..and golf is a sport by definition. My friends actually just had an argument over this, and one of the points was that you don't have to be in great shape to be good, which is true to an extent (even though most the best are in excellent shape) but then I guess that would mean baseball isn't a sport either, considering the weight of some of the pitchers and DH's out there..

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Well, golf isnt a sport, its a game.  Why does it matter so much to you though???

Interesting. When do you think Tiger will get back?

[Carts]

Originally Posted by senorchipotle

latin, methinks.

No its a fail attempt at translating from French. I wasnt sure if Motor skills was the correct translation for Habileté motrice.

[Topper]

I'm going to play a little devils-advocate here.

Originally Posted by MrElculver2424

Definition of a sport:

"A sport is an organized, competitive, entertaining, and skillful activity requiring commitment, strategy, and fair play, in which a winner can be defined by objective means."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport

The definition itself proves that it's a sport, and people who insist golf's not a sport can't argue that. The definition will win you every debate.

I play chess too, so I'm a multi-sport athlete.

• It requires physical precision and coordination of a lot of the body. [Not so much in chess but my golf game doesn't display a lot of this either.]
• It requires practice. [So does chess.]
• It requires physical exertion -- ie, you can work up a sweat doing it. [I probably work up as much of a sweat playing chess outside as I do golfing when I ride a cart.  I hereby exempt my comments with respect to golfing while actually walking the course.]
• Physical training and endurance aid the player. [I guess physical fitness will help fat chess players sitting at the table as much as fat golfers sitting in the golf cart.]
• You can incur any number of "athletic" injuries doing it. [I got carpal tunnel playing too much chess.]
• It has a rule book, a clear, precise, objective scoring method, and clear penalties for breaking the rules. [So does chess.]
• It has a clearly defined organizational body pretty much anywhere in the world. [So does chess.]
• It requires equipment to play and regulates it precisely. There really aren't any absolute/universal advantages to be had by using one piece of equipment; what works "best" is entirely up to personal preference. [So does chess.  You can spend a small fortune on a nice chess set but it will not make you a better chess player.]

Pretty much confirms that I'm a multi-sport chess-golf athlete.  Unfortunately, I'm lousy at both.

[markpf189]

Originally Posted by Topper

I'm going to play a little devils-advocate here.

I play chess too, so I'm a multi-sport athlete.

It requires physical precision and coordination of a lot of the body.  [Not so much in chess but my golf game doesn't display a lot of this either.]

It requires practice. [So does chess.]

It requires physical exertion -- ie, you can work up a sweat doing it.  [I probably work up as much of a sweat playing chess outside as I do golfing when I ride a cart.  I hereby exempt my comments with respect to golfing while actually walking the course.]

Physical training and endurance aid the player.  [I guess physical fitness will help fat chess players sitting at the table as much as fat golfers sitting in the golf cart.]

You can incur any number of "athletic" injuries doing it.  [I got carpal tunnel playing too much chess.]

It has a rule book, a clear, precise, objective scoring method, and clear penalties for breaking the rules. [So does chess.]

It has a clearly defined organizational body pretty much anywhere in the world. [So does chess.]

It requires equipment to play and regulates it precisely. There really aren't any absolute/universal advantages to be had by using one piece of equipment; what works "best" is entirely up to personal preference.  [So does chess.  You can spend a small fortune on a nice chess set but it will not make you a better chess player.]

Pretty much confirms that I'm a multi-sport chess-golf athlete.  Unfortunately, I'm lousy at both.

The sentence after that on WIKI "Generally speaking, a sport is a game based in physical athleticism . Activities such as board games and card games are sometimes classified as " mind sports ," but strictly speaking "sport" by itself refers to some physical activity. "

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Topper

It requires physical precision and coordination of a lot of the body.  [Not so much in chess but my golf game doesn't display a lot of this either.]

It requires practice. [So does chess.]

It requires physical exertion -- ie, you can work up a sweat doing it.  [I probably work up as much of a sweat playing chess outside as I do golfing when I ride a cart.  I hereby exempt my comments with respect to golfing while actually walking the course.]

Physical training and endurance aid the player.  [I guess physical fitness will help fat chess players sitting at the table as much as fat golfers sitting in the golf cart.]

You can incur any number of "athletic" injuries doing it.  [I got carpal tunnel playing too much chess.]

It has a rule book, a clear, precise, objective scoring method, and clear penalties for breaking the rules. [So does chess.]

It has a clearly defined organizational body pretty much anywhere in the world. [So does chess.]

It requires equipment to play and regulates it precisely. There really aren't any absolute/universal advantages to be had by using one piece of equipment; what works "best" is entirely up to personal preference.  [So does chess.  You can spend a small fortune on a nice chess set but it will not make you a better chess player.]

Pretty much confirms that I'm a multi-sport chess-golf athlete.  Unfortunately, I'm lousy at both.

So:

• No
• Not physical practice
• No
• No
• No
• Yes
• Yes
• Not really

You reached too far to say "yes" to some of those. There's a difference between a fat guy playing golf and a fat guy playing chess. A fat guy playing basketball doesn't make basketball "not a sport." It's just "a fat guy playing a sport." If you're more in shape, you'll have an edge over someone who's not as in shape, all else equal.

[FLOG 4]

Golf is much more than a sport. No other game utilizes such dramtically different playing fields.  It is a way of life.  Much grander than just a sport.  It's not a matter of if you will play Golf rather than when....Look at all the base/basket/foot ballers who get consumed by the sport.

[Topper]

OK...I've removed chess from my list of "sports" activities.

[Inebriated]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Why???  You can't just make a bald statement like that as an absolute without any reasons.... especially when you are so wrong.

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Don't get sucked into debating with them..  Golf is both, and anyone who can't grasp the concept isn't  worth debating with with the first place.

Irony.

[mattttt25]

You can make an argument either way, and I guess that's the point of a debate.

I personally don't consider it a sport, but that's because I've had this conversation a million times with buddies over all sorts of activities.  I classify golf as an athletic competition.  Same with track and field events.  I only consider an activity a sport when the actions of your opponent directly affect your physical actions and the outcome of the game.  Football, soccer, basketball, baseball, wrestling... all fall into this category.

[Aquaguru]

I just hand them a club and tell them to go shoot under par like Tiger if its "not a spot and is so easy to hit a non-moving ball"

Then I laugh at them when they come back shooting in the hundreds

[bluecollar01]

Never argue with an idiot.  They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Inebriated

Irony.

Why?  The OP asked the question, not me, and I gave him the best answer to his question.  Then, since I do have a definite opinion on the topic, I expressed it.

[mgolfer167]

G.K. Chesterton: "Golf is an expensive game of marbles." Here's a news flash, G.K. Chesterton was a lousy golfer. Generally, the people who make statements like, "Golf isn't a sport," are not very good at the game either. Okay, maybe golfers are neither pulling at their crotches, nor spitting wads of tobacco, nor tatooing their bodies to the point of unrecognizablity.  So be it. We play a gentleman's game

[mgolfer167]

Obviously, he will listen to that entire explanation and acquiesce.

[Inebriated]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Why?  The OP asked the question, not me, and I gave him the best answer to his question.  Then, since I do have a definite opinion on the topic, I expressed it.

You say that it's not worth debating with people who don't see it as a sport, and then turn around and begin a debate with someone who says it's not a sport. Irony may not have been the correct word... maybe contradictory? Not saying it to be a douche. Just saying it to say it.

And I'm not sure I gave my personal opinion on it... I think golf is both a sport and a game.  It depends on it's context. A tournament is most definitely a sport. You have "teams" up against other "teams" (even if the "team" is one man/woman), and there is a definitive winner at the end. It's athletic, for sure, and it is obviously competitive. But at the same time, there are no sports that one can play alone, so that's where it becomes a game.

Look at basketball. You can go out and play Horse, but you aren't playing THE sport of basketball. You're playing a game. But right after your game of Horse, you go and play in a tournament. That's when it's a sport.

If that makes sense, good. If not, then disregard it. lol