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Is Golf a Sport or a Game?


tigerwoo
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21 members have voted

  1. 1. Is golf a sport?

    • Yes
      86
    • No
      19


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  • Administrator
We just had this conversation, didn't we? Except the question was "are golfers athletes?"

Please, find that thread and comment there.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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In every sport you can find guys that are "out of shape."

Round is a shape!!! LMAO

Driver - TaylorMade R9 460 10.5°
3 Wood - TaylotMade Burner Tour
3 & 4 Hybrids - Adams a7
Irons - R7 tp 5-PW
Wedges - Vokey SM Black Nickel - 52º - 56º - 60ºPutter - Scotty Cameron California - SonomaSkyCaddie - SG4Lowest Round - 68 - Par 72 /67.6/120Lowest Tournament Round - 69 -...
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Golf is absolutely a sport.

It sounds like the biggest complaint by most people is regarding the intensity of the game rather than the athleticism of the game. Intensity really has no bearing on the classification of an activity being a sport.

The golf swing is an extremely athletic movement and requires an immense amount of hand-eye coordination. The baseball swing has been largely credited as being the most difficult maneuver in sports as you are hitting a round moving object with another round moving object at a high rate of speed. While the golf swing only has one moving object, the precision required is much greater than baseball.

Top golfers are extremely gifted athletes. In fact, many of the best golfers were successful in many sports, but chose to give them up in favor of golf.
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I assume that Roody's friend doesn't play golf.

Actually, he does a little. He just hasn't much in the past couple of years. But he's definitely more into things like softball, football, basketball.

For me, Baseball is one of the biggest crock of shite sports i have ever watched. But thats still a sport? They spend most there time just standing around, with a pitch every minute, then something happens for 30 seconds. Either the batter hits the ball and it goes to x position, or its a strike etc....

I think baseball is definitely a sport. It takes a great deal of skill to hit a ball that's thrown at you at 90 miles per hour.

Have you ever seen a person who plays Golf faithfully say Golf wasn't a sport? I haven't

I think it's because the faithful ones truly appreciate all the hard work it takes to become a good golfer. Non-golfers tend to think that just because golf looks easy, that it must be easy. Then they try it and learn otherwise.

"The only thing in my bag that works is the bug spray."

In My Bag:
Big Bertha 454 Titanium (10º)
Big Bertha Fairway Woods Ping G2 HL (Black Dot) Ping M/B (56º & 52º) Mizuno MP-R Series (60º) Odyssey Black Series i #7
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I define a sport as anything that involves competition (i.e. there is a winner and a loser) and demands physical skill. By this rationale, chess and poker are NOT sports, but golf is. The one "activity" that I'm on the fence about is auto racing. I mean, is it physical skill? Hand eye coordination? Is it a brain related skill to be good at driving a car? I can't decide.

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Town of Colonie (69.7-70.1, 119-125)

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Hey guys,

That is the weirdest thing, me and my friend have the exact same debate. Neither of us budge and its been going on for years. He says golf should be classified as a "hobby"

I tell him its a sport because, theres a professional leauge, pro players, theres salaries, sponsors and professional tournaments. Just like any other sport. Its watched by millions on T.V. It is a sport, why would they have a hobby on T.V?
In My Bag

Driver: Sasquatch 460 9.5°
3 Wood: Laser 3 Wood 15°
5 Wood: r7 19° (Stiff)Irons: S58 Irons 4-PW Orange DotWedge: Harmonized 60°Wedge: Z TP 54°Putter: Tiffany 34"Balls: Pro V1 Shoes: Adidas Tour 360 IIThe Meadows Golf Coursewww.themeadowsgc.comAge: 16
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The problem is where do you draw the line? There are some who say poker is a sport too. Nascar I'm divided on. On one hand you're using an automobile to do all the work so I wouldn't call it a sport, but on the other hand driving a car 200 miles per hour in very tight conditions does require a great deal of concentration, and even some athleticism. Those body suits get real hot from what I am told.

This is the official definition of a sport from dictionary.com:

1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

So by that definition, not only is golf a sport, but so is Nascar.
"The only thing in my bag that works is the bug spray."

In My Bag:
Big Bertha 454 Titanium (10º)
Big Bertha Fairway Woods Ping G2 HL (Black Dot) Ping M/B (56º & 52º) Mizuno MP-R Series (60º) Odyssey Black Series i #7
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You could argue that baseball's hitting motion is more difficult than golf since the ball is moving, but you don't get any extra points for hitting the baseball into a hole in the outfield scarcely bigger than the ball itself, so the precision component is similar in difficulty, if completely different in composition.
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I think people are looking at out of shape golfers like lumpy and JD and saying it's not athletic if they can do it. Basically those guys are obese and have high body fat. Body fat in itself doesn't make it so you aren't able to use your body, but it does make it harder. People swing using the body they have and I think some guys get worried about their golf swing if they change their bodyweight. That will have an effect on timing, rhythm etc. Not saying JD is his size because he's worried he'll lose his edge but some guys may hesitate to get all lean. Being lean and muscular doesn't guarantee you'll be a good golfer in fact it has less of an impact on golf results than a person would expect. Don't get me wrong, fitness helps. My point is that golf isn't a game that burns huge amounts of calories, and it doesn't demand physical strength like some sports. It does demand good flexiblity and great hand eye coordination, mental skills, fine motors skills and combines all of those elements under pressure. IMO golf is one of the most difficult sports to play well. Don't discount it just because you can be fat and still play well. I have said to my buddies that I think JD has more raw talent than anybody who's played but he's a mess and doesn't practice at all, so for him to even make the cut anywhere is amazing.

Swing = Stacked and On Plane when possible.
In My Bag:
Driver: Ping G5 9° Alidila NV 75g Stiff
3-Wood: Nike SQ 15° Diamana Stiff (Stock)
Irons: NIKE FORGED SPLIT CAVIY (S300)Wedges: Taylormade RAC Fe2O3 (Rust) 52°/56°/60°Putter: Titleist/Cameron Newport 1.5Ball: Looking for a new...

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Exactly. Ever seen a offensve lineman in the NFL? They typically look a whole lot like John Daly, so does that mean football players aren't athletes now? People that point to Daly as an example of golf not being a sport are misguided.
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  • Administrator
C'mon guys, I said this already: we just had this discussion: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7289

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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Yes! Golfer are athletics.
HiBore XL Tour 10.5* Fujikura Speeder 652 Tour Spec X-Flex
HiBore 15* FW Aldila 70-S "Proto By You"
Hibore 2i Aldila 80-S "Proto By you"
MP-67 3-pw *Project X 6.0
MP-R Black Nickel wedges 52*-7 56*-10 60*-5 *Project X 6.0 GM2 Exchange #6 Staff Bag
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  • 1 year later...
I consider sports as anything competitive that is governed by pre-determined rules, with a defined beginning and end, clear system of advancement/progress in the said activity (as in points to determine the winner), and physical movement as one of the main expressions.

Yes, golf is considered a sport to me.

I understand the frivolousness of the question, I'm just asking to hear what people have to say. So let me state that this is a silly inquiry so we don't need to have 20 posts going back and forth arguing the validity of the question.

Driver:  R11S 10.5°, Fairway Woods:  909 F2 15.5°, Hybrid:  G10 21°

Irons:  Tour Preferred MC 4-P, Wedges:  Vokey SM 52.08, 56.10, 60.04

Putter:  Tei3 Newport II / Circa 62 #3, Ball:  Pro V1X / NXT Tour

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  • Administrator
I consider sports as anything competitive that is governed by pre-determined rules, with a defined beginning and end, clear system of advancement/progress in the said activity (as in points to determine the winner), and physical movement as one of the main expressions.

Yes.

Also, I believe golfers are athletes (even the fat ones - they're just "unfit" athletes ). I also believe that golf is a game (not all sports are games). Your definition of "sport" leaves out auto racing, I believe. And hunting and fishing. I wouldn't call any of those people "athletes" (though I realize you must be in good shape to race a sports car).

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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Golf is a sport.

Whats in my :sunmountain: C-130 cart bag?

Woods: :mizuno: JPX 850 9.5*, :mizuno: JPX 850 15*, :mizuno: JPX-850 19*, :mizuno: JPX Fli-Hi #4, :mizuno: JPX 800 Pro 5-PW, :mizuno: MP T-4 50-06, 54-09 58-10, :cleveland: Smart Square Blade and :bridgestone: B330-S

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Golf is a sport. But by my definition, auto racing is also a sport.
My Equipment:
Northwestern 3-, 5-, 7- and 9-wood;
Goldwin AVDP Irons (5-10 plus PW);
U.S. Golf 60 degree wedge;
See-More Putter; Bushnell Yardage Pro 1000 Rangefinder;Golflogix GPS.
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I think a sport is anything that requires physical exertion or unique skill and has official rules and official competitions.

I think golf and auto racing and hunting and fishing are sports.

In my freestyle:
Driver: 10.5* G5 with UST V2
F.W. wood: 16* retro raylor with Aldila HM-40 Tour Gold
Irons: i5 3-pw. Stiff cs lite shafts
Wedges: 8620 51*, 56*, and 60* Putter: classics 1 34""Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne

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Right Iacas, golf is definitely a game... but I don't think it's a sport. I have a hard time qualifying anything you can play in dress pants as a sport.

I work my butt off dancing for even a few minutes, no one has called me an athlete.
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Note: This thread is 2533 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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