Is Golf a Sport or a Game?

[verse214]

this should end the discussion:

Sport:
Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

thanks to an online dictionary

[Mr Eagle]

Good enough for me 214

[Prodigy]

if the person who plays it determins the out come then i belive it is a sport

[PiKapp23]

Here's an interesting article about golf as sport or hobby that is from a study that was done by the Rose Center for Health and Sports Sciences in Denver:

http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/...868330,00.html

Among the interesting findings include the topics of walking vs. cart and carrying vs. caddy vs. push cart and how these relate to calories burned and scoring. Of course the study only included 8 golfers, but it's still interesting...

[denver_nuggs_15]

If you can smoke a cigar and drink beer, then it's not a sport.

[rangerat]

Great question, good article. This is an ongoing debate I have with some of my buddies. I say that golf is a sport but I will qualify that by saying that I think it depends on how you approach golf. For myself, I walk, practice a lot, and even my off course workouts are golf centered. For the guys who ride in a cart, play infrequently, drink, smoke cigars or any combination of the aforementioned, it my not qualify as a sport. I'm not bashing these people I'm just seeing the two approaches to the game as the difference between a sport and an activity.

PS- PiKapp23, great avatar... I looked into it and found the golfpirate web site. I may have to order some shirts with that logo!!!

[Three Putt]

I like to refer to golf as a "Sporting game of skill", besides the athletic aspect of the power game off the tee. For the most part, golf is 100% feel and decision making.

[Big_M]

If you can smoke a cigar and drink beer, then it's not a sport.

then baseball and fishing surely must not be sports either...

if you look up "sport" it has several meanings and some definitions would include such things as chess and darts as sport while other would restrict it to more physical activities. I would suggest that the golf swing IS an athletic move, and it cannot be done as well while consuming alcohol... of course 1-2 might not have a drastic effect, but I bet I could play hockey or soccer (not that I would play soccer) after 1-2 beers as well... so the beer thing is really not a valid point.

[slick999]

yes golf is a sport, you need coordination to compete for sure

[jermzkill]

if you walk the course it's sport ... if you use a cart it isnt ... i get so dam tired after walking 18 lol!

[bogeyhitter25]

Hundred's of thousands of people make a living off of golf. Therefore, it must be a sport.

[PEZGolf]

Here's an interesting article about golf as sport or hobby that is from a study that was done by the Rose Center for Health and Sports Sciences in Denver:

Good article, and thanks for posting it. I always carry my own clubs, in practice and in tournaments. If forced to "share" a cart in a charity tournament, I will put my clubs on the vehicle and walk. Naturally, I explain my intent to my playing partner so that he or she knows about it ahead of time. Everyone is fine with it. I wish a scientiest could "wire" us up at my home course. It is Holland Heights in Herkimer, NY. It is a severe walking test. The distance from the 4th green to the 5th tee is approximately 350 yards, and only the first 60 yards is flat, with the rest going not only uphill, but severely uphill. The worst then lies ahead. The 5th hole is all uphill to the highest point on the course, with a spectacular view, extending 60 miles! There are only about 3 of us who are physically capable of walking the course and carrying our bags. I am 60 years old and the oldest of the Terrific Three. To be prepared for the walking test, I play basketball and work out during the winter months. Even so, the first two or three times walking the course in the spring leaves me a little short of breath. However, I enjoy the challenge, and know that it helps me stay in shape.

[denver_nuggs_15]

Hundred's of thousands of people make a living off of golf. Therefore, it must be a sport.

Hundreds of thousands of people make a living off of accounting. Therefore, it must be a sport. Good point.

then baseball and fishing surely must not be sports either... if you look up "sport" it has several meanings and some definitions would include such things as chess and darts as sport while other would restrict it to more physical activities. I would suggest that the golf swing IS an athletic move, and it cannot be done as well while consuming alcohol... of course 1-2 might not have a drastic effect, but I bet I could play hockey or soccer (not that I would play soccer) after 1-2 beers as well... so the beer thing is really not a valid point.

In golf, though, you can drink a beer and smoke WHILE on the course...WHILE PLAYING! In tennis, football, soccer, hockey, etc. it is impossible to do this while on the court/field.

I actually looked up sport. "Such an activity requiring more or less vigorous bodily exertion and carried on according to some traditional form or set of rules." Golf has a set of rules. But does it require VIGOROUS BODILY EXERTION? I think not...regardless of your level of competition.

[Fourputt]

This is just a PITA discussion. You will never change the minds of those elitists who say it isn't a sport, and so why bother? Golf is a sport but they just can't accept that. A game does NOT have to be a strenuous athletic endeavor to qualify as a sport. One definition of sport is that it's an organized competition. Almost every time I play it's a competition of some sort even if it's just within my group.

Is duck hunting a sport? Sitting in a blind all day waiting for some birds to fly by? Yes it is because it has always been called such. Hunting is a sport regardless of the physical exertion involved. It takes training, practice and skill to hit a moving target with a shotgun. It also takes training, practice and skill... hand, eye and muscular coordination to hit a golf ball and make it go where you want it to. It makes absolutely no difference if one can drink beer and smoke a cigar while doing so. I know a lot of guys who do the same thing playing softball.... guess that isn't a sport either.

But in the end, this is just a wasted conversation because nobody is going to change their mind anyway.

[mapa94]

You will never change the minds of those elitists who say it isn't a sport, and so why bother? Golf is a sport but they just can't accept that. A game does NOT have to be a strenuous athletic endeavor to qualify as a sport.

I agree 100%. Golf is a sport AND a hobby.

People can argue that baseball, football, boxing and basketball aren't sports by citing out of shape players such as John Kruk, Babe Ruth, Miguel Cabrera , Sebastian Janikowski, 90 % of offensive linemen, George Foreman, and Shaq.

[cstorms]

anyone notice that poker is shown on espn? now that shouldn't qualify as a sport

[DaveLeeNC]

If you can smoke a cigar and drink beer, then it's not a sport.

This is from back in my serious running days. I (vaguely) knew a guy who was a good distance runner and, when marathon training, would do multiple 4 miles loops that started/ended at his house. At each "turn" he'd drink a beer with the goal of finishing a 6-pack. That's what I heard, anyway. dave ps. No cigars as far as I know.

[denver_nuggs_15]

This is just a PITA discussion. You will never change the minds of those elitists who say it isn't a sport, and so why bother? Golf is a sport but they just can't accept that. A game does NOT have to be a strenuous athletic endeavor to qualify as a sport. One definition of sport is that it's an organized competition. Almost every time I play it's a competition of some sort even if it's just within my group.

Does chess require strenuous activity? No. Does it take training, practice and skill? Yes. Is it a sport? No. Same thing for golf.

Why would I not accept golf being a sport? I like the game.

Yes it is because it has always been called such.

That would be called a misnomer.

I agree 100%. Golf is a sport AND a hobby. People can argue that baseball, football, boxing and basketball aren't sports by citing out of shape players such as John Kruk, Babe Ruth, Miguel Cabrera , Sebastian Janikowski, 90 % of offensive linemen, George Foreman, and Shaq.

Really? Football, boxing, and basketball aren't sports? Football is the most strenuous sport in the USA. Offensive linemen are stronger and quicker than you, me, and everyone else on this forum. They may not be FAST, but they can sprint 10-20 yards faster than most people on earth. I dare you to try to box with a pro. They train for months for one fight. They do thousands of crunches, pushups, etc. Have you ever seen the movie "Rocky?" What Stallone does is just a fraction of what real boxers do. Plus George Foreman is retired. If he were out of shape when he boxed, he would have died. And basketball not being a sport...I can't even figure that one out. Have you seen those guys? And you're little tidbit about saying Shaq is out of shape...He's fat NOT out of shape. He runs, jumps, and scrambles for 10 minutes at a time with some of the best athletes on the planet...Give it a try.

We need to make a new category for golf. 50% sport/50% game. Kinda like NASCAR and some other things.