GOLF

If you have developed a good, consistent swing, and can consistently make good contact with the ball (did I mention consistency?), then, yes it's pretty easy to do (though it takes a while to learn control)

I think I'm a better golf teacher than player.

-- droxford

 

This talk about golf not being a sport is complete crap.

Sure, you can show pictures of fat golfers sitting on their butt. Or smoking. Or you can find golfers who work out furiously to take their game to the next level.

While one baseball player is at bat, the rest of his team is sitting on their asses chewing tobacco. Does that make it any less of a sport? What kind of perfect physical condition does a man have to be in to drive in Nascar? Does that make it any less of a sport? What about horseracing? Hell, any kind of racing?

If you don't think there's anything physical to golf, you should know that the players walk the course (about 7200 yards) four days in a row during a tournament. On their days off, they do it all over again during practice. Then, they get to fly a thousand miles to another course in another state and another time zone, wake up and do it all over again. And while they're doing this, they have to shoot a great game of golf.

There are ways in which golf is actually BETTER than most other pro sports:

• Golf is an honorable game, with the overwhelming majority of players being honorable people who don't need referees.
• Golfers don't have some of their players in jail every week.
• Golfers don't kick dirt on, or throw bottles at, other people.
• Pro golfers are compensated in direct proportion to how well they play.
• Golfers don't get per diem and two seats on a charter flight when they travel between tournaments
• Golfers don't hold out for more money, or demand new contracts, because of another player's deal.
• Pro Golfers don't demand that the taxpayers pay for the courses on which they play.
• When golfers make a mistake, nobody is there to cover for them or back them up.
• The PGA Tour raises more money for charity in one year than the National Football League does in two.
• You can watch the best golfers in the world up close, at any tournament, including the majors, all day, every day for $25 or $30. The cost for a seat in the nosebleed section at the Super Bowl will cost around $300 or more.
• You can bring a picnic lunch to the tournament golf course, watch the best in the world and not spend a small fortune on food and drink. Try that at one of the taxpayer funded baseball or football stadia.
• In golf you cannot fail 70% of the time and make $9 million a season, like the best baseball hitters (.300 batting average) do.
• Golf doesn't change its rules to attract Fans.
• Golfers have to adapt to an entirely new playing area each week.
• Golfers keep their clothes on while they are being interviewed.
• Golf doesn't have free agency.
• Ladies are welcome players.
• Tiger Woods can hit a golf ball three times as far as Barry Bonds can hit a baseball.

Still not convinced? Then you obviously don't realize how much of golf is a mental game. How much control you must have of your swing. How to to hit the ball to certain strategic positions to set up the next shot. How to avoid hazards and trouble. How to defeat the elements. How to defeat your competitors. How to overcome adversity. How to pick yourself up. How to cool yourself down. How to believe in yourself and your abilities.

And if that's not enough, golf is the only sport where all different types of people can play and compete. Seniors... Kids... Women... Men... A 12-year-old can drive a ball 250 yards. A man with one leg can or an 80-year-old can make a birdie. A blind man can make a hole in one. And with golf's score handicapping system, golfers of different skill levels can compete against each other. I could play against Tiger Woods, and after adjusting our scores with our handicaps, I could possible beat him.

If you were to realize all of these truths, you would realize that golf is not only sport, is quite possibly the best sport.

-- droxford

 

Blah Blah Blah ~ golf is a game.

 

Sounds like a normal weekend at the mall for my wife.

 

I agree with you, but you're not helping your case.

If you are being propelled by wheels propelled by an engine or the legs of another animal, you are not racing for sport.

 

There's about a bazillion Nascar and Horseracing fans that will disagree with you.

-- droxford

 

I like Mizuno.

I hit mine 350 yards on about 4 or 5 occasions (haven't done that in about 2 years now, though).

 

If we used John Kruk and Cecil Fielder as examples then baseball's not a sport...

 

Taylor Made 3 series - but I don't own one. Just wish I did. A friend let me borrow one and.. man, I hit 'em long and straight. loved it.

Expensive club, though.

-- droxford

 

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1. Do you not see a cigarette in that man's mouth?
2. In golf, the ball is STILL before you hit it. i.e. not moving.
3. You walk around in golf. No running.
4. There is absolutely zero physical exertion in golf.
5. In baseball, it is rare to have players that are out of shape. In golf, it is commonplace.

 

Actually, Kruk was on ESPN radio not to long ago talking about how he would smoke in the tunnel in between innings.

There is no doubt, that Golf involves physical exertion IMO, even if its not as much as other mainstream sports. If you walk 18 holes, thats the equivilant of 4 miles. They swing a club, full force around 50 times a round.

Even back in my early 20s, when I was in shape, and played basketball 3 times a week, I found myself worn out after a day of playiing 18-36 holes.

 

Funny thing tho', all althletes play golf for the most part, and none of them are good at it. None. Make of it what you will.

 

I think you’ve almost convinced me. How can I argue with the supreme athletic individuals of the sport. The one legged man, the 12 year old kid, 80 year old grandpa, and last but not least, the blind man. All joking aside, this is the reason that people like me do not think that golf is a sport, or an athletic endeavor. An 80-year-old man would not even think about playing football or rugby. The blind man would not even attempt to play basketball. Although there were times when Yao was completely open on a pick n roll and I thought Francis was blind. Anyway, as fun and challenging as golf is look at the condition of the average pro golfer. Most of them have less muscle size than the average man on the street.

 

Originally posted by codell
Actually, Kruk was on ESPN radio not to long ago talking about how he would smoke in the tunnel in between innings.

There is no doubt, that Golf involves physical exertion IMO, even if its not as much as other mainstream sports. If you walk 18 holes, thats the equivilant of 4 miles. They swing a club, full force around 50 times a round.

That's if you walk down the middle of the fairway, and if the greens were on top of the next tee boxes. It's really more like 6-7 miles. In a 4-day tournament, you have 1 day pro-am and 1 or 2 days before to play the course. Probably walk one's 200 or so pounds about 35-40 miles each week.


Even back in my early 20s, when I was in shape, and played basketball 3 times a week, I found myself worn out after a day of playiing 18-36 holes.

Agreed. In college, I was fencing, in a weightlifting class, gymnastics, running 6.5 miles per day, and had 6% body fat. The last fews holes you're often searching for a second wind. And often would nap after golfing.

 

I once heard a story about a 70-something ex-boxer was getting mugged. He knocked his assailants out.

At whatever age, to play golf very well takes extraordinary coordination, flexibility, timing, and mental control. That doesn't mean that everyone couldn't hit a few decent shots, just like I've seen 12-year olds hit a basket from half-court.

Does Golf require the level of muscle mass as football? No, but neither does tennis. So what? And can all of those football players hit 300-yard drives down the center? No way. Does that make golfers better athletes?

Different sports require different strengths. Even different positions require different abilities. Quarterbacks use their brains to read defenses, and some of the best looked pretty wimpy and had such weak legs (or destroyed knees) that they couldn't hobble out of the pocket. So these guys basically used their heads and threw the football far. Less the walking of 30 or 40 miles, how is that much different than a golfer?

 

That's why it's difficult. Sports where you have to react to an event are simpler than a ball that sits there waiting for you.

Don't forget - one mistake can ruin the last 3.9 days of work for a professional golfer.