Is golf a sport?

[BrisVegas]

I'm sure most of you have been challenged by a non-golfer to justify why golf can claim to be a sport.

I'm interested to hear arguments for and against calling golf a sport.  

In golf's defence I tend to point out other sports that don't involve much physical exertion, like archery, shooting, curling etc.  Surely golf is as much a sport as them and they are all in the Olympics.  I think golf is a test of physical skill, as much as any other sport.  It is also a game whch can be played against an opposition, like sailing for instance.

Is a game the same thing as a sport.  A game tests not only your ability to master your physical skill, but you mental toughness when dueling with an opponent.

Note:  The people who usually criticise golf have been, in my experience, unskilled at golf and like to diminish the game by pointing out the non-athletes like Parry, Daly, Laura Davies etc..

[andylo]

no. to me its a game. Like chess

[BrisVegas]

..but a computer can play chess andy... There's no physical skill to chess, it's purely strategic.

[andylo]

Actually I think I need to eleborate a bit. To get very good in golf you need to do a lot of sports and trainning. To make it more complicate you also need to have some sort of mental adjustment (AndyP and his Dr Bob).

But to me when you playing a round of golf the things you doing from start to end of 18 holes is hardly identify as sport.

Acutally come to think of it... is the word sport = game?

i.e. Commonwealth Games -> do all the "sports" stuff

[andylo]

..but a computer can play chess andy...  There's no physical skill to chess, it's purely strategic.

Computer can play golf too. If you put some wheels on a swingbot ;)

[AndyP]

sport: activity for pleasure, competition, or exercise.

If you count the walking as exercise, golf fits all three.

[McMw]

game....

have u ever heard anyone say "let's have a sport of golf???"

[markTHEblake]

since when did golf fit into pleasure?

[andylo]

since when did golf fit into pleasure?

Since your home course cart girls are HOT.... sorry threadjacked :p

[AndyP]

game....

have u ever heard anyone say "let's have a sport of golf???"
That's stoopid. Noone says "let's have a sport of" anything. Does this mean there are no sports?

Sport is a subset of Game, so every sport is a game, but not every game is a sport, for example, chess.
game: amusement or pastime.

[McMw]

thank you....thank you very much.... :lol: :lol: :lol:

[BrisVegas]

That's stoopid.  Noone says "let's have a sport of" anything.  Does this mean there are no sports?

Sport is a subset of Game, so every sport is a game, but not every game is a sport, for example, chess.
game: amusement or pastime.

I agree with you AndyP. Where are these definitions coming from?

I just had this discussion at work and he reckoned that it's not a sport unless your heart rate gets elevated.... :roll: He also did not consider archery, shooting, curling etc. to be sports on that basis....

[Jarro]

it's a sport

[BrisVegas]

like baseball, hey Jarro. 8)

[AndyP]

Where are these definitions coming from?
Collins Pocket English Dictionary (1996)

A few different definitions here though: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sport

[markTHEblake]

anybody who puts up this arguement is in denial about something, or trying to justify his own weaknesses - ie lack of intelligence.

for example, a big boofhead rugby league front rower who is not too smart, would be likely to say Golf isnt a sport, and thats probably cos he cant understand it, nor can he count.

[Fishman Dan]

Sport involves sweating. So therefore, the following activities are sports;

Golf, cricket, lying on the beach, eating, and sex.

Well *I* raise a sweat anyway!

[andylo]

....... and sex.

Well *I* raise a sweat anyway!

Before or after? :lol:

[Jarro]

Well *I* raise a sweat anyway!

that's probably because you're on your own at the time Fish :P

[andylo]

Well *I* raise a sweat anyway!

that's probably because you're on your own at the time Fish  :P

WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!! :lol:

[Fishman Dan]

Well *I* raise a sweat anyway!

that's probably because you're on your own at the time Fish  :P

Nononono, i'm always thinking of you Jarro... or should i say.. Jar-Ho ;) :smt055





















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[Jarro]

well that certainly has put me off my lunch :shock:

[McMw]

Where are these definitions coming from?
Collins Pocket English Dictionary (1996)

A few different definitions here though: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sport



you posted the link - you should have looked up golf...

A game played on a large outdoor course with a series of 9 or 18 holes spaced far apart, the object being to propel a small, hard ball with the use of various clubs into each hole with as few strokes as possible.

[AndyP]

If you have a point, I've missed it.

[McMw]

no point... just a fact... :lol:


personally...I think it's a sport....but seriously...who really cares??? :shock:

[Andrew]

Some sports require you to be an athlete. Other sports only require you to be a sportsperson.

'Funky' Miller, when he was playing cricket for Australia, would always say he was a sportsperson, not an athlete. I think the same goes for Parry, Daly & Davies.

The problem with the athlete versus sportsperson argument is whether a sport requiring a greater level of athleticism more of a sport than a sport that requires less. Therefore Tennis would be more of a sport than golf; marathon running more of a sport than Tennis; Ironman Triathalon more of a sport than Marathon running, etc. Of course, this becomes a ridiculous argument.

How about looking at the question from another angle:
Are sports that require little hand /eye coordination really a sport? An English guy I know (Steve Jones) held the Marathon world record for a few years in the late 80's, yet could not hit a ball to save his life & could barely catch, yet was a brilliant runner.

[Fishman Dan]

How about looking at the question from another angle:
Are sports that require little hand /eye coordination really a sport? An English guy I know (Steve Jones) held the Marathon world record for a few years in the late 80's, yet could not hit a ball to save his life & could barely catch, yet was a brilliant runner.

He was probably a good runner because he couldn't kick or catch ;)

[Andrew]

Probably true, Dan, but what makes Marathon running a sport & running from a Grizzly bear not a sport.

[990B Luva]

because if you dont get away from the grizzly he will eat u :lol:

[Fishman Dan]

because if you dont get away from the grizzly he will eat u :lol:

Spot on. Childs play really.

If only we could talk to the animals - perhaps homosapien consumption is a sport for grizzly's?

I don't agree that running itself is a 'sport'. It's more of a silly pasttime desgined for those with greater lung capacity. I'll happily run as part of a sport, but i don't rate it as a "sport".

[terryand]

If sport is raising the heart rate and sweating, then golf must just be a sport on the days we're silly enough to venture out when it hits the mid to high 30's :smt010

Terry.