Golf A Sport?

[T R U]

You are wrong. Check a dictionary.

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

 

End of discussion.

 

You're wrong because its my f***ing opinion.

 

End of discussion.

[witesoxfan]

I'm with TRU. Golf and bowling are definitely not sports.

 

 

Bowling is a hobby or activity, but I can argue that WALKING 18 holes and trying to physically and mentally be consistent hitting a golf ball where you want it to go is most definitely a sport.

 

Not that I'm about to start this, but I imagine you two have never bowled in a very competitive league. I have bowled 15 games in a day before. Even in good bowling shape, it's hard to bowl much more than 9 games - and remember that I've bowled all of 15 - PBA bowlers have to roll somewhere around 40-60 games in a week - averaging 230+ over that time period, mind you - just simply trying to qualify to make money. You go try and tell Pete Weber or Walter Ray Williams that bowling isn't a sport, and I guarantee you that they laugh at you and then go out and throw a 250, doubling you up. There is muscle memory involved, just as there is in baseball, basketball, golf, and I imagine even football too, especially if you are a QB.

 

There are athletic and sporting aspects of every game and sport on this planet, and what people feel make them a sport or a game will continually distinguish what is a sport and what's a game in their minds, and those opinions won't be changed.

Edited November 30, 2009 by witesoxfan

[NorthSideSox72]

Sport denotes competition - that is to say, an individual or team is trying to accomplish something against someone else, and its not known ahead of time if it will happen. Those are the two key factors to something being a sport.

 

In golf, you compete against other golfers in a physical game - its a sport. Bowling, same thing. Fishing and hunting, well, I think that gets fuzzy, but maybe.

 

Pro wrestling, obviously, is not a sport, because the outcome is pre-determined. It is more accurately categorized with, say, a musical, or a stage play, or a concert. Its a skilled performance, but not a sport.

 

As to "athlete", I think all the above fit the description, except maybe fishing/hunting. They all require difficult phyiscal feats, and require they elite ones to be able to do special things athletically that others cannot.

[southsider2k5]

You're wrong because its my f***ing opinion.

 

End of discussion.

 

Except you have essentially listed nothing that explained your opinion.

[CrimsonWeltall]

Except you have essentially listed nothing that explained your opinion.

 

I don't think there's really a pure dividing line between "sport" and "game". People tend to push the activities which require more athleticism and physical exertion into the sport category, and golf rates pretty damn low in those areas.

[NorthSideSox72]

I don't think there's really a pure dividing line between "sport" and "game". People tend to push the activities which require more athleticism and physical exertion into the sport category, and golf rates pretty damn low in those areas.

Its pretty simple to me - any "game" that requires both specialized physical activity AND competition with someone else, is a sport.

 

[CrimsonWeltall]

Its pretty simple to me - any "game" that requires both specialized physical activity AND competition with someone else, is a sport.

 

Cheerleading? Ice dancing? Videogames? Jenga? Hungry Hungry Hippos?

[southsider2k5]

I don't think there's really a pure dividing line between "sport" and "game". People tend to push the activities which require more athleticism and physical exertion into the sport category, and golf rates pretty damn low in those areas.

 

Tiger Woods laughs in your face.

 

http://munfitnessblog.com/how-to-swing-lik...inally-exposed/

 

After 31-year-old Tiger Woods won his 13th major at Southern Hills in August 2007, he said this, “Other guys have gotten tired. You see their shoulders slumping and dragging. I feel fine. You should always train hard and bust your butt. Not everyone considers golf a sport and they don’t treat it as such. They paid the price.”

 

This championship in Oklahoma had the hottest conditions in major championship history, with temperatures reaching 39 degree Celsius during the final round. At least 264 people were treated for heat exhaustion. The ability to stay focus for the 4-day tournament was paramount. Woods believes that his renowned fitness has given him an edge in golf’s biggest events.

 

Yes, Woods’ effort working out at gym differentiates himself from others. Therefore, many amateur golfer wants to learn about his workout. They all think that it must be some special program that is never been done before. To make things more mysterious, Woods never talked about his gym workout openly. It was one part of his very public life that he kept private for many years. However, in Men’s Fitness July 2007 edition, he finally shared with us.

 

 

Even after being a father, Tiger Woods actually still finds time for workouts at gym as many as six days a week. His trainer, Keith Kleven, disclosed that Tiger Woods has gained about 30 pounds of muscles for the past 10 years. In 1996, Woods was 6-foot-2 and 158 pounds. He tried to gain weight, but his father told him that family history suggested he would not be able to do so. Even Woods continued to lift weights, results were not obvious. However, the change occurred about the time he won the career Grand Slam in 2000 at age of 24. He was delighted that he finally felt strong and all his hard work has paid off.

 

 

Tiger Woods’ workout regimen at gym:

1) Cardiovascular warm-up exercise (30 minutes) including treadmill, stair stepper or bike.

 

2) Total body stretching focusing on the muscles of the legs and trunk. A trainer assists him with physical therapy to help his body to prepare the joints for the rigors of swinging a golf club.

 

 

3) Core exercises (focusing in posture and balance)

These exercises are performed to strengthen the muscles that stabilize his body. Core training involves keeping the torso in place while taking his limbs through different movements. This workout helps to improve the muscles of the abdomen and back. These muscles are the key muscles needed for the twisting the body withstands during the golf swing. For example, Woods may sit on the medicine ball and perform dumbbell curl while trying to maintain his balance on the ball. He may also anchors long rubber bands to fixed positions and performs movements similar to the golf swing.

 

4) Endurance runs of seven miles (11 kilometers) and speed runs of three miles (five kilometers)

 

5) Weight training

Now, this is the most interesting part. On high-intensity days, he lifts 80 percent of his maximum weight doing exercises such as the bench press, the shoulder press and squats.

 

Keith Kleven did not disclose how much weight Woods is doing, but rumor said that Woods was bench pressing about 300 pounds (about 136 kilogram). Many doubt so. Yes, I do not think that he ever did that. Even if he does, he should not do it often. That load would put his shoulder joint at the risk of getting injured. Not a risk he is willing to take that might ruin his career.

 

 

Tiger Woods trains with weight machines, free weights, dumbbells and medicine balls. However, what Woods does differently from a typical weight lifter is that he tries to perform various exercises in movements and positions that mimic the golf swing. He works on his golf posture and grip strength by lifting dumbbells. Since the golf swing is a very dynamic movement, I suspect that most of Woods’ exercises are done that way and not just sitting doing isolation exercise for individual muscles.

 

Tiger Woods said that he does not have any ego in the gym. He believes that it is important to listen to his body when comes to pushing weight. Therefore, he never hurt himself by taking too much load. It is no surprise that he opts for high repetitions with smaller weights. These workouts include leg-press (with machine) and biceps-curl (with machine too) nowadays.

 

 

5) Cool down

Woods stretches again to cool down.

[NorthSideSox72]

Cheerleading? Ice dancing? Videogames? Jenga? Hungry Hungry Hippos?

--If done at a competition, then I suppose so, yes.

 

--Same deal as Cheerleading, ice skating/dancing competitively is a sport.

 

--Videogames have no significant athletic activity nor require any athletic skill, so no. this also applies to your last two.

 

[CrimsonWeltall]

Tiger Woods laughs in your face.

 

While it's nice that Tiger Woods is very athletic - he doesn't *need* to be for golf.

 

[southsider2k5]

While it's nice that Tiger Woods is very athletic - he doesn't *need* to be for golf.

 

It means he is more of an athlete than pretty much everyone who isn't getting paid to be an athlete, yet still thinks they are on this message board.

[CrimsonWeltall]

--If done at a competition, then I suppose so, yes.

 

--Same deal as Cheerleading, ice skating/dancing competitively is a sport.

 

--Videogames have no significant athletic activity nor require any athletic skill, so no. this also applies to your last two.

 

Billiards? Darts?

 

Videogames get no credit for hand dexterity or hand-eye coordination? How about videogames with more-than-hands physicality like Rock Band or DDR?

[CrimsonWeltall]

It means he is more of an athlete than pretty much everyone who isn't getting paid to be an athlete, yet still thinks they are on this message board.

 

Like who? I certainly haven't implied that about myself.

 

I simply place golf lower on the sports/games scale than some other people do.

[NorthSideSox72]

Billiards? Darts?

 

Videogames get no credit for hand dexterity or hand-eye coordination? How about videogames with more-than-hands physicality like Rock Band or DDR?

Billiards and darts, yes.

 

Videogames are not real physical presence in a sport - its using a computer. Not a sport, IMO.

 

Obviously, by the way, there are going to be corner cases where there is an argument. Golf is not one of those, in my view.

 

[The Beast]

I'm with TRU. Golf and bowling are definitely not sports.

Neither is cheerleading.

[CrimsonWeltall]

Billiards and darts, yes.

 

Videogames are not real physical presence in a sport - its using a computer. Not a sport, IMO.

 

Obviously, by the way, there are going to be corner cases where there is an argument. Golf is not one of those, in my view.

 

Agree to disagree!

[The Critic]

My own personal qualification is that there has to be someone trying to prevent you from achieving the offensive objective.

No defense = no sport.

 

 

[The Bones]

You're wrong because its my f***ing opinion.

 

End of discussion.

 

Great retort.

 

You could also have the opinion that the earth was flat and you would still be wrong.

 

The definition of a sport is a "physical activity engaged in for pleasure" or "a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in". Also, it makes no mention of anyone having to play defense or stop someone from reaching their objective. Therefore, golf is a sport.

[CrimsonWeltall]

The definition of a sport is a "physical activity engaged in for pleasure" or "a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in". Also, it makes no mention of anyone having to play defense or stop someone from reaching their objective. Therefore, golf is a sport.

 

That definition is so general it could include virtually anything, like sex, hula-hooping, or ballroom dancing.

 

[The Bones]

That definition is so general it could include virtually anything, like sex

 

You might be onto something here. Competitive sex. I think that would get some pretty good ratings.

[CanOfCorn]

Not going to get into an argument here, but here are my qualifications:

 

A clear and definitive winner and loser by points, time, goals, what have you. Anything subjective, like gymnastics, ice skating/dancing, diving...not a sport. Athletic activity, yes.

 

There are exceptions though, poker, clear winner, not a sport.

[T R U]

Great retort.

 

I gave you that response because you are saying that I am not allowed to have an opinion on this..

 

And come on southsider, I have given plenty to back up my feelings on this.. and from most of the responses in this thread everyone has their own idea of what they consider a sport or not.. or who is an athlete or not..

[T R U]

Not that I'm about to start this, but I imagine you two have never bowled in a very competitive league.

 

I used to bowl in a league a few years back..

 

If I don't bowl in a while, and then go bowl three games, I feel like my arm is going to fall off afterwards for the next few days..

[kapkomet]

Pro wrastlin' isn't a sport, either. It's all acting. Just sayin'.

 

[T R U]

Pro wrastlin' isn't a sport, either. It's all acting. Just sayin'.

 

Its entertainment, which is clearly stated in its name..

 

No one said wrestling was a sport in here anyways..