Is golf a sport?

[Dulax31]

Is golf a sport? I think it belongs in the same category as a game, compared to pool, darts, or bowling.

[Adam G]

At the PGA level, how could it not be a sport? It takes as much physical prowess/mental focus to play competitive golf as it does to play any other professional sport (obviously not speaking from experience, but I'd have to assume as much). I can't imagine what a workout regimen for a PBA bowler would be...

At the highest level, hell yeah it's a sport. At the weekend warrior, after work, cocktails-on-the-course level, it's a great game.

[jessexy]

by definition of a sport, according to many textbooks within Health and Kinesiolgy, golf is defined as a game.

a sport is defined at an athletic event that has a sense of competition, skill, and physical activity

but it was often debated in my classes because of the physical activity part of it. the definition of physical activity doesnt include walking unless it raises the heart rate of a certain level. then the golfers in the class would talk about having to carry their bags around for 36 holes (which collegiate golfers do during tournaments). But pro golfers walk slowly and dont carry their bags, so we got into big arguments about that.

on Dictionary.com, it mentions golf in the definition of sport.

[sohotrightnow]

Any sport in which your level of play increases by drinking alcohol, is not a "sport." I think golf fits into this category.

[LaxRef]

Is "XXX" a sport is an age-old debate in which most of the participants start by deciding what they think should or should not be sports and then set about trying to define sport to include the "correct" activities and exclude the "incorrect" ones.

There is no universally-accepted definition, and there never will be, because the participants in this debate all have wildly different objective functions.

For me, a sport needs to have some element of muscular strength or aerobic endurance, plus a competitive nature. Coordination and dexterity may be involved, but is not enough. It must also have some objective measure of the winner, with the winner not being determined solely by judges rating performances.

Thus, to me, running, swimming, lacrosse, wrestling, speed skating, football, and weightlifting are sports, while figure skating, gymnastics, car racing, chess, and furniture moving are not.

I will say that figure skating and gymnastics are athletic activities, but—again, to me—they are not sports by my definition because they are judged.

By my definition, I have to grudgingly call golf a sport, since strength/power are key in making that ball fly so far.

[Matt_Gardiner]

So is boxing a sport if you win by KO, but not a sport if you win by TKO? I like the explanation, but was curious where you would put boxing.

[BOWSER]

I like to ask" is there applied defense?"

So golf and bolwing would not be sports because you can not use defensive strategy on your opponent.

You can't apply defense in golf or bowling.

That is my take.

[sohotrightnow]

I like to ask" is there applied defense?"

So golf and bolwing would not be sports because you can not use defensive strategy on your opponent.

You can't apply defense in golf or bowling.

That is my take.

By your definition, neither is the NBA.

[LaxRef]

So is boxing a sport if you win by KO, but not a sport if you win by TKO? I like the explanation, but was curious where you would put boxing.

When I say "judged," I mostly mean, "Hmm, that's nice, I'll give it a 9.3." I realize it's more complicated than that, but it is extraordinarily subjective.

In pro boxing, it is kind of like that. However, in Olympic boxing, it is more along the lines of deciding whether a goal has been scored since they judge each punch (I believe 3 out of 5 judges need to press a button within a certain time interval for a punch to count).

So, Olympic boxing would be a sport by my "definition," but pro boxing would not.

Also, there's the biting of the ears.

Anyway, I'm not claiming to have "the answer," since there is none, but I think for me my definition gives a good working idea of what I consider to be a sport.

[LaxRef]

I like to ask" is there applied defense?"

So golf and bolwing would not be sports because you can not use defensive strategy on your opponent.

You can't apply defense in golf or bowling.

That is my take.

That is an interesting component. But using that definition to exclude activities as sports gets rid of things like competitive swimming, triathlon, downhill skiing, speedskating (long track), time-trial and track cycling, weightlifting, crew, and many others. You may mean to exclude some of these, but probably not all.

And defense can't be a sufficient condition, because otherwise you need to include chess and corportate takeovers.

[KnoxVegas]

I don't care either way, as long as people keep playing and more importantly, watching golf on say, I don't know The Golf Channel, then I am fine with it.

Golf is an integral part of the business world and gives millions joy. I want to personally thank those Scottish farmers of yore who have brought us the wonderful gift to humanity that golf truly is (excluding the clubs that ban minorities).

[JW]

I think Golf is a sport...

1. Consider the length that you have to walk to play 18 holes (over 5000 yards approximately).
2. It takes strength and coordination
3. And if you have ever played Golf in August in Texas, you sweat just as much as you would playing lacrosse in February.

[JW]

Any sport in which your level of play increases by drinking alcohol, is not a "sport." I think golf fits into this category.

Obviously someone who hasn't played Golf,

Men's Club Lacrosse,

Or Beer League Softball

[yourmom]

Any sport in which your level of play increases by drinking alcohol, is not a "sport." I think golf fits into this category.

Obviously someone who hasn't played Golf,

Men's Club Lacrosse,

Or Beer League Softball

Are you sure? I think it depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. Consider that after 1 or 2 I think my game gets better (seriously), but after that well lets just say the scorecard must of blown off while driving from one hole to the next.

[Dawson]

I would consider boxing a sport, because although it does have judges, you have the ability to knock out the opponent and win out-right. That is a key element there.

Golf is most certainly a sport, especially at the PGA level, however I do not consider figure skating/gymnastics a sport. It is a competition. Although they may boast "athletes", they are not a sport. In my definition of a sport, you need to be able to somehow control the outcome of a match by a specific action, not the opinions of others which can be swayed.

Curious, where does NASCAR and racing fit? I would have to say it is infact a sport.