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Are golfers really athletes?

Posted by newblogmogul • 7/23/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: athletes, fisherman, Golf, jockeys, racing, sports

This can also be applied to race car driving, fisherman and jockeys. Golf is more of a game and skill than it is a sport.

User Comments

7/23/09

dbowles1017

They each take a level of fitness, but I don't consider any of the mentioned a sport.

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7/23/09

trailofpen

If you don't consider golfers athletes, then position baseball players shouldn't be considered athletes either. Being stationary for 70% of the game does not qualify someone as an athlete in my book.

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7/23/09

Rory

Have you seen Tiger's body lately? Holy crap, there's one fit athlete. I mention this because sometimes they can be expected to play 26 holes of golf. Swinging the club hundreds of times and walking almost 10 miles.

This may not seem like much, but watch those who aren't in shape struggle ... there is athleticism required. Maybe not as much as a tennis player or hockey player, but still some.

Now professional Dart players ... NOW you're talking athletes!!

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1. 8/11/09
  
  newblogmogul
  
  I agree with you about golf but the professional darts, LOL.
7/23/09

cookingasshole

uh...yes

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7/23/09

Ussoccerthoughts

Um no they are not. Tiger may be an athlete but golf is not a sport. None of those are sports. They are all skills as mentioned above. Golf can be tiring but that does not make it a sport. Jon Daly smoke and drank all the time while playing although John Kruk did the same thing. Granted, Baseball is barely a sport.

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8/11/09

singaporecaddy

??? Don't all games require "skill"?

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1. 8/11/09
  
  newblogmogul
  
  Yea all games require skills, but some athletes lack the skill to called an athlete.
8/11/09

Floormodel

is poker a sport?

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1. 8/11/09
  
  newblogmogul
  
  Poker is a sport that does require each player to have the ability to know when to hold em and when to fold em.
8/11/09

dsriharsha

dont add race car driving in the mix..
Formula 1 drivers are one of the fittest sportsmen on the planet.. what with speeds of over 300 KMPH, G forces to the range of 5G's at corners, extreme heats in the cockpit and them losing around 4 kg body weight every race.

If you have ever driven Karts, you know how physically demanding throwing around the kart at high speeds round the corners can be

Golf? meh

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1. 8/12/09
  
  newblogmogul
  
  Whats the matter wit golf? you can't just show up to the course and swing any type of club an expect to win.
8/12/09

Jaybetee

Definitely athletes.

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1. 8/12/09
  
  cookingasshole
  
  See? Told you guys!
8/13/09

Hayseed

SPORT: an athletic activity requiring skill and or physical prowess, often with a competitive nature.

So, by that definition golf is definitely a sport. Any golfer will tell you that golf requires muscle memory. Muscle memory separates the consistently good players from the duffers, and the only way to acquire it is by practice. Lots of it. Just consider the similarities between a person's efforts to develop muscle memory and efforts to develop strength, stamina or speed in other sports.

PS: No...I hate golf. I fish. It's more than a sport .. it's a way of life.

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1. 8/15/09
  
  newblogmogul
  
  I dig dat, to each its own.
8/15/09

Rainhat

I think so, yes.

But horse racing? Meh... The horse is the athlete, it's doing all the work. The jockey is just a freeloader.

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7 days ago

lmfoong

Sport requires self discipline, focus, fitness and stamina. Golf is a game that need all the attributes mentioned. Lack of any end up a bad game

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7 days ago

alivasim

Its defintly a sport....but athletes..i dont think so...can they run 5 kms at one shot??? ok 1 km atleast...chess is a sport, but cant be called as athlete...

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