Is golf really a sport?

[mangeorge]

The only game slower and less eventful is, I think, baseball.
Peace,
mangeorge

[Red_Barchetta]

Is baseball a sport? If so, I think you have your answer.

[mangeorge]

@Red Barchetta

Is baseball a sport? If so, I think you have your answer.

Professional baseball is, for me, questionable.

[Zsofia]

Nah. Golf is a game. It’s a seriously freaking hard game that requires a lot of athleticism.

[Cheesesteak]

While the OP might sound like the basis of a debate, it always ends up in an argument over the definition of the word “sport”. There’s barely even a point to mentioning a particular activity until the exact definition is agreed on, because everyone’s definition is a little bit different.

[SmartAleq]

@Mark Twain

** Golf is a good walk spoiled. **

Hmm, works for me!

I used to caddy, and caddies WORK!

[Boyo_Jim]

Here is the American Heritage definition of sport:

sport (spôrt, sprt) KEY

NOUN:
Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
A particular form of this activity.
An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
An active pastime; recreation.

The same site has a MUCH more extensive definition of “game” that is inclusive of the term “sport”:

game 1 (gm) KEY

NOUN:

An activity providing entertainment or amusement; a pastime: party games; word games.

A competitive activity or sport in which players contend with each other according to a set of rules: the game of basketball; the game of gin rummy.
A single instance of such an activity: We lost the first game.
games An organized athletic program or contest: track-and-field games; took part in the winter games.
A period of competition or challenge: It was too late in the game to change the schedule of the project.

The total number of points required to win a game: One hundred points is game in bridge.
The score accumulated at any given time in a game: The game is now 14 to 12.
The equipment needed for playing certain games: packed the children’s games in the car.
A particular style or manner of playing a game: improved my tennis game with practice.
Informal
An active interest or pursuit, especially one involving competitive engagement or adherence to rules: “the way the system operates, the access game, the turf game, the image game” (Hedrick Smith).
A business or occupation; a line: the insurance game.
An illegal activity; a racket.
Informal
Evasive, trifling, or manipulative behavior: wanted a straight answer, not more of their tiresome games.
A calculated strategy or approach; a scheme: I saw through their game from the very beginning.
Mathematics A model of a competitive situation that identifies interested parties and stipulates rules governing all aspects of the competition, used in game theory to determine the optimal course of action for an interested party.

Wild animals, birds, or fish hunted for food or sport.
The flesh of these animals, eaten as food.

An object of attack, ridicule, or pursuit: The press considered the candidate’s indiscretions to be game.
Mockery; sport: The older children teased and made game of the newcomer.

So I would say yes. Checkers could be a sport – as moving the pieces does constitute physical exertion. Especially jumping.

[mangeorge]

I like Merriam-Webster’s definition much better;
From m-w:

1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION b : sexual play c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in

Mmmm. Sport.

[Monty]

@Zsofia

Nah. Golf is a game. It’s a seriously freaking hard game that requires a lot of athleticism.

Only if you’re the caddie. (Note for the humor-impaired: that’s a joke.)

[RickJay]

@mangeorge

The only game slower and less eventful is, I think, baseball.
Peace,
mangeorge

How is professional football any faster than baseball or golf? Ask yourself:

1. How long does an NFL game take? How much of that time is actually spent playing football?

2. How long does a baseball game take? How much of that time is actually spent playing baseball?

3. How long does it take a golf pro to shoot 18 holes of golf? How much of that time is actually spent playing golf?

I think you will find the football game takes longer than the baseball game and about the same as the golf round, and they all have about the same amount of actual play.

What a dumb question. **Of course ** it’s a sport. A sport, broadly (but best) defined, is a contest of physical skill. If you don’t think golf requires skill, try it sometime.

[mangeorge]

@RickJay

How is professional football any faster than baseball or golf? Ask yourself:

1. How long does an NFL game take? How much of that time is actually spent playing football?

2. How long does a baseball game take? How much of that time is actually spent playing baseball?

3. How long does it take a golf pro to shoot 18 holes of golf? How much of that time is actually spent playing golf?

I think you will find the football game takes longer than the baseball game and about the same as the golf round, and they all have about the same amount of actual play.

What a dumb question. **Of course ** it’s a sport. A sport, broadly (but best) defined, is a contest of physical skill. If you don’t think golf requires skill, try it sometime.

Aha! A baseball fan.
A couple games I’d hold up as sport? How 'bout (get it, “bout”) basketball, or soccer. Definitely tennis. Marathons? Boxing, but that one’s barbaric.
I’ll not retort for the “dumb” crack, here in MPSIMS. Where we don’t ask actual questions as much as we just throw stuff out there for casual discussion.

[Dangerosa]

@RickJay

What a dumb question. **Of course ** it’s a sport. A sport, broadly (but best) defined, is a contest of physical skill. If you don’t think golf requires skill, try it sometime.

And if you don’t think its physical, try it in 100 degree heat with a bad back.

[mangeorge]

@Dangerosa

And if you don’t think its physical, try it in 100 degree heat with a bad back.

Good one!

[Boyo_Jim]

@Dangerosa

And if you don’t think its physical, try it in 100 degree heat with a bad back.

OTOH, how much of a sport can it be if you CAN play it in 100 degrees with a bad back?

[Autolycus]

Robin Williams thinks it is

[mangeorge]

That’s the phrase I was looking for, RJ.
Gettin’ old sucks.
Not really.

[Zsofia]

@Boyo Jim

OTOH, how much of a sport can it be if you CAN play it in 100 degrees with a bad back?

Well, you CAN play baseball in 100 degree weather with a bad back. You’d just suck at it. Plenty of people suck at golf; nobody watches them on TV.

[EllisDee]

@RickJay

I think you will find the football game takes longer than the baseball game and about the same as the golf round, and they all have about the same amount of actual play.

I’ve noticed for a while now that you have an odd definition of action. You seem to think that 22 guys going full bore is equivalent to a single guy hitting a ball with a stick. Time is not synonymous with action. Multiply the total amount of action time by the number of players actually doing something and football has an order of magnitude more action than baseball. Golf? Virtually no action even compared to baseball.

As for the OP, I do not consider golf a sport because there is no defense. I’d classify it as a competition, like weightlifting and cheerleading.

[Tripler]

No, it is not. :mad:

Tripler
Allow me to modify: hell no.

[Boyo_Jim]

@Ellis Dee

I’ve noticed for a while now that you have an odd definition of action. You seem to think that 22 guys going full bore is equivalent to a single guy hitting a ball with a stick. Time is not synonymous with action. Multiply the total amount of action time by the number of players actually doing something and football has an order of magnitude more action than baseball. Golf? Virtually no action even compared to baseball.

As for the OP, I do not consider golf a sport because there is no defense. I’d classify it as a competition, like weightlifting and cheerleading.

No defense? that would make virtually all track and field, swimming, skiing, etc., not sports. I don’t think that works, but of course YMMV.