I used to have a personal website, where I had a section for my thoughts and opinions. The website's gone, but I still have some of the writings. So thought I'd put them here and give my current take on whatever I was talking about: in this case, it's golf.
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Why Golf isn't a Sport (May '03)
Interestingly enough, the definition of a sport is much more detailed than most people think. That's why sport channels show things like spelling bees (and to a lesser extent, dog shows or horse back riding/racing) -- because one of the components of a sport is the strategy required and the psychological stress that one is put through. That is why chess is considered a sport; same goes for darts, or billiards, or golf.
So yes, golf is a sport in the same way that chess, darts, or billiards are sports as well. However, a game where the professional "athletes" have other people carry their golf bags, and ride around in over-sized go-karts rather than walk that short distance from one hole to the next, is definitely not in the same league as truly physically, as well as pscyhologically, stressing sports such as basketball, tennis, hockey, badminton, etc., etc. Even marathon walking is more of a sport in that respect, than golf. The only reason why golf is so popular in our media (other than Mr. Woods) as compared to the other sports that lack the physical component of a sport, is because golf is a popular past-time among the quasi-omnipotent, middle-aged businessman, who want to still believe that they're still athletes. The people who control the media (also mostly quasi-omnipotent, middle-aged businessmen), pick up on this, and start sending out the message, "hey, fellow out-of-shape businessmen, don't bother taking up an actual sport, you can still be 'young, and athletic' by playing golf..." with their media vessels. Being in the businessman's nature to take the route most effortless, he chooses golf over a sport that would actually get them in better shape. And then the snowball starts to roll: tournaments, golf memberships, golf equipment, merchandise -- money, money, money. It's all about the all-mighty dollar. Why do you think golf is such an expensive sport? If it were popular among the poor, do you think a single golf club would charge as much as they do? Although, if it were popular among the poor, the concept of golf "clubs" would be non-existent.
Am I saying that the only people that play golf are quasi-omnipotent, middle-aged, white collar workers? Definitely not. What I am saying is that without them, golf would not be where it is today.
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Haha, it sure seemed like I was picking up some steam near the end of the second paragraph, :)
My general belief that golf is a sport in the same league as pool or darts, hasn't changed: the actual game, compared to other sports, is not very physically demanding. But it can be fun, challenging, and rewarding -- just like all other sports. I personally enjoy going to the driving range, it provides a good vessel for stress relief.
I also stick by my guns about the demographic that has boosted the game to the level of popularity it's at. But I also concede that a lot of it's popularity (roughly in the past decade) has also be due to a younger generation, who have had younger golf stars to look up to.
So what am I saying? Basically that my thoughts about golf have been roughly the same, what's changed is that I've realized that there are bigger issues to direct my sense of injustice towards.
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