Golf: Waste of time or path to enlightenment?

[kage69]

Yeah.

I'm not going to fault him for being heavy there, but the cigarette is pretty fucking stupid. I don't care how great nicotine feels, it's not worth what it does to your eyes, sense of taste and erectile health (to say nothing of the heart disease and cancer risks). Some people just don't appreciate oxygen.

 

[dasherHampton]

Golf is a sport, just not an aerobic one. Like baseball.

There are plenty of fat baseball players.

 

[WelshBloke]

Golf is a sport, just not an aerobic one.

A game then.

 

[dasherHampton]

You know, I'm fine with calling golf an "athletic game".

But take one look at Brooks Koepka and tell me that's not an athlete.

 

[Muse]

Quite true. See Kevin James, Vincent D'Onofrio.

Or Pablo Sandoval.

 

[WelshBloke]

You know, I'm fine with calling golf an "athletic game".

But take one look at Brooks Koepka and tell me that's not an athlete.

The point is that you dont have to be an athlete to be good at golf, hell you dont need to be fit at all!

 

[Muse]

You know, I'm fine with calling golf an "athletic game".

But take one look at Brooks Koepka and tell me that's not an athlete.

And you look at Tiger, once in full manhood, he had the frame of an athlete and you know he got that in the gym. You can say the same for the great majority of highly muscled athletes in so many sports. The athlete who is muscled without working out in the gym exists, but is very much the exception. The best golfers nowadays almost all work out in the gym. Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson work out together all the time. They even do it on game days, before they get on the course.

 

[Muse]

The point is that you dont have to be an athlete to be good at golf, hell you dont need to be fit at all!

Fool, you don't have to be fit to be athletic. Did that ever occur to you? And plenty of fit people aren't athletic in the least. And nobody who isn't athletic can compete effectively with the best golfers. Athleticism is a big part of being great at golf by today's standards.

 

[WelshBloke]

Fool, you don't have to be fit to be athletic.

OK. Do you want to define what the word "athletic" means to you? Because to me it certainly involves an amount of physical prowess.

 

[lxskllr]

OK. Do you want to define what the word "athletic" means to you? Because to me it certainly involves an amount of physical prowess.

From French athlétique and Latin āthlēticus, from Ancient Greek ἀθλητικός (athlētikós, “relating to an athlete”), from ἀθλητής (athlētḗs, “athlete”): equivalent to athlete +‎ -ic. For more, see athlete.

...

Adjective

athletic (comparative more athletic, superlative most athletic)

(not comparable) Having to do with athletes.

Are you a member of the American Athletic Association?

Physically active.

Since you're such an athletic person, you may wish to consider joining.

Having a muscular, well developed body, being in shape.

You have such an athletic build—you must work out regularly.

An attribute of a motion or play which requires fine physical ability.

The center fielder made an athletic play to snatch the ball from over the fence.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/athletic

 

[Red Squirrel]

lol yeah I would not call golf an athletic sport. Being athletic may very well help with proper swing technique and such, but it's more a game of skill than athleticism.

It's kind of like pool or darts, you don't really need to be all that fit to play those games either. Being fit will of course help, as it will help with anything, but it's not really a requirement as far as how good you'll be at it. They are more games of skill. Like how well can you throw the dart or how well you can plan your shots in pool etc.

 

[highland145]

Golf is a sport, just not an aerobic one. Like baseball.

There are plenty of fat baseball players.

Ha, paint dries faster than action on a baseball field.

 

[BUTCH1]

I don't need an excuse to go for a walk or drink beer all afternoon!

And if I'm going for a walk in the country I'm going to find some better scenery than a golf course! Ideally it's going to involve walking between drinking and eating establishments!

And golfs a game not a sport. That's why you see sso many fat old people playing it! Like darts or snooker!

WTF! Necro!

I would disagree, go and walk a course like Augusta National, I did, (as a spectator of course), it's about 5 miles up and down very hilly terrain. Your legs will let you know by the end of the day and the pros will do this 5-6 times on consecutive days during a tournament.

 

[BUTCH1]

They should have golf courses where there are no carts.

Then have golf courses that have carts but with off road tires and dirt roads that you can take jumps and do burn outs in.

Both could allow and provide alcohol. I feel they would both have different levels of entertainment. The first one is if you just want to play Golf.

Huh?, golf carts run around $5,000-8,000 and you want people to go "trail riding" in them and do jumps and burn outs?, just go to a damm go-cart track or buy a dirt bike. Feeding people alcohol and telling them to have fun abusing golf carts doing things they were not designed to do is not very smart.

 

[looper]

If I had a child and was thinking of a quality sport to get her/him involved with, it would be tennis or golf. In terms of exercise/fitness, tennis by far.

 

[snoopy7548]

On the surface golf is really stupid and a massive waste of land (it doesn't help that seeminly only old rich white assholes play), but it's actually pretty calming and fun. I haven't played since high school but it was a lot of fun when I did.

 

[lxskllr]

I would disagree, go and walk a course like Augusta National, I did, (as a spectator of course), it's about 5 miles up and down very hilly terrain. Your legs will let you know by the end of the day and the pros will do this 5-6 times on consecutive days during a tournament.

Sounds like a day that ends in "y" to me. Worst case is I do it all with 100# of gear. Typically, most of it is with 10# around my waist, and another 10# in my hand. I'm an athlete!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Huh?, golf carts run around $5,000-8,000 and you want people to go "trail riding" in them and do jumps and burn outs?, just go to a damm go-cart track or buy a dirt bike. Feeding people alcohol and telling them to have fun abusing golf carts doing things they were not designed to do is not very smart.

You would use off road rated golf carts of course.

Actually I kinda want to see that now, 4x4 lifted golf cart with big mud tires. I'm sure it's been done.

 

[WelshBloke]

I would disagree, go and walk a course like Augusta National, I did, (as a spectator of course), it's about 5 miles up and down very hilly terrain. Your legs will let you know by the end of the day and the pros will do this 5-6 times on consecutive days during a tournament.

Not being rude but a 5 mile walk is ah heck all! My mum's in her 90s and she walks that to the shops and back!

 

[dasherHampton]

A town I lived in for a while was also home to a national champion dart thrower (is that what you call them?). He was a tall African American guy, at least 6'4" or 6'5". I believe his name was Bill Gay, but I don't remember for sure. It's been a while.

Sometimes he'd come into a bar we'd frequent and play against the locals (and wipe the floor with them). Watching him throw darts was breathtaking. We usually played Cricket but hardcore guys play count up pretty much exclusively. He threw faster than you could see, on a completely straight line and hit triple twenty almost every time. If he missed it was by the slightest of margins.

That guy was a "physical" dart player if I've ever seen one.

Fun note - a national champion Foosball player was a regular at the bar as well. He was a great guy; taught us many things about how to play at a high level.

 

[BUTCH1]

Not being rude but a 5 mile walk is ****************** all! My mum's in her 90s and she walks that to the shops and back!

I highly doubt it's 5 miles and this was up and down very hilly terrain. I was 52 at the time and my legs let me know it. I've never had a sit-down job in my life either.

 

[WelshBloke]

I highly doubt it's 5 miles and this was up and down very hilly terrain. I was 52 at the time and my legs let me know it. I've never had a sit-down job in my life either.

Well my mum lives in Wales so it's pretty hilly.

 

[Muse]

lol yeah I would not call golf an athletic sport. Being athletic may very well help with proper swing technique and such, but it's more a game of skill than athleticism.

It's kind of like pool or darts, you don't really need to be all that fit to play those games either. Being fit will of course help, as it will help with anything, but it's not really a requirement as far as how good you'll be at it. They are more games of skill. Like how well can you throw the dart or how well you can plan your shots in pool etc.

To be competitive with the best golfers athleticism is a big factor, particularly on difficult courses that are long and have major hazard issues. Even on easier courses, athleticism is helpful.

What is athletic is something of a semantic issue. Personally, I feel that physical coordination, eye-hand coordination is part of it, as well as strength, flexibility, cardio is fundamental too. If you don't have those things you will suck at golf, period. If you just lack the strength, you can be good, very good. I was told of a golfer who was probably in his 70's and could virtually play par. He'd hit his tee shots less than 200 yards but straight and had a great short game. However, I'd call that guy athletic, definitely. Just not real strong. But he was doing this on my home course, where top level golfers would have bested him by 1/2 dozen strokes.

 

[Muse]

If I had a child and was thinking of a quality sport to get her/him involved with, it would be tennis or golf. In terms of exercise/fitness, tennis by far.

My first athletic love was tennis. Then golf and basketball. Golf is the most fascinating, variable. Well, I forgot bowling, but bowling is the least variable, I gave it up as a waste of time. A few years ago I got into it again, haven't played in a few years. Bought a new ball then, had my best game ever (242), then just stopped because my shoes hurt my feet!

 

[highland145]

I would disagree, go and walk a course like Augusta National, I did, (as a spectator of course), it's about 5 miles up and down very hilly terrain. Your legs will let you know by the end of the day and the pros will do this 5-6 times on consecutive days during a tournament.

I didn't make it much past the beer garden and the bathrooms and my legs were a bit wobbly at the end of the day too.