Golf is Not a Sport
As most everyone knows, the most prestigious Golf Tournament known as ‘The Masters’ is played in Augusta, Georgia. So obviously that’s where the connection lies.
I have people ask me all of the time, have I ever been to The Masters. My answer is unwaveringly, “Never have, never will”. Though, I have considered scalping tickets to the Masters.
In my humble opinion, the Masters Golf Tournament does nothing but draw crowds of rich people and wannabe rich people to Augusta. It’s the week of the year when locals try to dodge the heavy traffic, and restaurants are virtually impossible to dine in. I could go on and on, but the simple point is that I could care less about the biggest ‘sporting event’ that features my hometown.
I guess it would be equivalent to a person from Indianapolis saying that they could care less about following the Indianapolis 500.
But my opinion on Golf is simple. I hate it! I think it is the biggest waste of time! And to be honest, I personally do not consider Golf as a sport. It’s more of a hobby. I would categorize Golf with Chess and Horseshoes.
A sport is when you actually work up a sweat, and unless you are playing Golf in ninety degree weather, you are not likely to break a sweat by swinging a club. I mean, you don’t even have to walk from hole-to-hole, you are provided with a Golf Cart.
I will admit, it does take precision to actually be proficient at Golf, but it also takes precision to be proficient at Darts. Does anyone consider Darts a real sport? No, it’s something you do with your buddies while drinking at a bar.
Golf is more of a lifestyle- the country clubs, the Polo shirts, and expensive khakis. A majority (not all) of the men and women who play Golf play it because of the image they feel they portray while playing, instead of actual love for the game. It’s an image thing, a fad, especially in Georgia.
Pro Golf Players
Tiger Woods has been one of the most recognized figures in sports for nearly a decade. There is no denying that Tiger Woods is great at Golf, and many analysts consider him as the greatest Golf player. What I do question is if Tiger Woods is actually an athlete.
What boggles my mind is that Tiger Woods has been named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year three times since 1997. Annika Sorenstam has won the female Athlete of the Year for the last three years. I have a hard time with that.
And if I am correct, a race car driver has never won that prestigious award. And driving a race car for four-plus hours takes much more skill and precision than swinging a club at a little white ball aiming for eighteen little holes on perfect green grass that costs thousands on thousands of dollars to maintain.
Michael Jordan was an athlete. Lance Armstrong is an athlete. Heck, even Barry Bonds is an athlete, but not Tiger Woods. He is a guy that is great at Golf, a simple hobby. If a Golfer can win Athlete of the Year, then why can’t a Bowler, or a Poker player?
