Golfing Is Golf A Game Than A Sport

What exactly determines whether or not an activity is a sport? The term sport is defined by The Free Dictionary as: A physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively, an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of

Regardless of what other pro athletes view on the game are, golf is a very competitive and highly paid sport. Tournaments are held at different times of the year in different parts of the world by hundreds of pro golfers. These tournaments can have prize money of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sports have been apart of society since the beginning of written history. Sports have also been separated in genders for centuries due to the physical and mental uniqueness of both genders. People take pride in sports. In some families and to communities sports are imbedded in their social infrastructure; it is very important to their identities. Sports are very tradition based seasonal, rules, and even attire. This has made rituals in sports very easy to pass down from generation to generation. Even though times and society has changed rules, traditions, and conservative individuals have not. There is one particular case in the world of golf that illustrates this point perfectly.

A sport is an activity that has specific rules and has a winner. The main goal of a sport is to win. The characteristics of a sport is that there must be competition against yourself or someone else. There has to be a possibility that

The definition of a sport is as follows, “Noun; an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.”. I would argue that colorguard, an activity in which one spins flags, weapons, batons, and props with the marching band, should be considered a sport (Dictionary.com).

So that begs the question, what is a sport? Is it using a ball or scoring goals or running and kicking? Is it competing against others with the aim of winning a trophy, ribbon, or money? If a so-called sport does not include those things, does that make it not a sport? Here is my criteria for a sport: if it is in the Olympics, it is a sport.

By definition, NASCAR is a sport, but the definition is pretty vague. According to Joon Song, his criteria for a sport is this:

The definition of a sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Many people question whether or not marching band is a sport. Although some people may think it is nothing like a sport, many other people do consider it one. Marching band should be considered a sport because you need both physical and mental strength and skills.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, sport means an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. (Strand, Brad, and Christa Sommer. "Should Marching Band Be Allowed to Replace Physical Education Credits: An Analysis." The Physical Educator 62.3 (2005): 164. Academic OneFile. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.)By society the definition of a sport certain activities like golfing, football, or chess is categorized into these pastimes. Now, there is an activity that uses all aspects of this sporting definition, but many do not consider this a sport. Marching Band is reflected as a sport; however this is controversial in the eyes of many. Standards of sports have changed; the Marching band is a sport and is challenged by being only called a performing art. Therefore PE classes still have to be taken, because high schools do not consider is as a sport. (Strand, Brad, and Christa Sommer. "Should Marching Band Be Allowed to Replace Physical Education Credits: An Analysis." The Physical Educator 62.3 (2005): 164. Academic OneFile. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.) Marching band can be defined as a sport because it can be used for entertainment purposes, it contains skills in which a team competes against another, and it involves a great deal of physical exertion. Although compared to the amusing aspects of marching band, the competing and physical exertion outweighs the evidence for recreation.

One of the activities on the list that I thought was the furthest thing from a sport was Pigeon Racing. Even though I believed Pigeon racing to have incorporated many of the key components of a sport such as competition, a governing bodies, benefits, and strategy; it fails to meet the other requirements. One requirement that is not met is maintaining a certain level of physical and mental activity. In this particular sport the performer is completely dependent upon the pigeon to compete. By doing so this completely removes an athlete from the sport and eliminates any human chance in affecting the overall outcome. Instead of a sport I would categorize this as a recreational activity that is fun to watch and be involved in. I believe that an activity that relies solely on an animal performance cannot be considered to be a true sport.

When people here the word ‘golf’ they often correlate it with a misleading sense of boring, elderly men and women who have nothing better to do. Believe it or not, there is a broader reason why so many retirees indulge in the golf lifestyle. Yes, golf is a lifestyle, not just a sport. Many people, most of whom know absolutely nothing about the sport, do not realize that playing golf regularly can add five years to their life span and also have many other well-being-related benefits (“Health” par. 5). Golf is a great therapeutic activity because it teaches good etiquette, it enriches the mind, and it provides for a healthy lifestyle.

Yet, many people object the physical exertion aspect with golf, that it does not require any. These objectors who say golf should not be included in that defined group are ignorant to athletics and its regulations. My definition of a sport is a competition that involves athletes who play to win within a certain structure of rules and regulations. Anyone can be an athlete; they do not have to be good to play a sport, as long as they try with some effort. A sport requires certain qualities of an individual too that it can not be without.

Is dance a sport? A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment, dance is just that, but others consider it an art or even just a halftime show. Dance teams in high schools do not get funded as much as other sports and they get very little to no recognition at school or even on big sports channels. Dance meets the requirements to even be an Olympic sport. Dance should be considered a sport as much as other athletics.

Arnold Palmer said it best. “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect.” The straightforward yet difficult facet has always drawn me to the sport. Golf has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and I love all aspects about it: the competitiveness, the focus required, the life lessons, and the bonding it can create. The game of golf is my passion.

A sport is defined as an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. Competitive. Competition is a rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser. Something to argue would be if a competition could legitimately be considered a sport. The word ‘compete’ is in the definition of sport after all. So, should eSports, or Electronic Sports, be considered a sport?