OP-Ed; Why Golf is a sport

Word count: 677

The game of golf. Known as a gentleman's game;but is it a real sport? What is the
definition of a sport? According to Webster's dictionary the true definition of a sport is,
“ Physical activity engaged in for pleasure.”

When the terms “ Sports “ come to mind, people think baseball ,football, basketball,
soccer etc. People view sports as a physical activity that is demanding on the body and
requires much attention to detail. Offering a deep sense of competition and intensity.
People look for sport to include the idea of defense and offense to be a reason on why
an activity should be considered a sport. Giving one team or group the opportunity to
score or gain an advantage over the other is known to divide the idea of a sport.

When the world of sports has grown to what it is today, the development of sports
through history has varied to incorporate many factors into what is real or not. The
creation and development of the game of golf has more than proven itself to be more
than a game, but that of a sport. Golf’s high intensity, attention to detail, and expert
physicality are just a few ways this sport brings its own sense of competition to the field.

Although golf isn't played at one set of fields, the PGA tour for example has a yearly
travel schedule allowing for players to qualify and compete in 47 tournaments. Here
each player must compete against one another in head to head scoring with the goal to
score the lowest they can in order to qualify and play each day. For a tournament style
tournament players compete for four days playing four days of golf if they continue
qualifying for each respective day.

Players within the PGA tour will often play 20-30 tournaments. Each tournament starts
with roughly 130 players. After two days the top players and those who make the cut will
compete the following two days for spots against one another. These players each play
on the same course with the same hole placement rain or shine. These players play
with ambition and drive each tournament to compete and beat the biggest names there.

When it comes to winning the tournaments, players who shoot the lowest scores will
ultimately win. Each tournament has a take home purse ranging for millions. These
players spend hours on end a day traveling and practicing to work on their craft and
develop their mental toughness for entering situations of frustration and turmoil within
their rounds.
Players on the PGA tour have to come to each tournament and practice day with a clear
mind ready to compete. The sheer mental game this sport has while you are competing
is almost as demanding as the physical aspects. Golf requires a certain skill set when it
comes to micro managing the thoughts in your head as well as the mechanics that
follow. Maintaining the fundamentals of golf mechanics while keeping a clear mind is
needed for the top players in the world.

Being a top player in the world has its challenges. Players of any caliber that come to
compete are no stranger to injury. Golf is not a direct dangerous sport, offering head to
head physical harm potentially caused by another competitor. This sport is one of long
term, personal break,tear,strain, and rupture. Golfers often suffer from issues in their
shoulders,back,hips,arms, and wrists. Although there are always outliers, injury is prone
in all sports.

The sheer physical, and mental toughness for the game of golf are two of many reasons
as to why golf is a sport. The growth of the sport and realization of the physically
demanding nature it has while keeping your mental toughness on high alert will lead to
the sports continuous growth in the industry.

Jeffrey Schneider, Cal State Fullerton Public Relations student