What is a sport? Cambridge English Dictionary defines a sport as a game, competition, or similar activity, done for enjoyment or as a job, that takes physical effort and skill and is played or done by following particular rules. This definition defines Golf. Golf has always been believed to be a sport. But ,to some now there is controversy about it actually being a sport. Golf should definitely be considered a sport for the following 3 reasons. First, sports require coordinated muscle use. Second, Golf is has been included in the 1900 and 1904 Olympics and will be included in the 2016 summer Olympics. Third, “Golf athletic scholarships are offered for men at 294 Division 1 schools and for women at 283 Division 1 schools”(ProCon.org)

“The golf swing requires the use of 17 muscle groups in the coordinated movement of the hands, wrists, arms, abdomen, and legs according to a study in the BMJ” (ProCon,org). This movement has to be in synch to hit the ball. There is also a correlation between physical training and improved performance. It used to be that golfers would only train during the season but, now they train and practice year round. Many of the golfers that play are in great shape. They have trainers, nutritionist, and some even have psychologists to talk to to make sure they are able to stay calm and make sure they can handle the pressure. If you focused your training on balance, posture, flexibility, strength, core stability, and cardiovascular training you could majorly improve your game. Most of other sports require these kinds of workouts to improve, what makes golf any different?

Aside from the characteristics, sports agents, sponsors, news reporters have all consistently acknowledged golf as a sport. “Sports agents, sponsors, and sporting goods manufacturers consider golf to be a sport. Nike's website calls golf a ‘great sport"’and makes products to help ‘athletes to perform at their physical and mental peak’ “(Procon.org). “Golfer Tiger Woods is the richest athlete in history and was the first athlete to surpass one billion dollars in career earnings (prize money and endorsements). Woods has many sponsorships in common with athletes from other sports, including Gillette, Rolex, and NetJets. Golfers are often represented by agents from major sports management companies” (Procon.org).

Golf was included in the 1900 and 1904 Olympics and has now been selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for golf to be added to the 2016 summer Olympics. The Olympics is where the best of best athletes come to compete. If golf isn’t a sport, why then, would it be included? Golfers from around the world train hard to compete for the gold.

In any sport you have to practice. To succeed in golf you have to practice a lot. Golfers spend hours upon hours practicing. Golfers hit thousands of golf balls on the practice range working to improve their swing. They also spend a lot of time on the putting green to improve their putting skills. They have swing coaches that help them groove their swing which is a key part of playing. For example, in basketball a player would practice his jump shots in the gym for a few hours, a baseball player would hit numbers of balls in a batting cage and a golfer would go to the practice range and hit balls for a few hours.All take practice to be perfect.

To play golf you have to master it. Fully understanding that it is a game that noone has ever mastered.There are many players that are very good but noone is perfect.Greg Norman once said “golf is not a game of perfect shots it is a game of good misses” When asked how many perfect shots he hits in a round his reply is four or five. If he were to shoot 68 on most courses that would be two or three under par. As you can see perfect shots are not that great a number. You have to learn how to hit shots, where to hit them, what type of club to use, and how to hit it. To do these things you have to practice. Being able to know how to hit shots is an important part of the game.
Every sport requires a certain amount of mind toughness. In many sports being able to succeed is result of quick reactions. In golf that’s not the case. The ball is just sitting there on the ground, you have to think about how you’re going to play that shot. For example, if your hitting a second shot into a green and you feel you’re not able to hit the shot you know should, where is the best place to miss. This will allow you the next best shot to get the ball close to sink the putt. This thought process is a result of knowing your skills and also allowing you to succeed without performing perfectly.

These reasons are examples of why golf is a sport. There is much more to golf than just hitting a ball. You have to have extreme focus, skill, the ability to know where and how you're going to hit the ball, and most important, you have to keep your head, if your mind starts to wander so will your game, that’s where staying focused comes in. 90% of golf is mental. You have to constantly be thinking about the next shot. The next shot is always the one that matters. Another reason golf should be considered a sport is that the golf swing uses 17 different muscle groups in a coordinated motion. Golfers are constantly working out to keep themselves in shape and the muscles strong so that they can always play to their best ability. Golf scholarships are offered for men at 294 Division 1 schools and 283 Division 1 schools for women.

Works Cited
Beresford, Lucy. “Golf and global brands signal rising prospects for the Himalayan kingdom.” Spectator 16 June 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
“Golf May Be Too Polite A Sport For Presidential Politics.” Morning Edition 27 Aug. 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Ott, Bill. “A Passion for Golf: The Best of Golf Writing.” The Booklist 94.19 (1998): 1706. ProQuest. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
ProCon.org. “Is Golf a Sport? ProCon.org.” ProCon.org. 25 Aug. 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
“Tiger Woods: ‘Golf is a lonely sport.’” CNN Wire 8 June 2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.