Argumentative Essay: Is Golf A Sport?

In the upcoming summer 2020 Olympics billions of people across the world will be watching competitive rock climbing. During the summer X-Games, there will be proclaimed professional athletes competing in eSports, a revolutionary new form of competitive video gaming. Even chess-boxing, a sport that contains a combination of chess and boxing, will make its way into many major sporting competitions. Every year new underground sports find their way into becoming a considerable part of mainstream conventional sports. Although many traditional sport fans refuse to consider unique and niche sports legitimate, sports can be defined on a wide spectrum of required physical or mental skills.

The oxford dictionary defines a sport as “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” Therefore, no matter how contemporary a sport may be, if it meets the definition requirements, it is

considered legitimate in its field. While some sports require a great deal of physical exercise, many substitute mental power. Traditionally, sports are only thought of in physical aspects. However, it would be inaccurate to dismiss a sport for lacking physical or mental demands. Angela Gleason, a professor at Yale University, expressed in a seminar that, “Sport is our greatest expression of attaining or witnessing bodily excellence. Bodily excellence moves us the way beauty moves us.” Gleason explains that the competition of sports and witnessing beauty of excellence is something that makes us proud to be human. Whether it is chess-boxing, competitive rock-climbing, or eSports gaming, sports display a sense of community who appreciate and are moved by competition.
Several sport fans argue the controversy of golf’s legitimacy as a sport.

Similar to other nontraditional sports, golf is undoughtably a slower paced game compared to mainstream sports and may often be viewed as not entertaining to watch. Skeptics of golf’s legitimacy argue that it is more appropriate to be described as a “game” rather than a “sport” because its ability to be played by unathletic individuals. Skeptics will go as far to explain that professional golfers are not athletes because golf does not require rigorous physical activity. This is concluded based on biased opinions and oversight on the true definition of what is required of a sport. Skeptics fail to see that golf, an Olympic event, has its own unique challenges. Although golf may not be as physically demanding as other sports, to reject its challenges and legitimacy is inaccurate. Golf requires physical and mental training that lead to improved performance. The same principles are applied to all traditional and contemporary sports

alike.
Furthermore, a sport brings individuals together. Sports have a competitive way of building a community, teamed based or individual competitions, communities form an unparalleled support system. Sports hold more meaning than a game that determines a winner. The UN webpage for sport and peace demonstrate, “Sport as a universal language can be a powerful tool to promote peace, tolerance and understanding by bringing people together across boundaries, cultures and religions.” This is exemplified every four years when countries from around the world come together for the World Cup Championship. Regardless of differences and international disputes, millions of people place their difference aside and unite in a common cause to support their team. This is just one example of the power behind sport communities to create a support system and strengthen relationships.
All in all, sports are unique and can exhibit several distinct features. When defining a sport, broad thinking should be implemented as characteristics can vary in physical and mental capability. The only requirement for a sports legitimacy is its ability to meet the defining definition. While physical sports are traditional and are widely accepted, unorthodox sports, such as chess boxing, are gaining popularity and are being welcomed into the competitive sport world. All sports push the human mind and are expressions of the strength of the human body. Regardless of physical exertion, sports are legitimate in their challenges and craft. Sport’s expand their impact beyond athletes by creating a supportive community. Sport communities demonstrate their impact and influence sports on countries around the world. The impact sports exhibit expand beyond a competitive game and define sports as a world influencer.