So for those people who think I'm suddenly changing the subject, yes I am most definitely thinking about 'being engaged', like I said before, it is and it isn't a big deal, but more thoughts on that at a later date. For now, I was sitting here just pondering why squash players don't get any recognition for being arguably the fittest, most racket gifted athletes in the world. The stereotypical image has stained an absolutely amazing sport, but if we look at another, has managed to bypass this and remain one of the most viewed and participated sports in the world. Yes folks, golf.
Now having worked at a golf club and being good friends with a pro (Mr. Ben Kruze, no not my bro in law...he plays golf like he rides....see the picture from an earlier post...ok enough Rich bashing) I have had a lot of input from the golfers side. To the untrained eye, golf may literally seem a 'walk in the park'. We've all seen the big fat, old, barely alive men stroll round with little metal sticks, hitting a small ball in to a hole in the ground....in a nutshell. This could be backed up with the almost endless amount of cash the top guys earn.....I mean on the PGA tour, take career earnings from tournaments alone....number 886 on the list....yes number 886 (so very average), is Robert Rock who has earned in his career over $100,000!! So this begs the question if it's so damn easy, why aren't we all doing this 'simple' sport?
The answer is simple, if you've never played and see my point of view above, just do one thing: Go down to your local golf course and see if you can hit the ball...harder than you think right? You see, the term 'sport' is: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature...very ambiguous I know.
Now having worked at a golf club and being good friends with a pro (Mr. Ben Kruze, no not my bro in law...he plays golf like he rides....see the picture from an earlier post...ok enough Rich bashing) I have had a lot of input from the golfers side. To the untrained eye, golf may literally seem a 'walk in the park'. We've all seen the big fat, old, barely alive men stroll round with little metal sticks, hitting a small ball in to a hole in the ground....in a nutshell. This could be backed up with the almost endless amount of cash the top guys earn.....I mean on the PGA tour, take career earnings from tournaments alone....number 886 on the list....yes number 886 (so very average), is Robert Rock who has earned in his career over $100,000!! So this begs the question if it's so damn easy, why aren't we all doing this 'simple' sport?
The answer is simple, if you've never played and see my point of view above, just do one thing: Go down to your local golf course and see if you can hit the ball...harder than you think right? You see, the term 'sport' is: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature...very ambiguous I know.
However for those who doubt it is an 'athletic activity' are grossly mistaken: Not only does the actual ball striking use lots of different muscle groups, but if we take an average course length, say 6500 yards (for non professionals), this equates to roughly 3.7 miles (or 5.9km)(remember as the crow flies). How many of you actually walk that far in a week, let alone a day? Realistically the length for us mere mortals will be in the region of 5-6 miles as we tend not to hit the ball straight!
So next time we see some big fat old bloke on the T.V picking up a cheque for a cool mill....don't judge him on the basis that he probably couldn't run a mile in 5 minutes, oh he'll get there, it might take a while, but he'll make it. Judge him based on the golf swing being potentially one of the most dynamic sporting movements our body can do. Golf may not seem a physical sport, but I can tell you this, mentally its up there with the toughest of things....there's more skill involved than eating rice with chopsticks and every shot is different: no the clubs are the same, the ball is the same, but next time it's pissing it down with rain, its cold, miserable and staying inside is the only thing to do, go play golf and tell me how easy it is.
Remember, looks can be deceiving....they may be fat, but they are also very skillful and mentally strong, we can also take Harry P for instance. How good does the cover look, amazing right? But trust me, you will be disappointed.
