Why do people hate golf?

[Lacessit]

7 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

His likeness is seen on the cover art for an excellent Devo album. Not much of a golfer. 

I did see some friends show their personalities on the golf course. Some arrogance. Some cheating. I showed my attitude of  - Not into this. Can't be bothered with stuff I don't like.  Prefer other forms of sport myself. 

 

Not much of a golfer, with 8 PGA victories? You set a high bar.

As I said in my OP, golf is a test of character.

I have noticed cheating seems to be much more prevalent in Thailand. In Australia, it was instant ostracism.

 

[Keeps]

10 hours ago, Lacessit said:

We usually bang on about our last round with other golfers. We would not waste that narrative on people who don't understand it.

That's certainly not my experience of a large number of golfers. Often had to listen to them talking through every shot they played, which club they used etc. As many of these were not very good and took an unfeasibly large number of shots to get round, these could sometimes be some very lengthy conversations. 

 

Having worked in the City of London for over 30 years I am not just talking about a few people. Golf was probably the most popular "corporate day" for many. They would then bang on about it in the office the following day for probably longer than it actually took them to complete their round. 

 

I personally much preferred a day at the cricket or horse racing as a corporate "jolly" where it involved having a cold glass of something in your hand rather than a golf club. Each to their own though.

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, Keeps said:

That's certainly not my experience of a large number of golfers. Often had to listen to them talking through every shot they played, which club they used etc. As many of these were not very good and took an unfeasibly large number of shots to get round, these could sometimes be some very lengthy conversations. 

 

Having worked in the City of London for over 30 years I am not just talking about a few people. Golf was probably the most popular "corporate day" for many. They would then bang on about it in the office the following day for probably longer than it actually took them to complete their round. 

 

I personally much preferred a day at the cricket or horse racing as a corporate "jolly" where it involved having a cold glass of something in your hand rather than a golf club. Each to their own though.

IMO you identified the type of golfer who bores non-golfers, i.e. not proficient.

I avoid discussion of golf with non-golfers, except on this thread of course.

I've observed for many people who go to cricket or horse racing, it's an excuse to get plastered.

I still remember a guy who was invited to the Melbourne Grand Prix. He stayed in the hospitality tent all day, the staff had to pour him into a taxi.

[BigStar]

20 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

OTOH, when I used to do runs for cardio exercise, I found them very boring.

 

But you knew how very beneficial it was for your cardiovascular system as exercise. To make it more entertaining, while you ran, you'd have needed to listen to music on a portable MP3 player. The running then becomes a kind of dance. 

 

Note all gyms play music--sometimes annoying music but not always. Basically the same idea for making a task less stressful. Some members of my gym wear, not earbuds, but earphones to entertain themselves with their preferred tunes.

 

I suppose I could try the same technique to alleviate the boredom of golf, but then I might not want to stop listening to concentrate on a shot. :)

 

Overall, I think you just have to find golf entertaining as golf. I happen not to; moreover, I don't see how it would do anything for my physical and mental fitness that other activities don't do a lot better.

 

But again, this doesn't mean I hate golf. I suspect that people who don't care for it also don't care enough to hate it. Golfers are welcome to enjoy it as much as they wish. It generates some good revenue in the economy. Similarly, I don't hate *som tum. Thais are welcome to it.

   

[Keeps]

18 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

 

I've observed for many people who go to cricket or horse racing, it's an excuse to get plastered.

 

That's where I differ. I've never needed an excuse...

[johnnybangkok]

8 hours ago, Walker88 said:

The silliest game I see is what we call soccer. The entire game could be condensed into five seconds of meaningful action. Yes, I'm well aware it's wildly popular, but I still think the entire world is playing a joke on us, and if we ever say we like it, they will tell us they punked us, and admit it is the most boring thing on the planet.

 

In American football, which I played all through school, even a short play can have beauty. Search on YouTube for Gale Sayers or Barry Sanders. Sayers is one of the most graceful athletes ever.

 

As for golf, if done properly, it can be both fun and give one a workout. I had access to some courses in Japan where I could play 2 rounds each Saturday and 2 rounds each Sunday, walking the entire hilly course and carrying my own bag. Definitely burned some calories. I even played in winter, when if I got there early, I could sometimes drive a Par 5 (because the ground was still frozen from the overnight chill). Twelve putts later on an icy green and I could mark my 13 on the scorecard.

It always fascinates me why Yanks don't like football (by the way it's called football - only Yanks call it soccer). It's a game that is beloved throughout the world and is the working mans go to sport. The level of skill required at the top level is phenomenal (made more so by the fact there are literally 100's of millions of people playing it) and if you think it 'could be condensed into five seconds of meaningful action' then you haven't watched a Premier League game recently. I suspect it's the fact that American men aren't very good at it and have then come up with the totally Neanderthal idea it's a 'girly' sport (perhaps supported by your excellent women's football record). But then you also have a tendency to call things 'World Series' or 'Championships' when it's only Americans competing. You can only call yourself a World Champion when you beat EVERYONE else in the world. 

 

[Lacessit]

11 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

It always fascinates me why Yanks don't like football (by the way it's called football - only Yanks call it soccer). It's a game that is beloved throughout the world and is the working mans go to sport. The level of skill required at the top level is phenomenal (made more so by the fact there are literally 100's of millions of people playing it) and if you think it 'could be condensed into five seconds of meaningful action' then you haven't watched a Premier League game recently. I suspect it's the fact that American men aren't very good at it and have then come up with the totally Neanderthal idea it's a 'girly' sport (perhaps supported by your excellent women's football record). But then you also have a tendency to call things 'World Series' or 'Championships' when it's only Americans competing. You can only call yourself a World Champion when you beat EVERYONE else in the world. 

 

Australians call it soccer too. We play Australian Rules football, which is far more physically taxing. A midfielder covers 15 - 20 km in a game.

Granted, there are moments of great skill in passing the ball by foot alone. Or a well-executed header. However, i'd agree there are long periods when the players don't seem to be doing anything.

I suppose there are masochists who enjoy watching a 0-0 drawn game, I am not one of them.

[GammaGlobulin]

I do not know.

 

I do not hate golf.

 

If I had the time, I would go golfing every day.

 

Thailand is too hot for golf, anyway.

 

This is why it is better to golf in Scotland.

 

 

[still kicking]

3 hours ago, johnnybangkok said:

It always fascinates me why Yanks don't like football (by the way it's called football - only Yanks call it soccer). It's a game that is beloved throughout the world and is the working mans go to sport. The level of skill required at the top level is phenomenal (made more so by the fact there are literally 100's of millions of people playing it) and if you think it 'could be condensed into five seconds of meaningful action' then you haven't watched a Premier League game recently. I suspect it's the fact that American men aren't very good at it and have then come up with the totally Neanderthal idea it's a 'girly' sport (perhaps supported by your excellent women's football record). But then you also have a tendency to call things 'World Series' or 'Championships' when it's only Americans competing. You can only call yourself a World Champion when you beat EVERYONE else in the world. 

 

And they call it football

[still kicking]

Nothing wrong with golf at all, I used to play it nearly every day till I started my own business and had no more time. Now I am 76 and have not the energy anymore since I had 2 broken ankles 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Not much of a golfer, with 8 PGA victories? You set a high bar.

As I said in my OP, golf is a test of character.

I have noticed cheating seems to be much more prevalent in Thailand. In Australia, it was instant ostracism.

 

My bad. I was writing two separate things. First about the golfer you referred to - there is a fun little documentary on youtube about how that cover came to be and a member of Devo meets the golfer.

The 'not much of a golfer' comment was talking about me. 

[GammaGlobulin]

2 hours ago, still kicking said:

Now I am 76 and have not the energy anymore since I had 2 broken ankles 

 

Keep your eye on the ball.

 

Very few golfers break BOTH their ankles while swinging away.

 

 

[scubascuba3]

8 hours ago, Keeps said:

That's certainly not my experience of a large number of golfers. Often had to listen to them talking through every shot they played, which club they used etc. As many of these were not very good and took an unfeasibly large number of shots to get round, these could sometimes be some very lengthy conversations. 

Best to avoid those types, some golfers are able to recall every shot post round, not even golfers are interested in that

8 hours ago, Keeps said:

personally much preferred a day at the cricket or horse racing as a corporate "jolly" where it involved having a cold glass of something in your hand rather than a golf club. Each to their own though.

Cricket and horse racing is fun because of the drink but you aren't participating like golf, presumably you weren't very good at golf? did you get a handicap?

[scubascuba3]

8 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

I suppose I could try the same technique to alleviate the boredom of golf, but then I might not want to stop listening to concentrate on a shot. :)

One thing I've noticed, most guys who do cardiovascular exercise, running, cycling, etc lack skill for other sports so mostly stick to exercise, personally i enjoy both

[pgrahmm]

To me, when I briefly took it up it seemed like the hours were wasted....I didn't dislike it & didn't find it extremely difficult; it was just very time consuming imo....

I wasn't crazy about the mad hatters I observed going nuts when they failed....

A scratch player that taught me pointed out that when learning I got to play more than everyone else = back off & enjoy.....

I was entered in a (my only) tournament (as a joke) by some buddies as made up 2 foursomes.....They thought it good folly = until Coming home I had the only trophy = longest shot @ 440 yards 😂.....

At that time I was also playing softball, American tackle football, & racquet ball which were more active sports.....

[johnnybangkok]

2 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

To me, when I briefly took it up it seemed like the hours were wasted....I didn't dislike it & didn't find it extremely difficult; it was just very time consuming imo....

I wasn't crazy about the mad hatters I observed going nuts when they failed....

A scratch player that taught me pointed out that when learning I got to play more than everyone else = back off & enjoy.....

I was entered in a (my only) tournament (as a joke) by some buddies as made up 2 foursomes.....They thought it good folly = until Coming home I had the only trophy = longest shot @ 440 yards 😂.....

At that time I was also playing softball, American tackle football, & racquet ball which were more active sports.....

Well since Rory’s McIlroy's longest drive is 427 yards and the world record is 515 yards, I think I’m going to call BS on your “longest shot @ 440 yards”. 
However, an exaggeration is always a golfers prerogative 😉

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

Well since Rory’s McIlroy's longest drive is 427 yards and the world record is 515 yards, I think I’m going to call BS on your “longest shot @ 440 yards”. 
However, an exaggeration is always a golfers prerogative 😉

Golf is like fishing in that respect.

[johnnybangkok]

12 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Australians call it soccer too. We play Australian Rules football, which is far more physically taxing. A midfielder covers 15 - 20 km in a game.

Granted, there are moments of great skill in passing the ball by foot alone. Or a well-executed header. However, i'd agree there are long periods when the players don't seem to be doing anything.

I suppose there are masochists who enjoy watching a 0-0 drawn game, I am not one of them.

Many non-football fans complain of 'long periods when the players don't seem to be doing anything' but most matches are shown (for True it's usually the next day) as 'highlights' and condensed down to 30 minutes. Many don't have the patience for the full 90 minutes but 30 minutes of non-stop action will get you a good idea of the skill and quality at play. And if you can do 5 hours on a golf course, what's 30 minutes? 

[Old Croc]

On 12/16/2023 at 8:42 AM, Lacessit said:

There are people who hate golf, or call it a silly game.

 

IME those people have never played golf. Or they tried it, and realized they would never be remotely competent at it.

All of the above. I had a love/hate relationship with the game.

I once won a nearest the pin trophy on a long par 3, once hit the pin with my tee shot on another, then three putted. Most of my walks on courses were spent literally bush bashing rather than strolling down a grassy field.

My game was a mixture of mercurial and ugly with the emphasis on the latter. I scored under 90 only a couple of times. I never once beat my regular playing partner who was only slightly better than me. The last time we played we were even on the last, I was on the green he behind a grass tree about 60 meters away. He put his in the hole, I missed the putt.

[Lacessit]

9 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

Many non-football fans complain of 'long periods when the players don't seem to be doing anything' but most matches are shown (for True it's usually the next day) as 'highlights' and condensed down to 30 minutes. Many don't have the patience for the full 90 minutes but 30 minutes of non-stop action will get you a good idea of the skill and quality at play. And if you can do 5 hours on a golf course, what's 30 minutes? 

My personal record for 18 holes ( 2 players ) is 1 hour 50 minutes, when I was much younger. Anything over 4 hours even now is too bloody slow. It gets a bit frustrating here when I get stuck behind Asian players, who seem to accept 6 hours as normal. I usually cut the round short, or move to another hole, when that happens.

Participating in a sport is not the same as watching it.

 

[johnnybangkok]

7 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

My personal record for 18 holes ( 2 players ) is 1 hour 50 minutes, when I was much younger. Anything over 4 hours even now is too bloody slow. It gets a bit frustrating here when I get stuck behind Asian players, who seem to accept 6 hours as normal. I usually cut the round short, or move to another hole, when that happens.

Participating in a sport is not the same as watching it.

 

I agree. We did night golf at Panya last week and got stuck behind 2 X 5 balls for what was a torturous 6 hours! I do despair at the golf etiquette of some Asian golfers though who seem to have never heard of the phrase 'play through'. 
 

[mudcat]

Caddied for pocket money through High School, Navy service, and Junior College.  Don't hate golf, just have no interest in it.  As an aside I grew up in a New York City suburb with FOUR private country clubs, but our 20th reunion committee reserved the Polish American hall for the festivities - I am forever grateful that I did not need to walk in the front door of a club where I would not be welcome as a member.

[Lacessit]

16 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

All of the above. I had a love/hate relationship with the game.

I once won a nearest the pin trophy on a long par 3, once hit the pin with my tee shot on another, then three putted. Most of my walks on courses were spent literally bush bashing rather than strolling down a grassy field.

My game was a mixture of mercurial and ugly with the emphasis on the latter. I scored under 90 only a couple of times. I never once beat my regular playing partner who was only slightly better than me. The last time we played we were even on the last, I was on the green he behind a grass tree about 60 meters away. He put his in the hole, I missed the putt.

I have had my share of failures as well as victories.

I can remember coming up the last hole of a club championship, needing a par to win. Getting dark, and my second shot was from a good position.

Either I was having a problem with depth perception, or I was fired up with adrenaline. Most probably the latter. I finished up under the clubhouse at the back of the green, and took 6 to lose by a stroke.

A couple of weeks later, I played my second from about the same position, same 7 iron. It finished 2 feet from the pin.

[Lacessit]

5 minutes ago, mudcat said:

Caddied for pocket money through High School, Navy service, and Junior College.  Don't hate golf, just have no interest in it.  As an aside I grew up in a New York City suburb with FOUR private country clubs, but our 20th reunion committee reserved the Polish American hall for the festivities - I am forever grateful that I did not need to walk in the front door of a club where I would not be welcome as a member.

IMO the worst snobbery I encountered was in the private golf clubs in Scotland. I think I got shoulder strain from changing in and out of a jacket and tie so often.

One of the members there was complaining about declining membership. I said it was not surprising, given the rigidity of their dress code.

I am not advocating golf in flipflops and wifebeaters. However, there is a middle ground.

[BigStar]

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

One thing I've noticed, most guys who do cardiovascular exercise, running, cycling, etc lack skill for other sports so mostly stick to exercise, personally i enjoy both

 

Typical misconception recurring in various forms, cf. above:

 

10 hours ago, still kicking said:

I suspect it's the fact that American men aren't very good at it

 

Skills can be acquired with practice if one cares to practice them. Me, I regard exercise as a matter of necessity. Otherwise, I wouldn't do it, either. :) I enjoy forms of recreation that require a little more brainpower. Hitting a little ball in a hole is just of no interest, you see. Walking, or driving, on a golf course is of no interest. It's that simple.

[Photoguy21]

I used to play golf and enjoyed it. Watching it bores me to death but as a participant it is great. 

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, BigStar said:

Typical misconception recurring in various forms

Nope, just a natural reaction when people have a very low skill level so stick to purely exercise instead

[fondue zoo]

I've watched Happy Gilmore a few times.

[pgrahmm]

3 hours ago, johnnybangkok said:

Well since Rory’s McIlroy's longest drive is 427 yards and the world record is 515 yards, I think I’m going to call BS on your “longest shot @ 440 yards”. 
However, an exaggeration is always a golfers prerogative 😉

That what they said....It went straight & kept bouncing on a hard surfaced municipal course.....It makes no difference to me what you think.....It was hardly a PGA suitable course or a beautiful shot....It was also the longest, straightest hole.....

[Jingthing]

I kind of hate it but not in an aggressive way.

My mother pushed me into playing as a kid with the idea that it would be a useful hobby for networking in adulthood if I was going to a businessman or something like that.

Notably not my father who was the personification of a NOT GOLF adult. 

She wasn't wrong but it turned out I didn't need it.

I played for some years at lower level courses and wasn't horrible for my age and lack of training.

It was OK.

But compared to sports like tennis, even table tennis, it didn't cut it.

Watching golf on tv is more boring than watching paint dry.

I enjoy watching golf related comedy in some shows, particulary Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

I get why retired people like it as a lower athletic level past time.

Happily I never got to the point of wearing dorky golf clothes.

I associate golf with more classic style republicans (even though fascist Trump is heavily into it) and I don't relate to any kind of republican.

So bottom line, I'm tolerant of golf but actively avoid most anything to do with it.