Golf as an Olympic sport

[Marko77]

Don't know how many heard the debate during one of Sky Sports recent broadcasts but, who feels golf would make a good addition to the Olympics and if yes, should it be for Professionals or Amateurs?

 

[Marko77]

I heard the interviews with Casey, Rose and Poulter and think they would jump at the chance to play (schedules permitting). I however feel it should be amateurs chosen to represent their countries and not professionals.

 

[Basher]

I voted no.

Why? Because it would probably end up being played by professionals. IMO the pros have enough competitions during the year without competing in what should be an entirely amateur festival of sport and competition.

 

[madandra]

Casey, Poulter and Rose .... more like Larry, Mo, and Curly... They only want to play in the Olympics to increase their own profile rather than to represent their country. I am blown away with these athletes who although they receive lotto money are completely dedicated to their sports without the lure of mega deals.


I wonder if I can get a bet for Sports Personality of the year and Team of the year???????????

 

[GB72]

I voted no and I also think that a number of other sports should be taken out of the Olympics. To me a sport should only be an Olympic event if the Gold Meda will be the pinnacle of your career. Sports such as football, basketball, baseball and Tennis should be removed from the Olympics as they are, by and large, a mere distraction from the normal leagues and tournaments. A Gold Medal will never replace the World Cup, the World Series or a Major tournament victory when you look at its importance to a competitor and so, in my opinion, such sports have no place in the Olympics. The lacklustre attitude of Andy Murray pretty much sums it up for me.

 

[stevelockie]

Casey, Poulter and Rose .... more like Larry, Mo, and Curly... They only want to play in the Olympics to increase their own profile rather than to represent their country. I am blown away with these athletes who although they receive lotto money are completely dedicated to their sports without the lure of mega deals.


I wonder if I can get a bet for Sports Personality of the year and Team of the year???????????

Hear, hear. That's what the Olympics is all about the dedication and sacrifices made by amateurs all in order to try and win a gold medal.

Pro tennis, football and basketball at the Olympics! Totally against the ethos of the games IMO.

 

[madandra]

Oh !!!!!!!

I voted NO !!!!!!

 

[rgs]

I think the Olympics should be the pinnacle of an athletes career well above any world championships or world cups and that cannot apply to football which has the world cup or golf which has the majors.
The only way golf should be in the Olympics is if it was an amateur only event.

 

[viscount17]

I voted no, and certainly not pro's.

I would also exclude any sport where the result is based on opinion, which includes boxing unless they put contact pads in the gloves.

 

[Basher]

I'm no boxing expert but surely the judges are missing loads of point scoring punches.
Watched that big fella from Sunderland boxing earlier. The bit I saw had him knocking 7 bells out of his opponent. The judges must have missed 25% of his contacts.
Didn't really matter though because he won!

Others include;
Diving
Gymnastics

All reliant on judges, some of who's decisions have been diabolical. Unless you're Chinese!

 

[viscount17]

body punching used to be a big part of boxing, now the odds on scoring with this are pretty low.

also out:
dressage,
formation drowning

by the way, is bowls now out? we used to pick up a medal or two in it but haven't heard it mentioned.

 

[Boabski]

Golf should be an olympic sport because its one of the main sports about , after seeing that a BMX comp has been added and the likes of archery and show jumping imo there is more skill involved in our game.
the team should be made up of club golfers, ie the club champs and runners up of respective clubs all entering qualifiers and the team beng picked from that

 

[John_Findlay]

I voted No.

We already too many events every year for pros and I still believe having tennis as an Olympic sport in it's current professional guise is a bit of a joke.

 

[TonyN]

I voted no, I dont have much time for the Olympics anymore, I feel its becoming a bit of a farce. Since when did china become the worlds leading atheletes??? They seem to have picked up more gold medals than there have been events. Anyway.

Good old track and field events, swimming, rowing, archery they are olympic sports, not football, golf, basketball volleyball etc.

Basher, I hear you mate, but Judges have to deem the punch 'hard' enough to hurt for it to count, and they can only land a punch with the knuckle area of the glove for it to count. Olympic boxing is in a bit of a mess with the current points system.

 

[medwayjon]

No, with the prize money that is on offer on the respective tours along with the majors, I feel that the sport would fail to lure many of the best players in the world.

An olympic medal should be the pinnacle of an sportspersons career but to golfers, it woul dbe a minor bauble I feel.

The same goes for football & tennis.

Agree with the comments on boxing. To me amateur boxing is a joke anyway and I have seen too many a boxer absolutely robbed in events that I have attended in past.

 

[cm_qs]

With the weather the way it is at the moment they could include golf in the Winter Olympics!

 

[Ken_A]

I voted no and I also think that a number of other sports should be taken out of the Olympics. To me a sport should only be an Olympic event if the Gold Meda will be the pinnacle of your career. Sports such as football, basketball, baseball and Tennis should be removed from the Olympics as they are, by and large, a mere distraction from the normal leagues and tournaments. A Gold Medal will never replace the World Cup, the World Series or a Major tournament victory when you look at its importance to a competitor and so, in my opinion, such sports have no place in the Olympics. The lacklustre attitude of Andy Murray pretty much sums it up for me.

I totally agree with this, I think there should be NO golf at the olyympics and if some muppet decides to let it go ahead, then I think it should be amatures only.

 

[Ken_A]

Golf should be an olympic sport because its one of the main sports about , after seeing that a BMX comp has been added and the likes of archery and show jumping imo there is more skill involved in our game.
the team should be made up of club golfers, ie the club champs and runners up of respective clubs all entering qualifiers and the team beng picked from that

Then some random 4 bandits from some random place who no one has ever heard off will win each year.

PS have you ever tried archery or show jumping - I have and its as easy as following a small white ball around a field.

 

[USER1999]

The Olympics should be the pinnacle of achievement in sport. All the sports for which it is not should be removed. This will never happen, because they are popular, and there is lots of money being spent promoting them globally. The only reason golf wants to be in it is the global exposure it would get. Money is what it all comes down to.

Next up we will have Olympic poker, darts, ballroom dancing, etc. Oh, hang on, these have already applied for 2012.

The sport that the IOC really want to get rid of is the modern pentathlon, as it is expensive to put on and no one watches it. Swap it for poker, job done.

 

[cm_qs]

If golf were to be included in the olympics then how would Tiger et al. deal with the situation when the gold medal is won by a 14 year old chinese girl?

This is not an excuse to start up a Michelle Wie thread