Five Golf Debates That Continue to Amaze Us

For those of us who love golf, we know how often arguments can start both on and off the course. What I wanted to do here was break down five of those arguments that have proven to stand out among the rest. There are reasons why people still discuss these issues and I hope to take a closer look at some of those reasons. Here we go:

5. Should women be able to play in men’s tournaments?

(Getty Images)

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about this one is of course Annika Sorenstam teeing it up on the PGA Tour. It was obviously a remarkable feat to accomplish, becoming just one of several LPGA professionals to play in a PGA Tour event. This is a question that has weight to both sides when you actually take a step back and look at it. On one hand, golf is a sport that is equally physically compatible for both men and women compared to other sports such as football. On the other hand, PGA Tour courses play at a much longer length than LPGA courses, which lead many to believe women should not be able to compete with men. Personally, I believe it would be very exciting to see women compete with men regularly in PGA Tour events because it adds an entirely new dynamic to both Tours as well as the events themselves.

4. Will anyone ever achieve the single year grand slam?

(The Fried Egg)

I know Bobby Jones technically has a grand slam but that was before the Masters was added. Since then, golf’s grand slam honors include all four major championships in a single year. Tiger Woods has come the closest, winning three majors in 2000 followed by a 2001 victory at the Masters. It’s a question that has come up so often, most recently during Jordan Spieth’s incredible run in 2015 in which he won the year’s first two majors and just missed out on the final two. Do I believe someone will win all four in a year? No, simply because the field is too deep now. In Tiger’s prime, he was on his own level. Nowadays, the most elite golfers in the world constantly challenge each other so much that it seems nearly impossible to stay ahead.

3. Should anchored putters be illegal?

(Getty Images)

This obviously shouldn’t even really be discussed at this point since 2016 was the first year that the anchored putter ban took effect. However it’s still a sensitive topic for those (not including myself) who have anchored or still anchor the putter. In their opinion, it really doesn’t matter how you get the ball in the hole and any method of doing so is fair game. This has become the voice of the more modern group of golfers. Traditional golfers believe the putting stroke should be a free-swinging motion like a golf swing, and openly oppose those who anchor the putter. I’m neutral on the issue despite never having anchored a putter before, and as I said previously the question should not even surface anymore since the ban is now in effect.

2. Nicklaus or Woods?

(Tony Dejak/Associated Press)

The tale of the tape shows Jack Nicklaus with 18 majors and 73 total PGA Tour wins, and Tiger Woods with 14 majors and 79 total PGA Tour wins. It is so difficult to compare the two of them, which is what makes this debate so fascinating. Which one of these two men is the greatest golfer of all time? Many will only go by majors, in which case Jack wins easily. Many will also look at total wins, in which Tiger of course has safely passed Jack. I genuinely can’t even begin to decide on who is the better golfer because it’s almost unfair to compare two different eras. However, this question will always hang around the golf world no matter where you are.

1. Is golf a sport?

(Sandals)

All my friends that don’t play golf will say it’s not a sport, and those that do will say it is. This is perhaps not even just a golf debate, but also a sports debate. It really is an age-old question that may never be resolved, but there are definitely arguments to both sides. As the article discuses, players such as Tiger seem to put golf toward the sport side while fellow players such as John Daly bring it back to more of an activity. At the end of the day, I do believe golf is a sport because it demands physical activity that requires skill and can be played competitively. And if that weren’t enough, the official definition of sport even lists golf as an example!

Five Reasons We've Continued to Watch Baseball

If you all haven’t already guessed, baseball is my favorite sport. I’m very, very biased. But I wanted to take a step outside of that shell for a moment and look at reasons why people actually continue to watch baseball since it has been around for so long. Here we go:

5. Labor peace.

(MLBPA)

There is a reason why baseball has not seen a work stoppage in twenty-two years. The MLBPA, the strongest union in professional sports, has almost always seen eye-to-eye with the league over the last couple of decades in order to reach agreements. From a technical standpoint, we continue to watch baseball because baseball, for the most part, has always been there for us to continue to watch. Additionally, with the new CBA having been agreed upon this past week, we can expect to consume the sport and all it has to offer for years to come. With such long seasons, it is imperative that both the league and the players continue to meet each other in the middle in order to deliver the on-field product for fans everywhere.

4. The free market.

(Bleacher Nation)

Some of the most exciting action of the Major League Baseball season occurs, ironically, during the offseason. It is where most of the teams’ transactions occur, via trade or signing. What sets baseball apart from other sports leagues besides its strong players’ union is its utilization of a free market system to bring astronomical salaries to players of all abilities. With player contracts continuously rising and the desire for the best talent to attract fans, teams create a huge stir every offseason by bidding for these players. The growing financial level of the market each year significantly reflects not only the cost of doing business within the league, but also gauges a fan interest that is quite unique to the sport.

3. Each ballpark is so unique.

(Panoramio)

A football field is 120 yards x 50 yards. A hockey rink is 200 feet x 85 feet. A basketball court is 94 feet x 50 feet. A baseball field is...? When we watch games within the other three major sports, we know each time what we’re going to see on the playing surface. While we still go to certain venues for the history or the location, no facility architecture is as unique as that of a baseball park. And baseball fans love that. From the old fashioned design of Fenway Park, to the contemporary look of Marlins Park, fans are always exposed to something different whenever they walk through those gates.

2. Baseball owns the summer.

(Odyssey)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, baseball runs the table during the summer. Among other things, people love to go to the ballpark during the summer because to them, baseball IS summer. To so many, there is just nothing like going to the ballpark on a summer night for a game and taking in everything all at once. Baseball is summer’s sport, and that will never change.

1. We STILL never know what’s going to happen.

(Sports Mockery)

So many things differentiate baseball from other sports, but far and away its most defining feature is the unknown. There are no time limits, no score limits, and no such thing as “impossible.” That truly is what keeps people watching this great game. Sure we know what teams are good and bad, but any given night something unbelievable can happen that will leave fans wanting more. One night you may see your team get blown out, only to see a spot starter throw a perfect game the next night. In baseball, everything is possible and nothing is off limits.