Ralph

How so, is it considered elitist? People indeed spend by far more money on going to NBA basketball games, baseball games, fishing, hunting, and a vast assortment of other entertainment venues. While, it is true that apparently you have no familiarity at all with the game. Over the past few generations it indeed has morphed into very much a "blue collar" sport. In fact, in my local area of the country, the average for a round of golf is between 20 to 30 bucks, a decent set of clubs around 400 bucks, and the skill required to play is only limited by the individual interest. Have you actually been to any other sporting events or tried to prepare a child to play in such? Just what is the price for ONE NBA ticket now days, or MLB? Even fishing has a drastic start up cost if one is to take it serious, have you priced the cost of a fishing buggy lately? But thanks to people such as Tiger Woods, and John Daily, and few other less than elite people that have their roots grounded more in a "Blue Collar" atmosphere, it has peeked the interest of quite a few less fortunate children. I for one would be more than glad to see their interest peeked while walking up to 6 miles to complete one round of golf, while learning the basic rules of the game that requires, an honest self judgment to properly play the sport, than see their interest peeked on the streets of our country. If indeed you want to see the true personality of a person come to the forefront, play 18 holes of golf with him/her. BD

Katczinsky

If you have to ask why it is elitist then perhaps you are at a disconnect yourself. I never denied that golf has become more popular to play by those who are less than rich. I know people who are familiar with the 'sport' who aren't rich; but I also know that golf, demographically speaking (perhaps straight popularity wise, not just per capita), is more favorable among the upper-middle class and the rich. It doesn't matter so much the 'cost of the ticket' per say, but rather the culture. Golf in the United States has a distinctly elitist culture. No one ever said anything about ticket prices. Try talking football or NBA in a blue collar neighborhood and you won't have much trouble getting takers; try floating golf however and you get strange looks.

As for children and their interests. I think I'd much rather have their interests perked in worthy intellectual pursuits than golf, or sports in general for that matter.

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Political Compass:

Economic Left/Right: -9.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.72

knot_e_lady

Golf is the most boring sport there ever was.

And if a bunch of 70 year old fat men can do it, it shouldn't be called a sport.

knot_e_lady

So is billiards, but that doesn't make it a sport.

garysher

Knotty is an example of an inverted elitist

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highway80west

Fat men: John Daly could be thought of as one

Not a boring sport?? Tiger Woods adds excitement to it. He will be perhaps the greatest golfer ever.

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Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Ralph

Yes, indeed, that is why we have such a high mortality rate, and over weight children. All work and no play indeed makes for a very "tilted" view of life. It is no wonder that secular humanism believes that the mind is to be worshiped. Deny the body, and all we have left is a perverted outlook on life. I would rather think that the Obamas of the world and the limo liberals that always condescendingly look down their noses at the other 90% of the population with their IVY LEAGUE, trust funded education is by far a more superior example of the an elitist attitude than some sporting contest. As clearly, they care more about the limo owner than the limo driver. After all we common people just do not understand, that we do not understand that Marxism is by far a better example of social living than free choice. We just do not know any better, I assume. Even though there has never been an historical example of pure socialism working without being corrupted, by the few that feel they must inform the majority of how to live. BD

garysher

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garysher

Interesting how these threads career around different topics, even this thread on golf moves to political science!

I have to say I don't know of any examples of pure socialism, or pure capitalism.

But I don't believe corruption is restricted to socialistic societies. And the mandarins of Wall St and Madison Avenue are experts in dictating how we should live.

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Katczinsky

If you seriously think American children are over-weight because they're too busy reading rather than out enjoying that "great physical activity" we know as golf, then I'd say you are at a greater disconnect from reality than I thought. But of course, a disconnect from reality is to be expected from an individual that frequently exercises the mind in the nonthink of religiosity and the self-inflicting delusions of Christianity.

You don't seem to be following your protestant ethic very closely.

See, I can throw religion in as a non-sequitur too.

As if this has anything to do with anything? If you're contending that the liberal elite in America is an example of an elitist attitude more than a middle-class man who happens to play golf; then obviously I'd have to agree with you. But you're going to have to refrain from consistent irrelevancies.

I think this is definitely somewhat of a truth that many Democrats and self-proclaimed liberals need to understand. At least many of the elitist conservatives are public about their support for the upper strata of society, but the most bourgeois liberals can do is complain about capitalism and pander to big business in the same breath.

Way to paint a very broad circumstantial generalization. You don't provide any context. But I guess inferring from your insinuation that Marxism is somehow mutually exclusive with individual liberty or even 'free choice' expresses your profound ignorance of actual Marxist theory. But that's a different thread.

Nor has there been an example of pure capitalism, or any form of capitalism for that matter, that worked without being corrupted. Not only that but there hasn't even been an example of 'pure socialism' in history.

__________________
Political Compass:

Economic Left/Right: -9.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.72