Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hauwande]

thanks to those interested for the replies. my email address is:
[email protected]

all interested are welcome to email me..

[Nexus11]

I think it is ridiculous how many people don't consider golf a sport just because old people can do it. That doesn't mean that they can do it well.

Wayne Gretzky had a good quote when asked about Tiger Woods. Wayne had referred to Tiger as the most dominating athlete he has ever seen, even moreso than himself or Michael Jordan. A reporter asked him if it is fair to put Tiger in that role since golf is easier than hockey and basketball.

His response: "If you think golf is easy, then you've never played golf. Maybe you've hit a ball, but you haven't golfed."

Comparing the beer swillers driving around in carts to golfers is like comparing an old man shooting free throws in a gym to a basketball player. It isn't even close to the same thing.

To be an effective golfer takes years of training. To be an elite level golfer, you must physically train your body. Your legs and back must be incredibly strong. Sure, you see pro golfers who look out of shape, but that is only because it takes a different kind of fitness. It is more about well trained, controlled back and leg muscles that can deliver both power and precision than it is about a top notch cardio system. A little belly fat won't kill you, although you still need to hit the gym if you want to play well.

A good example would be to look at my high school golf team back when I played on it. It was an eight member team. One player on my team went on to play OHL hockey. Five of us played Junior B hockey. One got drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. Then there was one guy who didn't play other sports. Lots of other hackers tried out for the team but weren't good enough. So basically seven of the eight members were top level amateur athletes in other sports as well.

If golf involved no athletic ability, then why aren't there 60 year old men excelling in the pros? Most pro golfers hit their peak in their early 30s. Some rare ones play effectively into their early 40s, but rarely at the top of the tour. How different is that from other sports?

[patongpanda]

Questions:

Can you hire golf clubs? How much?
Do you need studded golf shoes?

If you have Korean pals who are members, is it cheaper for guests?
Is it wrong to sponge off my students to take me golfing?

[victorology]

[aka Dave]

When I was in high school, in the utterly worthless city of Bakersifeld, California, I could play 18 rounds of golf with my high school student ID (and we could have a 12 pack of beer on the cart if we could get someone to buy us beer)

for all of 2.50$. Plus $ 5 bucks for cart. And the public courses were nice. Hills, ponds, etc. My Korean students freak out when I relate this. They have to spend a fortune to play.

As for "if golf is a sport". Yeah it's a sport. But John Daly is better than 99.9 percent of all golfers on the planet, and that man is not an athlete. He's an alcholic lardass.

Golf is more a craft then a sport. That's not to say Tiger isn't a great athlete. It's a complicated question.

[HapKi]

Golf is a sport.

Tiger Woods....Greatest Sports Icon Ever?

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=64107&highlight=tiger+woods

[rsmm0224]

Is golf a sport? Depends on your playing style...

(from a conversation with a friend back home...)

Me: "Do you walk the course of use a cart?"

him: "I don't golf for exercise!"

hahaha

[air76]

Golf may not be the most strenuous sport, but it is definitely the most difficult sport by far and away, whether you use a cart or not.

How many people do you know who are actually GOOD at golf? As in a 5 handicap or better (a real 5 handicap, not just someone that says they do)??? Probably not very many, if any at all, yet we all know someone who is amazing at basketball, soccer, rugby, or whatever....anyone who disagrees obviously has never played golf even semi-seriously.

But in response to the OP, there is no way I'd pay what it costs to golf in Korea. I do love golf, but to pay 4-5 times what I pay at home (minimum) to play a course that isn't as long or as good as a decent public course would be a waste of money. It would make more sense to not golf 5-6 times and just go home for a week.

[bewolff]

Does anyone know where in Seoul area a cheap set of golf clubs can be bought. I'm talking like $150 or less. They have them online but no one ships to Korea.

There is this little mini-course near Dangjin, 13K won, good for 90 minutes of fun. Actually it only needs a putter, a wedge and a 8 or 9 iron.

I am not good enough for good clubs. have found nothing less than 450K won.

[southern boy]

One of my private student has a golf memberhship for life, he said it costs him around 500,000usd. I am sure whether it allowed to use at any golf course throughout korea or just one particular spot.

[raketbaler]

Golf is a sport for sure, but I'll tell you all what isn't a sport, bicycling. It is a mode of transportation, that's it.

[jeffkim1972]

I have no idea where gongju is (unless you mean gwangju), but Muan country club right near gwangju, you can play 18 holes for 80,000 all inclusive.

Golf is definitely a sport because any small injury prevents you from playing well.

[hauwande]

[victorology]

[hauwande]

is golf a sport?

well...i think definitely so. sports have a physical and mental side to them. i think golf is a very mental game. the golf swing is a very intricate action that requires pinpoint precision. there is absolutely no margin for error. a successful swing with the woods and long irons needs a tremendous amount of force, but the right sort of force - all the big muscles and small muscles working in unison. one slight twitch of some small muscle somewhere in the back, legs shoulders or anywhere can be the difference between long and straight down the middle of the fairway and 50 odd yards shorter into the trees. if these errors occur, they probably wont happen consciously; there is no time to think - all happening over 100 mph. the mental focus needed to get the timing right shot after shot is huge. thats the point - SHOT AFTER SHOT.

but that's only one part.

then there are the shorter shots inside 130 yards. these are more difficult because they are never a full swing - always some degree less...how much less? 90%? 85%? 80%? 70%...well, who knows? thats the point; how do we know? depends on many things...to do well here is far more than just the swing. there are so many things to think about; distance, the ground, the speed of the green, the wind... then we need to worry about actually executing the swing properly. the timing must be perfect...

then there is the putting...different animal altogether...again...

itcan look like a pretty small hole from 20 odd feet. it either goes in or it doesnt...if it doesnt - then that is another whole stroke...they add up!!

anyway, i have only just began to learn about this game - i have a long way to go!! but i think its lots of fun

trust me though - it is a sport!