Did you ever wonder which sport is the most difficult to play well?

By David McClelland

If you are a player or a fan of a particular sport, you may consider that sport to be the most difficult one to play well. If you are a hockey fan, for example, I'm bet that you feel that hockey is the most difficult sport to play well. Hockey players must have great ability to play well. The same goes for many other sports. They all take certain, highly-developed skills to play them well.

I haven't played or even watched all of the many sports played around the world, but, to me, golf is the most complex and difficult sport to play well of those I have seen. It has the largest and most complex playing areas, by far the smallest target, the greatest variety of clubs with which to hit the ball, etc. Every golfer may carry up to 14 different golf clubs on the course and the golfers need them all, at one time or another, for various shots from the tee, from various locations on the course, from the sand traps and, finally, on the greens.

Which is the most valuable club that a golfer carries? I think that there is no question that it is one used for the most strokes, the putter. On an average round, the putter may be used about 36 times. That is about half of all the strokes. Each hole has a "par" posted; i.e., the number of strokes that it should take you to put the ball in the cup, assuming that you are an accomplished player. They call those players, "scratch golfers," because if the par for the course is 72, that player would shoot about 72 on the average. Contained within that par number on each hole are two strokes just for putts. If it is a par 3 hole, it is assumed that you can drive the ball onto the green and take just two putts. For pars of 4 and 5, the last two strokes are allotted for putting. Being a scratch golfer is much easier said than done. Most play a lifetime of golf without ever coming close.

There are huge financial rewards in professional sports today and more golf players have big paydays every week than in most other sports, even though golfers don't have playing contracts assuring them of that income. All pro golfers really have to do is to "make the cut" each week to have a nice payday. Those that do that consistently become wealthy. You can see them most weekends on TV.

For the weekend golfer, the game is great with only four disadvantages. Golf is way too time consuming. It may take about 6 or more hours from portal to portal to play 18 holes of golf. It is way too expensive. On most courses, especially on the weekends, it can cost upwards of $100 to play a full round, even on a public course. I think the game is way too difficult. Finally, golf is way too addictive. Otherwise, it is a great game.

If you have a game that you feel is more difficult than golf, you may be right, or you may never have played golf and may now want to give golf a try.