Why disc golf is a sport (and not just a hobby)

This is one of those things you’ll sometimes hear from disc golf’s antagonists …

It’s not a sport; it’s a well-dressed hobby.

I remember once hearing Jeremy Koling describe the Innova Nova as more of a child’s toy than an actual athletic tool. If you run with that concept, grown men pushing portable toy chests around public parks is hardcore hobby. Fortunately, I don’t subscribe to this philosophy.

Let’s get academic with this …

For fear of blogging like an eighth-grader, I can’t bring myself to quote Webster’s Dictionary. Regardless, you’ll find what you need to define both key terms in the below bullet points:

• A sport is an activity requiring some kind of physical exertion alongside competition.
• A hobby is an activity done during free time for fun, relaxation, personal growth, etc.

ANY sport can be a hobby.

The differentiating element is motivation. For example, a professional basketball player isn’t a hobbyist while making millions of dollars to play the game – it’s a job. At the same time, after retirement, the same athlete recreationally participating in the same sport is now a hobbyist.

So, is disc golf a sport?

Absolutely.

To compete at the highest levels of disc golf requires practice – and lots of it. Yes, the same thing can be said about chess, but in disc golf, there’s both mental and physical fatigue. If you’ve ever thrown a three- or four-round tournament over the course of a weekend, you know the grind …

Your body can STILL feel it a week later.

If the Scripps National Spelling Bee gets an annual ESPN slot, disc golf’s time will come.

That said, for the majority of people who read this, it’s technically a hobby, too. So those social media snobs who know nothing about disc golf are kind of right. But their argument’s missing the meatier half of the matter: Disc golf’s undeniably physical – it’s a bonafide sport.

Breathe a (labored) sigh of relief, my out-of-shape acquaintance …

You’re an athlete.

Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.

Editor’s Suggestions:

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