Golf is an incredibly popular game played across the entire world with a history that dates back more than 500 years. Golf is a game that can be played during one's entire lifetime, from the time one starts to walk to the time one can no longer walk. This reason, among others is why golf is constantly under scrutiny and critics questions its place in the sporting world. This is a question that has not reached a verdict yet because there is two truly equal sides to each claim. Usually a game that is included in the Olympics fulfills the definition of a sport, and golf has an interesting history in the Olympics. Golf was played in the 1900 and 1904 summer Olympics, but then discontinued from the Olympics. Golf is making a return to the Olympics in the summer of 2016, making this debate extremely complicated. Golf is attacked as a sport because of the condition that some of its players compete in. Golfers truly range in all shapes and sizes, and overweight people can achieve the same success as fit competitors. This is a huge critic to why golf is not a sport, because many people don't consider golfers athletes. There is two ways to look at this claim, because in one way, overweight and out of shape people shouldn't be able to compete with athletic, fit people. From another standpoint, this is what makes golf such an important and incredible sport. A 16-year-old boy can go golfing with his 40-year-old father and 70-year-old Grandfather, and all compete at an equal level. There is truly no other sport that can boast this claim, and it is something that golf should be praised for, not looked down upon for. Many critics will say golf has no defense, how can it fit the category of a sport? From this point of view, how can a competitor make it more difficult for his opponent to succeed on the course? This is yet another claim that can be looked at two ways, because this reason makes golf possibly the fairest sport of all. When two people compete in golf, they are both playing the same course; they are both playing in the identical conditions and face the exact same problems. Each man is playing against the course, and each course is designed differently in order to make it tough on the athlete playing. There is a ton of evidence in support of the affirmative argument as well; including that golf is an NCAA division 1 sport in which men and women receive scholarships to play at schools. Many golfers also claim their focus on training and staying fit has helped them play better golf than ever before. Perennial champion Tiger Woods is heard to consistently bench press 315 pounds, while many other athletes have found success from working out. Rory McIlroy accredits his climb to the world number one to his work in the gym. These arguments are easily countered by claims from the opposition, when all one has to do is show a picture of John Daly, an overweight golfer who is known to smoke cigarettes while competing. Daly has had success at the highest level of golf, despite his weight, by winning two major championships in 1991 and 1995. Golf meets the Merriam-Webster definition of a sport, but also meets the same dictionaries definition of a game. Golf falls under both categories and definitions, making this a complex argument that cannot be reached just by pulling up a dictionary definition. The inability to reach a simple conclusion with a single Google search makes this topic a very good one for the paper. These arguments can really go wither way in the paper, and it is all about the evidence that used to support and convince the reader. These reasons make golf a very unique sport, and because it is different people don't want to accept it into the sporting world. The reason I chose golf as my topic is there is no limit to where this research paper can go. There is extensive research and hundreds of scientific studies performed on this topic, the evidence is all there to form a convincing thesis that can be backed up with credible evidence. When there are two equal sides to a debate or question, the writer can acknowledge the arguments of the opposition and research ways to discredit them. 

I am interested in this research topic because I have played golf for my entire life. In high school I played the sport competitively for four years, and even worked in the golf industry for two years. I have been surrounded by golf my entire life, from when my father taught me how to play as a young boy to playing competitively in tournaments. I am qualified in this area because I have been around the sport so much. I have firsthand experienced how the sport can lead to opportunity in business and career paths. My love of golf got me involved in the sport in high school, and through the networking of golf I was able to land a job at a local country club. This topic does not affect my personal values, because it is not a controversial topic. It is a topic that has two clear sides to it, but the result of the debate is not going to particularly hurt anyone's feelings. This debate is more motivated by pride than anything else, as golfers want to be recognized for competing in the highest level at their sport. 

