First of all, I think you need to have a respectable handicap to even be qualified to talk about golf or a certain level of first hand experience to be able to comment on any sport for that matter. I want to know how many of these so called ESPN experts have actually done all those sports and to what extent? When they rated pool, they were probably thinking 8 ball at the local bar.
For any of you who don't know how to box or even fight you really can't give your opinion on it, and it is a joke to even think you could pass judgement based on a stinking ESPN poll. For any of you who don't play golf, I would love to see you hit a 3-iron and get it past the 200 yd marker. Or, what about getting backspin with your sandwedge? Could you even hit a 3-wood off the ground? Probably not. What about reading the green? or playing on a breezy day? There are so many variables to take into consideration in golf and that is what makes it hard. Simply put, it is by no means easy to properly hit a golf ball with consistency.
The golf swing is very difficult to learn.
Also, golf is a true gentleman's game. If I were to rate it, I would put it above boxing, because any idiot could throw a punch. With that said, not just anyone can take that same punch, as the majority of people don't have the mental willingness to take pain. Boxing, though, is difficult, but I would personally rate golf as being harder, and yes, I know about both.
How in the hell can swimming be rated above pool? I would like to take 100 people oblivious to both swim 10 laps and then try and play a game of 9 ball. I don't think they would get past the five ball. I can see cheerleading being tough, because how many people could actually do a backhandspring or even a forward somersault? I can see how hockey is tough because you need multiple skills combined simultaneously, and the intensity is insane.
I think a better question is not how hard a sport is, but what is the toughest sport to master. Each sport has it's difficulties and truthfully, it's really all about mastering yourself, and that's why martial arts (real martial art - not mma) should be ranked number one, and by the way, there is a sport side to martial arts, and an art aspect which is the primary foundation of Martial Arts.
To address the original question, I would have to say it depends on the person. It depends on your own personal knowledge and what is right up your alley. You might think sewing is exciting if you a fashion designer, so the original question is hard to answer. If you ask me, an 8 in both pool and golf, I would have to say they are both exciting to watch, but due to the professionalism involved in the coverage of golf on TV, I would have to say that golf is more fun to watch.
You could do a poll for those who have a respectable game in both golf and pool, and that might provide a more interesting read.
I was thinking about this the other day. There are those who try and compare the two sports, golf and pool. I have heard people ask, what's wrong with pool, or how can we grow our sport, and I will say, look at the grandeur of the game of golf. Golf is played on a huge playground. It is traditionally considered a prestigious game, and those connected with it are going places in life. In life, what is important is thinking big and golf is definitely big, powerful and beautiful which is what people like. Pool on the other hand is small in comparison. You walk around a table poking balls in, and on top of that, it historically has a 'bad boy image'. Pool halls have always been the place where those who don't want to face the everyday rigors of life go to escape. I have heard this saying before, "A good pool player is a sign of a mis-spent youth". Why would that be so? Take the two sports, and ask someone, which one is smarter to be associated with, and golf would win hands down, and it's not just about the money, that's just how our world has evolved.
If you want to grow a sport, you have to demonstrate the beauty of it to other people, and I don't see a whole lot of pool players who are willing to openly share the game. How many schools be it junior high or college have golf programs? How many of those same schools have billiard / pool programs in place? and why? To those who play both, we know that it is about achieving a high level of mental tranquility, but to the mainstream public, they are not the same. Not even close.
If we wanted to truly grow our sport, I would suggest doing it man to man, one person at a time. Take a friend with you to play pool. Show that person why you love the game, and chances are, your friend will catch on to that vibe. Introduce them to some true talent via streams or video, and I can guarantee you it will hook em. I've heard many a story where a cue maker, or great pool player became what he is today because someone took the time to show them the magic of the game, and they became instantly connected. In church, our pastor is always asking us to bring a friend and become closer to God. I would like to see that same spirit exist here at AZ. If you promote love and what is in your heart, how can you go wrong? The power of forums like this is the fact that we reach a wide variety of people that is as easily accessible at the stroke of your keyboard. If we were to set a common goal to get one new person involved in the game every month, in 10 years, we might have have a totally different result and outlook on the game than we have today.
