In 2009 it was announced that Golf would be included in the Rio 2016 Games! Is this a good or bad thing? There are good arguments for both sides! Personaly I quite like the idea, but only if the players see it ranking on a similar level to a Major Championship.

http://www.golfshake.com/news/view/4417/Golf_in_the_Olympics_For_or_Against.html

What do you think?

The Olympic committee have already introduced sports which have no place in the Olympics, in my opinion. Football, for one.

We have already witnessed a Cycling road race in which 150 of the participants made no effort to win a medal, allowing a cyclist with no outstanding credentials to take a Gold medal.

I also doubt very much if the Golf Professionals would be willing to live in poor accommodation for the duration of the games to win a piece of metal, when they could be somewhere nicer winning money.

Tennis, Golf, Football, Rugby, Cricket etc - big no no - these are all too professional and should not be included in the Olympics

golf should be included if it was purely amateur. No professionals just amateurs. Of course that would never happen as the money is in the professional game and where there is money there is power!

The olympics profess to have the best in the world...lets have it right, the best that can be bothered. I wish they did have golf on, it'd be more entertaining than watching so called 'sports' like rifle shooting (with a stand to rest your gun on) to hit a moitionless target at 10 metres and the bow and arrow crowd more or less doing the same. I think these two particular sports could join together, the synergy of cowboys and indians would surely be a crowd pleaser. Of course the guns would be paintball bullets and the arrows most definately have rubber suction ends with a 'three deads and you're out' but over the years real ammo could be used and natural selection would ensure both events petered out.

Like others have already said, I don't think that golf should be an Olympic sport. I think that sports where the pinnacle of competition is the olympics should only be included. With sports such as golf, tennis, football etc an Olympic gold is not the highest achievable honour. There is not 1 golfer who would swap a major win for olympic gold !

Actually John football was in the Olympics from the very beginning, way before the world cup started and long before the game became what it is today.

I'd agree that it doesn't belong these days (and feel the same way about tennis and golf) what with all the ££££ involved in the pro game, but when it was added it was just as amateur as any of the other sports.

The idea that the Olympics is an am sport has long gone since sponsorships came about etc. However I do not believe that sport such as golf, football etc where professionals are permitted to play should be included. As for shooting and archery I ask that you try it before banning. Its dam hard.

Sorry foxey, was only having a laugh. I would try it but I'm sure 'no shooting' is one condition of my probation. Seriously though, as you say the Olympics should be non pro only. I think given some of the sports then it is a bit mind boggling why golf isn't there. It's one of the most popular games and would do nothing but good for the whole comp. See you Sun @ Ramsdale.

no....there are already to many pro sports in the olympics.

The olympics are the ultimate prize for most of the 'lesser known' sports, it is their 'major'.

If they did introduce golf then id like to see a two or three man/woman team format, maybe combined score or points , but not a 140player field with a cut....something abit different and maybe more interesting and fun...

Dan, exactly! something abit different and maybe more interesting and fun

Nick's written up a post on his views here which is a great article:

http://www.golfshake.com/news/view/4430/Should_Golf_be_an_Olympic_Sport.html

Why not but with out profesional. Look for tenis thesame players from wembledon playing now on olimpic . Where is sens????? But if this is ok why profesional boxers not in?

I hasten to add that I was talking amatuer only, the pros wouldn't turn out a) because of no money and b) why should they put themselves alongside pleb menials that JUST MIGHT give them a run for their money?

On the boxing theme......amatuer boxing and pro boxing are in effect two different sports played under different rules, no KO's head guards, length of bout etc..this is why amatuer boxing is in, well that is the reason that it got in. Why football, tennis etc are in I have no idea.

Surpose if onee pro sport is in then why not all in...

thats the thing though, if a boxer wins he decides to go pro, golf and tennis etc should be amateur only at the olympics

Connor, i agree that olympics should be amatuer, but its too late now. the precident as been set by letting pros in....

....i dont think pros actually get paid, but 'bonus' is paid by some countries olympic commitees to athletes get podium finishes...

Also i think it can become unfair to allow a sport into olympics that are dominated by only a few different nations, look at the allstar NBA usa team in the basketball..

I'm not sure if golf should be in the Olympics, but would tend to agree that as one of the few sports that has a genuine amateur status, there is no reason why it should not be an amateur comp. Maybe giving a tour card to the gold medalist?

However, for those who think the big names won't attend because of the money (or lack of it), I think you only have to look at the mens singles tennis final yesterday contested by two of the worlds current greatest sportsmen to see that it's more than money. Like the Ryder Cup, this would be an opportunity for tour pro's to move away from the lonely grind that is the European / PGA tours and do something as part of a team with your country's name on the sleeve - I think you'll be surprised by who competes.

There is nothing in it on the Poll on the Golfshake Facebook page! 130 votes, 3 undecided. 64 saying it is a bad thing and 63 saying it is a good thing!!

https://www.facebook.com/golfshake

http://glfs.hk/golfshake-facebook

Direct link: http://glfs.hk/golfshake-facebook

I think it should be in - but for the amateurs ONLY Keep it in the spirit of the Olympics