[vanderZwan]

"No, I won't play golf, it's playing marbles for people who don't want to bend down." - Youp van het Hek

Jokes aside, it's because it is a way to signal that you are part of the in-group by sharing in a particular activity. And what better way than to make that the kind of activity that implicitly shows off your privilege? Golf involves a large amount of grass fields set aside and maintained just for you and your friends that can't be used for anything else, and spending time on it means you can afford to not use your time on something more productive. It's gatekeeping by its very nature. It's showing off how rich you are by being wasteful with two of the most precious resources available (I think there's even a name for this in the context of evolutionary biology).

Having said that, I won't deny that it can be enjoyable in the same sense that going for a walk can be enjoyable. Going on (the equivalent of) a walk, together or alone, is a healthy thing to do. But as a social activity those other factors also play a role.

[prox]

I think it also allows for talking and doing business deals at the same time. Other sports don’t have that, unless it’s a board game.

[vanderZwan]

Agreed on the first part, that's where being a proxy for taking a walk comes into play. But regarding the second part: almost any lawn game would qualify for that, no? This could also be done over a game of horseshoes or Kubb. But that would miss all the other the gatekeeping, in-group signaling qualities mentioned.

Although maybe croquet qualifies as posh enough... Now you're having me wonder if we can categorize lawn games by the classes that play them?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_game

[rubidium]

Can we make Kubb a replacement for golf please? I’d be on the fast track to CEO :)

[mod]

Bowling, billiards, shuffleboard, darts, disc golf seem suitable off the top of my head. I'm sure there's many more.

[prox]

But bowling and billiards, darts have a more “pleb” air about them, something business folks seem keen on avoiding often.

[yeetman21]

What other sport can old people play? If they want to stay semi-active they can't really play badminton or basketball or anything else. Some of it can about about privilege or whatever, but there are other ways to show that like have boats and what not. I play golf and all the people I know genuinely enjoy it

[vanderZwan]

First, you appear to be reacting to something I did not actually say or mean to imply. I was answering a specific question about the connection between "rich" people and golf. So the question was implicitly focused on class, and therefore my answer was looking at golf from that perspective too. Please note that this is not the same as casting judgement on the qualities of golf as a sport in and of itself.

I'm not trying to tell anyone that golf is inherently bad and that they should feel bad for enjoying it (although I do stand by my earlier comment on it being a display of having excess land to waste, at least if we're talking about golf courses in areas where it does not fit into the natural landscape and where available land is scarce).

Similarly, whether or not the class comments apply to you specifically is not up to me to decide. I don't know you or your context.

Now, to answer your question: I would say that the entire category of Lawn Games would be available here. I already linked the wiki page before but I'll do so again in case that comment gets lost:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_game

There's also Tai Chi, or yoga, or just going for a walk, and we can keep going. Also, looking at my own parents, badminton and tennis are perfectly fine sports to play for retired people if your opponents are of the same age and you both take it easy. My mom plays badminton and tennis with her friends, and my father still likes to shoot hoops in his backyard. So basically, there are plenty of ways to get mild exercise out there, that is not an argument favoring golf over anything else.

[PoignardAzur]

> (I think there's even a name for this in the context of evolutionary biology).

I think you're thinking of the handicap principle.

See also: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2014-11-01

[vanderZwan]

Your thinking is spot on, and thanks for the funny link! :)