Extreme sports are typically defined as any sporting activities with a high degree of risk involved. Surfing is an extreme sport as you’re literally standing on a small surface amidst waves crashing down upon you. Triathlons are extreme sports because you’re swimming, cycling, and running through fairly extreme conditions. Of all the sports out there, golf is probably last on your list of “extreme” activities.
But, is this fair? Can golf be an extreme sport? With a few minor tweaks to the traditional game, you can very easily put golf in the category of extreme sports. Let’s see how!
Extreme golf driving
Driving ranges are highly popular, but what if we took that concept and made it more dangerous or extreme? Master the basic golf swing and then put yourself in under some insane conditions. You could hold competitions where golfers are on the edge of a cliff or standing on a speedboat in the middle of the ocean, trying to see who can drive the ball the furthest. Or, head to a normal course/range but add a spin to it. Play in pairs and get one person to hit the ball while the other races the golf buggy and tries to catch it before it lands. Already, we’ve taken a pretty relaxing sport and added an extreme twist to it!
Wildlife golf courses
Now, this is already partially a thing in parts of Florida. You may have seen news reports or viral videos of massive gators strolling around golf courses. It’s pretty common in that part of the US, but it makes the sport super intense. Imagine playing golf around potentially dangerous animals. You have to try and hit your shots then get in the buggy and out of any possible danger. It takes extreme sports to the next level! Plenty of courses around the world have natural wildlife lingering about the place, so this is an easy way to add an influx of adrenaline to the sport.
Golf marathons
Marathons are one of those extreme sports that push the human body to new lengths. You can combine the idea of a marathon with golf to create a new sport entirely. Instead of playing 18 holes, you could extend the session so you cover the same ground as you would in a marathon. Or, take things another step further and play a round of golf at one course before running or cycling to a nearby one. Keep doing this until you’ve officially run a marathon while playing golf at the same time. It’s a crazy concept, but it goes to show how you can transform this simple sport into something with a bit more fire in its belly.
On its own, golf is a fantastic sport that gives you a great hobby and an easy way of keeping fit. For the thrillseekers among us, it’s probably not the first thing you’ll consider. This post has shown that we can indeed turn golf into an extreme sport with a few new ideas here and there. If you like the sound of it, then give any of these ideas a go!
