smoking while playing golf

[golfernut78]

is it unfair?

okay, so cigarettes are a depressent and calm/relax a person, so wouldn't a golfer that is smoking have an unfair advantage over a golfer who doesn't smoke (assuming they are equal in all other aspects). it seems like to me that smoking (or dipping or alcohol) would give a person a mental advantage. i'm just curious of opinions.

i'm not trying to stir up controversy. i don't smoke, but i am not trying to tell others what they can and can't do. it just kind of came to me watching the big break finale and reading espn.com and there talking about steriods in baseball.

[StaffBag]

Nah......... let them kill themselves! :dntknw:

 

All the smoke lets them do is see the wind better. (As if that is an advantage.)

 

 

I've never seen a drunk or drinking golfer "perform" to the top of their ability. Some may argue this point......... I say BULLS--T!!! :drinks:

 

 

Chewing is just plain disgusting and is as bad as having to move chewed sunflower seed shells out of my line of putt!

 

 

It's their bodies....... let them screw them up to the best of their ability!

 

 

:wave:

[pingjas]

Nicklaus, Watson, Palmer, Crenshaw, and more all smoked while playing. If it's unfair maybe we should take away some of these guys majors.

[Golfchicago]

It doesn't relieve tension like beta blockers do. I don't see anything wrong with allowing smokers. I think if you ask the smokers, they probably wished they never started smoking.

[peter3]

I play better since I quit smoking 6 months ago (after 25 years of puffing)

[Golfchicago]

Now cigars are a different story. Dont be messin with my cigars, yall!

[TourPro21]

the amount of "high" i get from when i throw a dip in on the course is very minimal... i don't throw a dip in to calm my nerves or light up a cig because i have an intense match goin on... people who smoke/chew do it because of habit, not because they are nervous as $hit! These people have been doing it for so long, that they would feel lost without it, i know i would. Now, if they are nervous, they might do it more often, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they have an unfair advantage, it might even hinder there playing ability, say if they were to run out, then that might cause an effect on someones game... in final, let the smokers smoke, the chewers chew, and the boozers booze~!

 

*** the only complaint i have is cigarette butts all over the place and when people toss out there dip on the green, couple things that irk me

[kkhere]

i have no problem with it. Let the smokers smoke

[Golf_Beauty]

I have asthma and don't like to be around smokers for obvious reasons.

 

In light of that, I a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y HATE :drinks: seeing butts in the fairway and on the green. If you are going to smoke, please put your f-:dntknw:-ing butts in the garbage.

[alcap26]

Nicotine is a stimulant not a depressant so actually tobacco does a diservice to golfers due to the increased heart rate. It does not act like a beta blocker. That information is wrong. The below was taken from the website "How Stuff Works" health section

 

Nicotine and the Body

Nicotine initially causes a rapid release of adrenaline, the "fight-or-flight" hormone. If you've ever jumped in fright at a scary movie or rushed around the office trying to finish a project by your deadline, you may be familiar with adrenaline's effects:

 

Rapid heartbeat

Increased blood pressure

Rapid, shallow breathing

Adrenaline also tells your body to dump some of its glucose stores into your blood. This makes sense if you remind yourself that the "fight-or-flight" response is meant to help you either defend yourself from a hungry predator or hightail it out of a dangerous situation -- running or brawling both require plenty of energy to fuel your muscles. (For more information, see How Exercise Works.)

 

Nicotine itself may also block the release of the hormone insulin. Insulin tells your cells to take up excess glucose from your blood. This means that nicotine makes people somewhat hyperglycemic, having more sugar than usual in their blood. Some people think that nicotine also curbs their appetite so that they eat less. This hyperglycemia could be one explanation why: Their bodies and brain may see the excess sugar and down-regulate the hormones and other signals that are perceived as hunger.

 

Nicotine may also increase your basal metabolic rate slightly. This means that you burn more calories than you usually would when you are just sitting around. (For more information on metabolism, see How Calories Work.) However, losing weight by smoking doesn't give you any of the health benefits that you'd get if you were losing weight by exercising -- it actually does the opposite! Over the long haul, nicotine can increase the level of the "bad" cholesterol, LDL, that damages your arteries. This makes it more likely that you could have a heart attack or a stroke.

 

http://health.howstuffworks.com/nicotine.htm

[Golf_Beauty]

Nicotine is a stimulant not a depressant so actually tobacco does a diservice to golfers due to the increased heart rate. It does not act like a beta blocker. That information is wrong. The below was taken from the website "How Stuff Works" health section

 

Nicotine and the Body

Nicotine initially causes a rapid release of adrenaline, the "fight-or-flight" hormone. If you've ever jumped in fright at a scary movie or rushed around the office trying to finish a project by your deadline, you may be familiar with adrenaline's effects:

 

Rapid heartbeat

Increased blood pressure

Rapid, shallow breathing

Adrenaline also tells your body to dump some of its glucose stores into your blood. This makes sense if you remind yourself that the "fight-or-flight" response is meant to help you either defend yourself from a hungry predator or hightail it out of a dangerous situation -- running or brawling both require plenty of energy to fuel your muscles. (For more information, see How Exercise Works.)

 

Nicotine itself may also block the release of the hormone insulin. Insulin tells your cells to take up excess glucose from your blood. This means that nicotine makes people somewhat hyperglycemic, having more sugar than usual in their blood. Some people think that nicotine also curbs their appetite so that they eat less. This hyperglycemia could be one explanation why: Their bodies and brain may see the excess sugar and down-regulate the hormones and other signals that are perceived as hunger.

 

Nicotine may also increase your basal metabolic rate slightly. This means that you burn more calories than you usually would when you are just sitting around. (For more information on metabolism, see How Calories Work.) However, losing weight by smoking doesn't give you any of the health benefits that you'd get if you were losing weight by exercising -- it actually does the opposite! Over the long haul, nicotine can increase the level of the "bad" cholesterol, LDL, that damages your arteries. This makes it more likely that you could have a heart attack or a stroke.

 

http://health.howstuffworks.com/nicotine.htm

 

 

Lawdamercy!! :dntknw:

[MrParr1Noid]

Nicotine is a stimulant not a depressant so actually tobacco does a diservice to golfers due to the increased heart rate. It does not act like a beta blocker. That information is wrong. The below was taken from the website "How Stuff Works" health section

 

Nicotine and the Body

Nicotine initially causes a rapid release of adrenaline, the "fight-or-flight" hormone. If you've ever jumped in fright at a scary movie or rushed around the office trying to finish a project by your deadline, you may be familiar with adrenaline's effects:

 

Rapid heartbeat

Increased blood pressure

Rapid, shallow breathing

Adrenaline also tells your body to dump some of its glucose stores into your blood. This makes sense if you remind yourself that the "fight-or-flight" response is meant to help you either defend yourself from a hungry predator or hightail it out of a dangerous situation -- running or brawling both require plenty of energy to fuel your muscles. (For more information, see How Exercise Works.)

 

Nicotine itself may also block the release of the hormone insulin. Insulin tells your cells to take up excess glucose from your blood. This means that nicotine makes people somewhat hyperglycemic, having more sugar than usual in their blood. Some people think that nicotine also curbs their appetite so that they eat less. This hyperglycemia could be one explanation why: Their bodies and brain may see the excess sugar and down-regulate the hormones and other signals that are perceived as hunger.

 

Nicotine may also increase your basal metabolic rate slightly. This means that you burn more calories than you usually would when you are just sitting around. (For more information on metabolism, see How Calories Work.) However, losing weight by smoking doesn't give you any of the health benefits that you'd get if you were losing weight by exercising -- it actually does the opposite! Over the long haul, nicotine can increase the level of the "bad" cholesterol, LDL, that damages your arteries. This makes it more likely that you could have a heart attack or a stroke.

 

http://health.howstuffworks.com/nicotine.htm

 

 

Lana

 

Good research, now we have to convince Andy to look at this. I truely feel anything that keeps people from starting to smoke or get's them to stop is worthwhile information. IMHFO :dntknw:

[need4speed]

Not against me because i'm used to it since my parents smoke

Frankly, it's disgusting and I think i've succumbed to the black lung... :dntknw:

[alcap26]

Nicotine is a stimulant not a depressant so actually tobacco does a diservice to golfers due to the increased heart rate. It does not act like a beta blocker. That information is wrong. The below was taken from the website "How Stuff Works" health section

 

Nicotine and the Body

Nicotine initially causes a rapid release of adrenaline, the "fight-or-flight" hormone. If you've ever jumped in fright at a scary movie or rushed around the office trying to finish a project by your deadline, you may be familiar with adrenaline's effects:

 

Rapid heartbeat

Increased blood pressure

Rapid, shallow breathing

Adrenaline also tells your body to dump some of its glucose stores into your blood. This makes sense if you remind yourself that the "fight-or-flight" response is meant to help you either defend yourself from a hungry predator or hightail it out of a dangerous situation -- running or brawling both require plenty of energy to fuel your muscles. (For more information, see How Exercise Works.)

 

Nicotine itself may also block the release of the hormone insulin. Insulin tells your cells to take up excess glucose from your blood. This means that nicotine makes people somewhat hyperglycemic, having more sugar than usual in their blood. Some people think that nicotine also curbs their appetite so that they eat less. This hyperglycemia could be one explanation why: Their bodies and brain may see the excess sugar and down-regulate the hormones and other signals that are perceived as hunger.

 

Nicotine may also increase your basal metabolic rate slightly. This means that you burn more calories than you usually would when you are just sitting around. (For more information on metabolism, see How Calories Work.) However, losing weight by smoking doesn't give you any of the health benefits that you'd get if you were losing weight by exercising -- it actually does the opposite! Over the long haul, nicotine can increase the level of the "bad" cholesterol, LDL, that damages your arteries. This makes it more likely that you could have a heart attack or a stroke.

 

http://health.howstuffworks.com/nicotine.htm

 

 

Lana

 

Good research, now we have to convince Andy to look at this. I truely feel anything that keeps people from starting to smoke or get's them to stop is worthwhile information. IMHFO :dntknw:

 

Well my parents smoke like chimneys and you know of my struggles with Copenhagen. I am nicotine free for 9 months now and have to say it was the best choice I ever made. We will have to work on Andy.

 

Alan (aka Lana)

[Asleep]

Smoking only "calms" the "nerves" of those who are addicted and it does so much other damage that I'd say there is no advantage in golf for smokers and certainly no advantage in life. :dntknw:

[shoe295]

I'm not sure that smoking would have any beneficial effect on golf performance. Smoker's as a rule are using nicotine to make themselves feel calmer, but I'm thinking they are looking more towards feeling "normal" as opposed to calm. Besides, I gain a decided advantage after hiding their smokes as they spend time searching and getting all riled up. Cigar smokers, especially those who only smoke on the golf course, are more affected by the stimulant aspect than cigarette smokers, unless you smoke them the way my dad did; 20 cigars a day and inhale every puff. So by all means puff away. Frank your cigars are safe from me..lol

 

Banning beta blockers would be kind of interesting for those with high blood pressure. For those using blockers just to steady the nerves, that's just not right, although the side effects of drowsiness and/or lack of strength may make some folks think twice about it.

[aldanger99]

As long as the guy your playing with doesn't insist on smoking up-wind from you I say let 'em do it. But dumping butts anywhere except the trash should result in being banned from the course for life. I hate seeing butts around the tee box and on the fairway.

[shook23]

When I used to dip, I still hardly ever did it when I was playing golf, just couldn't play well with it, made me all loopy. I grew a tolerance for it everywhere except the course! And when it did throw one in on the course, the people I would be playing with would look at me like I had 3 heads.

[cpa49707]

A cigeratte on the course or anywhere for that matter will only help you slow down your breathing which will in turn help calm and relax your muscles. I'm a smoker and I rarely find where smoking helps me on the course.

[Debit]

A group (man and wife) told me i couldn't play with them since i was smoking. Have any of you guys done that or been through that?

 

That's pretty rude of them. I could understand asking you to refrain from smoking if you were sharing a cart. So you walk to your next shot or smoke while waiting at the teebox. Smokers have become an easy target for all sorts of criticism. I agree, dump your butts in the trash, but my goodness, there is enough room on a fairway for smokers and other hacks.

[Golf_Beauty]

...smokers and other hacks.

 

Nice. :dntknw:

[suwii]

i don't care whether itz fair or unfair

itz just really unhealthy and digusting o_____________o

[Debit]

There are a whole lot of things that are disgusting and/or unhealthy -- that doesn't mean that any of us should be able to ban them. Tobacco is, after all, still legal. If you are going to get all huffy about disgusting behavior -- how about chewing gum, spitting, nose picking, playing shirtless, and just plain being clueless. I'll share my fairway with a well-mannered smoker who enjoys the game and has a modicum of golf etiquette.

[Golfwolf]

I just noticed this discussion, smoking does not help me when I play, sometimes I believe it hurts my game as well as my health. Having said that, I am not opposed to smokers for obvious reasons. My plan to quit again is in the works, wish me luck to stay off them for good this time.

[steph1964]

I won't play golf with smokers, especially cigar smokers. The level of nicotine in the body calms addiction temporarily. Every 20 to 40 minutes there is agitation until the nicotine level is "upped" again. I can't see this as an advantage. Not to mention the fact that they look stupid and smell like poo.