BS. Professional, tournament golf requires strength, stamina, and skill. You walk 4-5 miles during a professional round, often up and down very hilly courses (like the current U.S. Open). Both before and after your round, you go to the range to hit balls and work on your swing. A good repeatable swing requires balance, timing and strength, the same qualities a good baseball player possesses. A ball hit into deep rough requires extra strength to extract and put back into play.
Those who think that golfers are not athletes know nothing about the rigors of tournament play. Your weekend golfer, smoking a cigar and swilling beer may not be athletic, but neither is the overweight, middle-aged softball player. And both compare to the professional in the same manner -- they don't.
You walk 4-5 miles during a professional round, often up and down very hilly courses (like the current U.S. Open).
I'm old enough to remember dial telephones 25-cent-a-gallon gas and The Honeymooners.However thanks to doctors' orders I walk...at a fast pace...at least 4 miles a day on a route which includes several big hills.As a result my weight is down,my blood pressure is down and my diabetes is under much better control.
Yes,golf may well require some upper arm strength.It seems highly likely that it requires a knowledge of physics and geometry.
Center fielders are athletes.Wide receivers are athletes.Those competing in he 1,000 meter dash in he Olympics are athletes.
I can easily walk 4 miles despite my age and my artificial hip.Bu I'm no "athlete".
And I can't sink a 30 yard putt despite the fact that I have more than enough upper arm strength to get the ball to the vicinity of the hole.