Comparing distance running to golf

[OGputtnfool]

For those of you out there who've run a few long distance runs (for the purpose of this conversation, we'll say 1/2 marathon and longer), how would you compare "success" in running to "success" in golf?

I'm specifically looking to hear from those who've run a 3hr marathon (or faster) or a 1.5hr 1/2 marathon (or faster).

I'm thinking something like this:

2:20 marathon and below = PGA Tour Pro
2:20:01 - 2:45 marathon = Korn Ferry/Mini-Tour pro
2:45:01 - 3:10 marathon = + handicap to -2ish amateurs

Does that sound fairly close?

 

[goalie]

No clue, my PR is 3 hours 36 minutes, and my slowest was 5 hours one minute, but, in my defense, I'd gone for a swim and a bike ride first.....

 

[Vortex]

No clue, my PR is 3 hours 36 minutes, and my slowest was 5 hours one minute, but, in my defense, I'd gone for a swim and a bike ride first.....

Which IM did you do? I did WI (3x), CDA, and Canada (2x) along with ~25 marathons...then started golfing.

My 1/2 PR is 1:30 and full is 3:14. Sub 5.X index is the goal but still have a long way to go. FWIW, there's a huge difference between a 2:59 and 2:45 marathon. 2:45 marathon is more rare than a + index. Just my 2 cents.

 

[goalie]

Which IM did you do? I did WI (3x), CDA, and Canada (2x) along with ~25 marathons...then started golfing.

My 1/2 PR is 1:30 and full is 3:14. Sub 5.X index is the goal but still have a long way to go. FWIW, there's a huge difference between a 2:59 and 2:45 marathon. 2:45 marathon is more rare than a + index. Just my 2 cents.

I did Wisconsin. Crashed on the bike, dislocating my shoulder.

Took me 13 hours 16 minutes.

 

[wubears71]

I ran a half in 1 hr 45 min and don’t think there is any possible way to run one faster so in that way it’s like golf - I will never get to scratch no matter how hard I train.

 

[Vortex]

I did Wisconsin. Crashed on the bike, dislocating my shoulder.

Took me 13 hours 16 minutes.

Ouch! Congrats for finishing. IMs are tough enough and doing it with a dislocated shoulder is impressive. Madison had a brutal heat wave during my first race. Lost 14 lbs during the event and ended up with an IV. Several family members are healthcare providers and they volunteered in the med tent that day. Around 1/3 of the field stopped by for a visit. Needless to say, they were overwhelmed.

 

[Bernoulli]

I did Wisconsin. Crashed on the bike, dislocating my shoulder.

Took me 13 hours 16 minutes.

Makes walking 18 in the heat seem so insignificant.

I have finished 3 marathons with a best of 4:23. I have nothing but utmost respect for anyone who attempts and completes a full IM.

 

[goalie]

Be impressed by the guys and gals who are not strong swimmers who do an IM. I literally hit the water twice before mine and it was my best (age group place) event.

Those poor swimmers hit a pool 3-5 days a week to work on their swimming in addition to about 20 hours of running and biking a week.



Hint: don't get your wife pregnant when you are training. They don't appreciate your weight loss when they're feeling bloated.....

 

[annsguy]

Completing a marathon gave me a sense of accomplishment that I have'nt matched with any other sport. What I get from golf every once in a while is an unamtched apprecaition of the beauty we have in the world.

 

[Bernoulli]

Completing a marathon gave me a sense of accomplishment that I have'nt matched with any other sport. What I get from golf every once in a while is an unamtched apprecaition of the beauty we have in the world.

I wholeheartedly agree with you.

 

[-CRW-]

Plenty of tour pros couldn’t run more than a few miles regardless of time.

So no correlation whatsoever.

 

[goalie]

Plenty of tour pros couldn’t run more than a few miles regardless of time.

So no correlation whatsoever.

He was talking about relative difficulty, not how fast PGA dudes crank out 10k's.

Like this: it's as hard to run a 2:45 marathon as it is to be scratch.

Not: scratch golfers can all run 2:45 marathons.

 

[-CRW-]

He was talking about relative difficulty, not how fast PGA dudes crank out 10k's.

Okay, then the concept is pointless. You might as well say that in any sport the paid pros are the best, followed by the minor leagues, followed by people who are really good but not good enough to do it in any form for a living, then everyone else to some degree.

In other words, duh.

 

[goalie]

Okay, then the concept is pointless. You might as well say that in any sport the paid pros are the best, followed by the minor leagues, followed by people who are really good but not good enough to do it in any form for a living, then everyone else to some degree.

In other words, duh.

Um, he was trying to see what people thought in terms of times correlating with different golf benchmarks.

Specifics.

We know they're good.

Runners often look at other runners by time, we look by index.

So, what index is comparable in terms of difficulty to obtain with, say, a sub 3 hour marathon????

 

[Bernoulli]

I thought that golfers measured themselves to other golfers by height!

 

[-CRW-]

I thought that golfers measured themselves to other golfers by height!

I thought it was by how far they hit their driver.

 

[OGputtnfool]

He was talking about relative difficulty, not how fast PGA dudes crank out 10k's.

Like this: it's as hard to run a 2:45 marathon as it is to be scratch.

Not: scratch golfers can all run 2:45 marathons.

Um, he was trying to see what people thought in terms of times correlating with different golf benchmarks.

Specifics.

We know they're good.

Runners often look at other runners by time, we look by index.

So, what index is comparable in terms of difficulty to obtain with, say, a sub 3 hour marathon????

Exactly.

Okay, then the concept is pointless. You might as well say that in any sport the paid pros are the best, followed by the minor leagues, followed by people who are really good but not good enough to do it in any form for a living, then everyone else to some degree.

In other words, duh.

One man's trash is another man's treasure, I guess.

 

[OGputtnfool]

So, goalie is right, I'm wondering how to quantify a certain level of accomplishment in golf to a distance runner. My brother has run 15-20 marathons and has a PR of 3:01:48 @ Boston in 2014 (I think... it was the year after the bombing). He knows nothing of golf, but if I tell him I'm a -9 handicap and that's roughly like being able to run a X:XX:XX marathon, it'd mean something.

 

[tahoebum]

I have lots of buddies that do triathlons but only a few of them still run

So, goalie is right, I'm wondering how to quantify a certain level of accomplishment in golf to a distance runner. My brother has run 15-20 marathons and has a PR of 3:01:48 @ Boston in 2014 (I think... it was the year after the bombing). He knows nothing of golf, but if I tell him I'm a -9 handicap and that's roughly like being able to run a X:XX:XX marathon, it'd mean something.

Just tell him you're better than about 70% of the golfers. I don't know how that correlates to running marathons as I've never had any desire to be a runner since I quit the track team in 9th grade for golf.

 

[Bernoulli]

Understanding and applying your criteria, I would think that a single digit handicap would be similar to a marathon runner who could run a Boston Qualifying time. That’s 3:10 for a male 18-34. And as you get older you get more time.

By the way 3:01 is an impressive time for Boston.

I’ve run with many people who have run marathons and I golfed with many single digit caps.