Tennis and golf seem so much different than almost all other sports. Baseball is the most intense with a pitcher throwing a ball towards you at over 100mph. NFL quarterbacks have to go to a silent count to snap the ball because they can’t hear the call. Basketball, Soccer (futball), Rugby, NFL, hockey, etc… all allow as much noise as you can make. Most teams will also encourage noise when the opponent has the ball. Why is tennis and golf an outlier?
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I would absolutely love to watch a golf tournament where screaming and yelling and cheering was encouraged. Give it a really big paycheck for the winner and hire a lot of extra security. But it’ll be fun to watch.
I think tennis is unique due to the players having to hear the umpire and line judges. Golf? I have no idea. Probably just tradition I think it would be more entertaining if the crowd could get into it.
I will mention as a tennis player noise itself doesn’t bother me. It’s sudden noise or change in noise which is distracting. Like if the crowd was talking the whole time, that is just white noise. But if someone yells “suck it” when I’m in the middle of my serve, that could be distracting.
because they are pretty much sports exclusive to rich people so they want the plebs to show respect when they play
Golf and other single moment of concentration type sports need just that. If it was a continuous din it would be alright, but having something shock you just as you swing can throw you off. Same for marksmanship sports, powerlifting, diving, you name it.
Tennis is more of a cultural thing. Someone decided hearing the sounds of the court is desirable over a loud crowd and we’ve stuck with it. Tennis also has all sorts of other sportsmanship rules and expectations you won’t see in many sports. It’s an outlier.
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