The poll of 6,000 American women and men found that for women, the most attractive sport for a man was rock-climbing, closely followed by extreme sports, including car racing. Predictably, men preferred women who practised aerobics and yoga over those who did body-building and rugby . 

Golf was one of the lowest scoring, ranking the third least sexy sport on a woman and the second least sexy on a man. "The best way to find happiness - not to mention a long-lasting fitness regime - is to do what you love. Unless, that is, it's golf!' said Sam Murphy. 

The conclusion is, golf, with its Pringle jumpers, plaid trousers and electric buggies, has scant sex appeal. Is it a coincidence then, wonders Ms Moneta, that UBS has canned all three of its major golf sponsorships in favour of a five year deal with Formula 1? 

Last week Switzerland's largest bank announced it had ended its six year multi-million sponsorship deal with the Hong Kong Open, one of the most prominent golf tournaments on Asian soil. Past champions include Peter Thomson, Greg Norman, José Maria Olazábal, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Colin Montgomerie. It follows UBS’s final year with The Players Championship after 2010 and before that the exit from Japan Golf Tour Championship after 2009.

It cited a “strategic sponsorship shift away from golf” as the reason.

“UBS is extremely proud of the central role it has played in establishing the Hong Kong Open as one of the most prestigious championships in Asian golf. As part of a strategic shift in its sponsorship strategy away from golf, UBS has decided not to extend its title sponsorship beyond 2011,” Kathy Shih, UBS chief executive of wealth management in Asia-Pacific, said in a statement.

Keith Waters, The European Tour’s chief operating officer, said: “We understand UBS’s decision not to extend their contract based on a strategic shift in their sponsorship programme, but we thank them for their support and look forward to ensuring the good health of the Hong Kong Open with the continued backing of the Hong Kong government and a new sponsor.”

Instead, the bank is turning to fast cars, astronaut Neil Armstrong and star architect Zaha Hadid to inject a bit of fire into its image. Its advertising campaign it launched last year, featuring the slogan "We Will Not Rest" flanked by images of A-list celebrities, was a hit with its employees. 

"It goes against the traditional image of the stuffy Swiss private bank," said one UBS executive based in London. "It might appeal to a younger, more entrepreneurial client base who does their deals on their private jet, not on the golf course," he added.

The Zurich-listed bank could use an injection of sex-appeal. Net new money in the wealth management business slumped by a half during the second quarter, from SFr11.1 billion to SFr5.6 billion during the first three months of the year. The bank's chief executive Oswald Gruebel announced this week he will slash hundreds of jobs to cut up to SFr2 billion ($2.5 billion) in costs.

Only time will tell whether its racy image will be seductive enough.