From what I've seen, the NYT loves throwing curveballs like these puns to keep people guessing and make it interesting. My uncle does the crossword every morning and says half the fun is trying to think outside the box. If they just asked easy, straightforward questions, it would be too boring for a lot of people. Like, you get clues that combine completely random stuff, like technology and sports, so it makes your brain work in a different way.

For the 'golf shot computer hardware' thing, most people wouldn't connect the two at first, but when it clicks, it's super satisfying. I feel like these clever clues keep people coming back to the puzzle, because everyone secretly wants that "aha!" moment. Plus, thinking about how words can mean different things in different settings is actually kinda useful. So yeah, it gets annoying sometimes when you can't figure it out, but it definitely makes the whole crossword more of a challenge and not just another boring quiz. That's why they're so popular, I guess!