ABSTRACT
This chapter considers two theoretical perspectives that could help inform understanding of constructive motivation in the sport of golf. While motivation in golf beyond the traditional dichotomy of achievement goals has largely escaped the attentions of researchers, to draw upon the wider sport literature. The chapter highlights some common issues, but also some robust messages that transcended theoretical perspectives. Most notably the promotion of competence, use of self-referenced goals, and need for those responsible for guiding future generations of golfers to have autonomy support as the bedrock of coaching practice. In terms of goal orientations in golfers; for beginners, mastery goals facilitate interest and persistence and, when manipulated can promote better performance than ego/performance goals. Similarly, in recreational golfers, task involvement is positively related to happiness and excitement, while ego involvement was correlated with dejection. Achievement goals may be differentiated on two basic dimensions of competence: according to how it is defined and according to how it is valenced.
