ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to review and consider the major organizations responsible for the governance of golf. The chapter will examine the entities at international level responsible for governance of golf, as well as review the role, purpose and function of some of the key governing bodies worldwide, at both amateur and professional levels. Although the governance arrangements to be introduced in this chapter may seem overly complex and somewhat fragmented, it should be remembered that these arrangements are an artefact of history and tradition, and a reflection on times when sport was administered solely by volunteers – by members of the community for the community. The professionalization and commercialization of the sport sector generally in the last 30–40 years has seen many outdated governance practices replaced, but the pace of change has been sporadic from sport to sport, and patchy throughout the world depending on the country and its attitude to sport and its importance.
