International_Golf_Federation
International Golf Federation
International golf governing body
The International Golf Federation (IGF) was founded in 1958 and is the international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the world governing body for golf. The IGF has two membership categories representing the administration of golf internationally:
- 132 National Federation Members from 126 countries[1]
- 22 Professional Members, mostly professional golf tours and Professional Golfers Associations[2]
| Sport | Golf |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | International |
| Abbreviation | IGF |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Affiliation | International Olympic Committee |
| Headquarters | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| President | Annika Sörenstam |
| Vice president(s) | Ty Votaw |
| Official website | |
| www | |
The Federation changed its name from the "World Amateur Golf Council" in 2003. It was founded in 1958 for the purpose of arranging international amateur competitions and it organizes two World Amateur Team Championships, the Eisenhower Trophy for men and the Espirito Santo Trophy for women.[3]
The headquarters of the IGF is located by the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Unlike most internationally recognized sports federations, the IGF is not responsible for developing, maintaining or administering the rules of golf. Instead, the rules are jointly developed and administered by the United States Golf Association (for the United States and Mexico only) and The R&A (the governing body derived from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the historical codifier of the rules of golf).
Olympic Games
Golf was an inaugural Olympic sport at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, where the United States and Canada were the only competing countries. The globalization of the sport has meant that following a couple of failed attempts, the International Olympic Committee's executive board approved the inclusion of golf in the Olympics by a vote of 63 votes to 27 in 2009.[4][5] The sport was included in the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2020 Olympic Games.
World Amateur Golf Team Championships
The World Amateur Golf Team Championships was started from 1958 and 1964.[6]
Men
The Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world team championship for amateur men golfers. First held in 1958, the event is named after Dwight D. Eisenhower who was the President of the United States at the time.
Women
The Espirito Santo Trophy is a biennial world team championship for amateur women golfers. It was first held in 1964, organised by Mrs. Henri Prunaret and Lally Segard, and named after Ricardo and Silvia Espirito Santo, friends of Segard who donated the trophy.
National Federations
IGF comprises 132 federations from 126 countries
Continental / Regional Federations
The following seven[7] regional association are formed with the IGF National Membership.
- Africa Golf Confederation
- Americas Golf Association
- Arab Golf Federation
- Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation
- Caribbean Golf Association[8]
- European Golf Association [fr]
- South American Golf Federation
- "IGF National Members". IGF. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- "IGF Professional Members". IGF. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- "International Golf Federation – History". Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- Karen, Mattias (9 October 2009). "Golf Has A Tee Time For 2016 Olympics". CBS News. Associated Press. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
- Smith, Ben (9 October 2009). "Golf and rugby sevens to become Olympic sports from 2016". The Times. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
- "IGF - resources". www.internationalgolffederation.org. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- "Caribbean Golf Association Official Website - Upcoming Tournaments - Past Results - Member Countries and Organizations". Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.