About the GAO

Please click below to view a brief video providing an overview of the Golf Association of Ontario.

 

On March 31st, 2001 the membership of the Ontario Golf Association (est. 1923) and the Ontario Ladies' Golf Association (est. 1926) voted overwhelmingly to amalgamate the two organizations and form a single golf association to be known as the Golf Association of Ontario. The GAO gained official status in November 2001.

The OGA and the OLGA represented Ontario golfers for over 75 years. As such, the GAO inherits a long and rich history. With over 420 member clubs and over 115,000 individual members, the GAO is one of the largest golf associations in the world.

As the governing body of amateur golf in Ontario, the GAO has an affiliation with the Royal Canadian Golf Association. The RCGA serve a national mandate.

The GAO plays an important role in supporting and promoting many aspects of the game, including a provision of services to member clubs and to individual members as well as contributing to the 'Good of the Game.'

The GAO is a non-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and supported by Volunteer Committees and Club Representatives throughout the province. Each member club has the opportunity to designate representatives to work with the GAO and to represent the club's interests within the association. The strength of the GAO lies in its broad range of membership support throughout Ontario.

 

Funding for programs conducted by the GAO comes from:

 

- Corporate and Private Donations
- Program Participation Fees
- Sponsorship Agreements
- Tournament Entry Fees
- Membership Fees
- Grants

 

 

Programs and Services Delivered by the GAO:

 

- Amateur Status
- Awards and Recognition Programs
- Course Measurement and Rating
- District Programs
- Handicap Systems
- Information Seminars
- Ontario Golf Hall-of-Fame
- Ontario Golf Magazine
- Sport Development Programs
- Provincial Championships
- Provincial Order of Merit 
- Scholarship Programs
- Rules of Golf
- Support for Turfgrass Research
- Volunteer Opportunities