The term ‘sport intelligence’ was first introduced by cognitive sport psychologists (e.g., Fisher, 1984; Tenenbaum and Bar-Eli, 1993, 1995) in reference to the ability of athletes to solve problems and make decisions while taking part in competition. More recent definitions (e.g., Gould, Dieffenbach & Moffet, 2002) propose sport intelligence to include components beyond in-competition decision making. In general, despite its apparent practical and theoretical importance, sport intelligence is a relatively underexplored phenomenon.

This dissertation is an exploratory investigation of the components of ‘sport intelligence’ in the context of golf. In-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews were performed with 16 experienced and expert golf coaches. The participants were prompted to create their own definitions of sport intelligence in golf based on their expertise and experiences. Also, participants assessed the suitability of components included in previous definitions of sport intelligence for the golf context. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data was analyzed using both inductive and deductive methods. For example, data from exploratory portions of the interview were analyzed inductively while data from portions of the interview that directly referenced components previously included in definitions of sport intelligence were analyzed deductively.

Analysis of interview data indicated that the components of sport intelligence in golf could be separated into two separate and somewhat distinct sets of cognitive and emotional skills. “Competitive intelligence” included cognitive and emotional processes that took place on the course during competition. Themes that described the components of competitive intelligence in the golf context were (a) Self-Knowledge, (b) Self-Awareness, (c) Environmental Perception, (d) Information Processing, (e) Course Management, (f) Cognitive Control, and (g) Understanding the Nature of Golf. “Developmental intelligence” included cognitive and emotional processes that took place during training and/or preparation and influenced the long-term development of a player. The components of developmental intelligence were (a) Self-Knowledge, (b) Self-Regulation, (c) Attitude for Development, and (d) Understanding of the Elite Sport Process.

Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed, and future directions for research are suggested. The possible significance of developmental intelligence for talent development across sports is discussed.