What injuries can you get from golf?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 15, 2026
8 of the Most Common Golf Injuries
- Golf Back Injuries or Pain. ...
- Rotator Cuff Injury. ...
- Golfer's Elbow. ...
- Golf Wrist Injury Like Tendonitis. ...
- Knee Pain or Injury. ...
- Foot and Ankle Injuries. ...
- Golf Hip Injury. ...
- Sunburn.
What are the dangers of golf?
7 Common Risks On The Golf Course And How To Avoid Them
- Injuring someone else. There are several famous examples of golfers hitting a wayward shot which has caused serious injury to another person. ...
- Injuring yourself. ...
- Erratic golfers. ...
- Theft. ...
- Slippery surfaces. ...
- Wildlife. ...
- The sun.
What muscles should hurt after golf?
While the most common area you're likely to feel some tightness is in your hamstrings, soreness can occur anywhere (calves, quads, groin). Knee pain on the other hand, maybe a sign of something a little more serious.
What body part does golfers injure most often?
One of the most — if not the single most — common issues for golfers is lower back pain. Spinal compression and prolonged bending play a role in stressing the back over time. Although this type of ailment isn't usually traumatic, continuing to play with back pain can lead to other injuries, including herniated discs.
Can you tear a muscle playing golf?
Avid golfers can end up messing up their rotator cuffs, which are the four stabilizing muscles located in each of your shoulders. Rotator cuff impingements are when the muscles swell and pinch the space between the arm and shoulder bones. Another type of injury occurs when one of the tendons or muscles tear.
18 related questions foundHow do golf players get injured?
Injuries can occur when the golfer looses his or her footing or balance during the swing, while performing the swing with the improper swing mechanics, and when hitting a ball off an uneven surface.
Why does my body hurt after golf?
Golf puts a lot of strain on the muscles, tendons, and joints in your shoulders and they are susceptible to overuse injuries such as inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons, impingement syndrome and arthritis, and strain and sprain injuries.
What's the most common injury in golf?
8 of the Most Common Golf Injuries
- Golf Back Injuries or Pain. ...
- Rotator Cuff Injury. ...
- Golfer's Elbow. ...
- Golf Wrist Injury Like Tendonitis. ...
- Knee Pain or Injury. ...
- Foot and Ankle Injuries. ...
- Golf Hip Injury. ...
- Sunburn.
Is golf good for your body?
Playing golf is good for your heart
So, golf exercises your heart and keeps your heart rate up. This will naturally lower your risk for heart disease and other cardiovascular issues, as well as potentially lowering your levels of 'bad' cholesterol. Regularly playing golf may even lead to an increase in life expectancy.
Can golf cause rib pain?
Golfing and Ribs
Nonetheless, rib injuries are a relatively uncommon problem in golf. If you do damage your ribs playing golf, you'll feel pain when swinging and in some cases see bruising around the affected rib.
Is golf hard on your body?
Although golf is a low-impact sport, it's associated with several injuries. Many golfing-related injuries are a result of poor mechanics or overuse. The most commonly injured area is the lower back. Other injured areas can include the elbow, wrist and hand, and shoulder.
Why is my forearm sore from golf?
Golfer's elbow is a form of tendonitis that causes pain and inflammation in the tendons that connect the forearm to the elbow. The pain centers on the bony bump on the inside of your elbow and may radiate into the forearm. It usually gets better with rest. The medical term is medial epicondylitis.
Can playing golf cause chest pain?
Chest wall pain that is caused by a strained or pulled muscle often happens as a result of overuse. You may have lifted something heavy or injured yourself playing sports. For example, gymnastics, rowing, tennis, and golf all involve repetitive motion and may cause chronic strains.
How many golfers get injured a year?
A 2016 paper from the National Health Statistics Report, which investigated over 8.6 million reported recreational injuries, states that golf—which was grouped with tennis, badminton and bowling—had a rate of 1.8 injuries for every 1,000 persons.
Why do my hands hurt from golf?
A bad grip often contributes to hand pain after golf. Gripping the club too tightly or in the wrong way can result in injury. One hand injury we see in golfers is a fracture of the hook of the hamate. The hook of the hamate is a bone in your wrist.
Can playing golf hurt your neck?
Neck pain tends to develop in golfers on the lead side of their neck. It tends to occur due to fatigue in muscles and over practice. Tension in your lead arm places strain on your neck. Protruding your chin positions your neck in an extended position increasing compression.
Is golf a rich person sport?
Because golf is considered a 'rich man's sport' owing to the high cost, it has a reputation as a premium sport. Golf courses can cost as much as $500 a round, depending on the course.
Why do rich people play golf?
Rich people play golf because they can afford the financial costs necessary to overcome its entry barriers. In addition, besides being an enjoyable activity, golf provides a certain social status, and it allows them to network with other wealthy individuals.
Why is golf so addicting?
Simply the process of going to the golf club, assembling equipment, teeing off at a set time and completing 18 holes is repetitive and can be comforting. As we seek ways to assuage anxiety, the repetitive nature of golf makes it addictive. “Anything repetitive tends to calm us down,” says Morris.
Can golf cause groin strain?
If you have pain in your groin after golfing, it may be due to decreased hip motion, which causes stress on the muscles surrounding your hip. Try adjusting your feet in your golf stance to relieve the discomfort.
Can golf cause knee problems?
The top three golf-related injuries are: Meniscal and ligament tears. Tendonitis and tendinopathy. Provocation of degenerative change/osteoarthritis.
Do pro golfers get sore?
It is estimated that up to 35 percent of amateur golfers endure lower back injuries. And in our experience working with tour players, the prevalence is even higher in the professional ranks! Back pain can affect our ball striking and short game, diminish our enjoyment of the game, or even stop us playing altogether.
Why am I so tired after playing golf?
While playing golf may not require as much physical energy as a sport like basketball or football, fatigue can set in during a full-length golf game as 18 holes take an average of four hours to complete. [ii] When fatigue sets in during golf, it usually occurs during the final or back nine holes.
How do you recover from golf soreness?
1 way to prevent or relieve muscle soreness is to stretch. Regardless of fitness experience, it's essential to warm up and cool the body down around workouts and activity. Even if it's just a quick range session, take 10 minutes minimum for a head-to-toe stretch.
Can golf cause intercostal muscle strain?
Excess twisting may occur from sports such as tennis or golf, or from twisting while lifting. Less forceful twisting can also strain the intercostal muscles, such as certain yoga postures or dance positions.