Golf...A Contact Sport?

In Florida last week, a friend told me about a potentially life endangering golf cart accident she had just witnessed. While busy tallying up scores after her round, she heard a loud crash as her two senior gal-pals golf cart careened off the path and ended up lodged on its side in a deep, and thankfully, dry culvert.  Miraculously, the ladies ended up with only bumps and bruises to everyone who came to their rescue’s surprise.  I remember hearing about another horrific golf cart accident that broke and gruesomely skinned the foot of a friend. My big toe still remembers the day one of the most competent women I know backed the golf cart up and over my foot. The more I hear about golf related accidents, injuries, and mishaps, the more I thought I’d better do a little research to find out if golf is as dangerous as this information suggests. 

Most golfers over the course of their playing lifetime will fall victim to an injury.  Anyone following our blog has heard about chronic back pain which just happens to be number one on golf injury’s top ten list, quickly followed by golfer’s elbow, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel (nerve pain in hand), tendonitis, knee pain, and let’s not forget the trigger finger and wrist. Dr. Larry Foster, a k a Dr. Divot estimates that 60 percent of us will get a major injury if we stick with golfing. I found “Dr. Divot’s Guide to Golf Injuries” a very easy to read and practical injury prevention guide with some great warm up routines that will help us all avoid these common injuries. Maybe because I have spent a good chunk of my life in the Public Health sector promoting healthy lifestyles that I find totally preventable golf cart accidents the most concerning.  Did you know that according to a study conducted by the University of Alabama, about 1,000 Americans are hurt on golf carts every month?  The Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus, Ohio reports that falling or jumping out of carts accounts for the largest number of injuries, 38 percent. 

I have never considered golf to be a “contact sport” but when your body hits the golf path or you are tackled by a golf cart, it may be that.  I am going to do my part to reduce injuries by reminding my husband that it is a golf cart not a go-cart and I pledge I will never drag my foot (a bad habit I have) while driving a golf cart.  It won’t be long until someone mandates golf helmets to reduce all these injuries.  Just think – with a golf helmet you would never have to worry about being hit in the head with a golf ball... or bad hair days.

Safe Golfing this Summer!

Patti