Abstract
Golf is one of the most participated sports played worldwide. However, how injury distributions change between different golf populations is unknown, and associated injury risk factors are unclear. Therefore, this review aimed to describe the common musculoskeletal injuries in different golf populations and identify their associated risk factors. A systematic search was performed to identify eligible articles through PubMed, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE, and Scopus up until September 4, 2023. Of the 4643 studies identified, 58 satisfied the inclusion criteria. Data from 10,437 subjects were extracted, with the most common area of injury to all golf populations being the lower back. Different injury distributions were found between populations with elite male golfers ( n = 1924 injuries, 62% of all injuries) and recreational male golfers ( n = 442 injuries, 45% of all injuries) reporting the trunk as the most injured region, whereas upper-extremity injuries were the most prevalent injury in elite female golfers ( n = 890 injuries, 42% of all injuries) and recreational female golfers ( n = 178 injuries, 47% of all injuries). Range-of-motion deficits at the hip and spine were identified as risk factors for elite golfers, whereas measures of lower-limb and trunk strength endurance were identified as risk factors for recreational golfers, suggesting areas of focus for golf practitioners. However, there is a paucity of robust studies evaluating the epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries in all golf populations, and because of the variety of methods and measures used, detailed comparisons and definitive recommendations were difficult to make. Nonetheless, this review provides an overview of the common golf injuries and possible risk factors, which can aid partitioners in developing strategies for injury prevention for all golfing demographics.