ABSTRACT

Older golfers who choose to access professional teaching and coaching provided by knowledgeable personnel can be proactive with regard to injuries resulting from poor swing mechanics or improper equipment. More golfers need to be made aware too of the benefits of adequate warm up practices and key principles of healthy exercise practices for example, hydration, skin protection, non-slip footwear. For dedicated older players, the utilization of a targeted conditioning program for golf, emphasizing the key body structures involved, also helps to optimize performance and prevent further injury. Sedentary lifestyle patterns create health risks, and future research is needed regarding how to best promote golf as a valuable physical activity for older people. Then these health promotion strategies can be combined with effective educational programs for management of injuries and chronic diseases so that this segment of the golf population can keep playing into very old age.