49
CPSC NEISS Data 2005–2024

Golf (activity, Apparel Or Equipment)

Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.

Sports & Recreation Equipment · CPSC Code 1212

Stable over 5 years

The verdict

Golf (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) carry a danger score of 49/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 36,909 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.

49/100
danger score (moderate risk)
36,909
ER visits per year (avg)
14.6%
end in hospital admission
65-74
most-injured age group

Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1212 - last data year 2024.

PlainSafety danger score

0/100100/10049/100
PlainSafety danger score

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

How this 49/100 score is built

The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for golf (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:

  • Injury volume36,909 ER visits/yr
  • Severity (hospitalization rate)14.6%
  • Fatality rate0.35%
  • 5-year trend+4%

See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.

What the CPSC Data Shows

Golf (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) (CPSC product code 1212, in the Sports & Recreation Equipment category) generate an estimated 36,909 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 738,177 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 49/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (43,708 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2014 (30,047 estimated visits).

The single most common ER diagnosis for golf (activity, apparel or equipment) is other to the upper trunk, accounting for approximately 72,813 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the all parts body (62,969 cases). The 65-74 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 166,124 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 14.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.35%) result in fatality.

Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 9 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how golf (activity, apparel or equipment) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.

36,909
Injuries / Year
14.6%
Hospitalization Rate
0.35%
Fatality Rate

Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)

25K30K35K40K45K 20052008201120142017202020232024 44K
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for Golf (activity, Apparel Or Equipment), CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 2024

Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only

Who Gets Injured?

Age Group Male Female Total
0-4 15,236 7,473 22,747
5-14 71,117 27,970 99,102
15-24 40,535 12,223 52,758
25-34 38,943 10,454 49,397
35-44 39,946 9,509 49,455
45-54 53,253 14,205 67,458
55-64 81,912 21,438 103,431
65-74 132,958 33,166 166,124
75+ 102,528 25,142 127,670

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Upper Trunk Other 72,813
All Parts Body Other 62,969
Face Laceration 59,931
Lower Trunk Strain, Sprain 42,617
Head Internal Injury 41,524
Lower Trunk Other 31,393
Head Laceration 26,946
Knee Strain, Sprain 24,097
Shoulder Strain, Sprain 18,325
Ankle Strain, Sprain 18,162
Knee Other 14,481
Upper Trunk Strain, Sprain 12,503
Face Contusions, Abr. 12,319
Shoulder Other 10,743
Mouth Laceration 10,024

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 83.4% (615,983)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 13.8% (101,677)
Left Without Being Seen 1.0% (7,660)
Treated And Transferred 0.9% (6,507)
Held For Observation 0.5% (3,801)
Fatality Incl. Doa, Died In Er 0.3% (2,559)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 57 · Female · Lower Trunk · Other · 2024

57YOF WAS GOLFING AND DEVELOPED LEFT-SIDED LOW BACK PAIN DX: LOW BACK PAIN

Age 71 · Male · Mouth · Laceration · 2024

71YOM WAS STANDING BEHIND SOMEONE WHO WAS SWINGING A GOLF CLUB AND STRUCK IN FACE DX:LIP LAC

Age 62 · Male · Finger · Strain, Sprain · 2024

62YOM WAS PLAYING GOLF WHEN HE TWISTED HIS LEFT THUMB DX: STRAINED FINGER

Age 63 · Male · Upper Trunk · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

63YOM HAD A FALL WHILE SWINGING HIS GOLF CLUB DURING GAME WHILE PLAYING GOLF STRIKING HIS CHEST DX:CONTUISON RIBS

Age 80 · Female · Lower Trunk · Other · 2024

80YOF WAS PLAYING GOLF AND TWISTED LOWER BACK DX:INTRACTABLE LOWER BACK PAIN

Age 79 · Male · Lower Trunk · Nerve Damage · 2024

79YOM WAS GOLFING ON SATURDAY AND DEVELOPED PAIN IN LOWER BACK DX: LUMBAR RADICULOPATHY

Age 57 · Male · Upper Trunk · Other · 2024

57YOM WAS GOLFING OVER THE WEEKEND WHEN HE DEVELOPED SHORTNESS OF BREATH LIGHTHEADEDNESS AND CHEST PAIN WHICH HAS CONTINUED DX: CHEST PAIN WITH HIGH RISK OF ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME

Age 72 · Female · Hand · Other · 2024

72YOF WAS PLAYING GOLF AND DEVELOPED NUMBNESS IN RIGHT HAND AND RIGHT LOWER ARM DX: ATHEROSCLEROSIS OF AXILLARY ARTERY

Age 43 · Male · Shoulder · Dislocation · 2024

43YOM PRESENTS WITH LEFT SHOULDER PAIN AFTER A FALL WHILE PLAYING GOLF WHERE HE MISSTEPPED AND FELL ONTO CURB LANDING ON SHOULDER DX: HILL SACHS DEFORMITY, SHOULDER PAIN, SHOULDER DISLOCATION

Age 79 · Female · Upper Trunk · Strain, Sprain · 2024

79YOF WAS PLAYING GOLF WHEN SHE TWISTED HER UPPER BACK DX: THORACIC STRAIN

Age 76 · Male · Head · Concussion · 2024

76YOM WAS AT THE GOLF COURSE IN THE CLUB HOUSE AND WAS BENDING DOWN TO PICKUP A GOLF BALL FROM OFF THE FLOOR WHEN HE FELL STRIKING HIS HEAD DX: CONCUSSION, NECK PAIN

Age 2 · Male · Face · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

2YOM PRESENTS WITH WOSENING BRUSING TO CHEEK AND BILATERAL LOWER EXTREMITIES AFTER PLAYING GOLF WITH BROTHER AND ACCIDENATLLY HIT HIMSELF WITH GOLF CLUB THEN DROPPED CLUB AND STARTED RUNNING AND FELL FORWARD ONTO HIS FACE 2 DAYS AGO DX: ECCHYMOSIS

Consumer Incident Reports

Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.

9/20/2020 · Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received · Under Armour, Inc. · Florida

I own 6 Under Armour golf hats. After having washed the hats several times, metal spikes appear on the inside of the hat. When putting the hats on, the metal spikes then piece my scalp and cause bleeding. This is so unusual. I have never had this happen with other golf hats. 3 of the 6 hats that I have are now unusable because of the metal spikes that have appeared. I have washed many other golf hats and never had this happen before. I have written to Under Armour Consumer Affairs and as expected, I have had no response.

8/17/2014 · Incident, No Injury · Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. · Ohio

i purchased a set of Top Flight XL golf clubs from Dick's sporting goods for my 15 year old grandson, the driver and 3 wood both broke at the shaft and club head joint. the club head nearly struck a by-stander. I took them back and replaced them with a more expensive set of Top Flight XLT clubs. While using them for the third time both the 3 wood and driver clubs broke at the same spot. these are graphite shaft clubs that apparently have a very bad problem. These are dangerous as a head can and does break away fro the club shaft. i would be surprised if there have been no reported injuries.

8/14/2023 · Incident, No Injury · PINEMEADOW GOLF PRODUCTS, INC. · Massachusetts

I purchased this golf driver from Amazon on April 23 Pinemeadow PGX driver with additional warranty . I used it a few times andI was at a driving range on July 9th and after a few drives the club head flew off almost hitting a fellow golfer. Obviously angry the golfer had a narrow escape and I had to bear the brunt of his anger and paid a $100 to keep him from complaining. When contacted the company casually mentioned they can repair it . No apologies no concerns about safety

7/23/2016 · Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional · I Gotcha Holdings, LLC · Texas

This the second time this happens with this piece of equipment. It is a retractable golf ball retriever. the sections where the shaft retracts to (slides inside of the previous section) is extremely sharp. Sometimes these sections bind, won't retract. As one has to use force it gives/slides in very fast, thus catching your fingers in between these sharp sections where the shaft is sliding into it. These receiving sections are extremely sharp, thus causing severe cuts. I have reported it to "igotcha" ball retriever company and nothing has been done to protect a golfer's fingers/hand. The retriever in question here is the XL igotcha golf ball retriever.

6/16/2019 · Injury, Seen by Medical Professional · Galileo Sports LLC · Michigan

When this box was first opened, we set it up in our backyard. A ball was hit into the net and struck a person behind the net at very high velocity after apparently going directly through the net. No "hole" could be found in the net. Given the location of the person who was hit, as well as the velocity at which the impact occurred, it seems impossible that the ball went under or over the net, besides that the ball visually impacted the net as intended. The person impacted was hit in the glasses, which let to a very significant impact including a black eye and swelling and bleeding in the eye which indicated a torn retina.

6/12/2022 · Injury, Level of care not known · Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. · Texas

SKU 19550557 Maxfli Electronic Putting device is emitting an electrical arc of some sort from the metal cylinder that returns the ball. This happens nearly 90% of the time as demonstrated in the video. The device plugs into the wall versus using batteries. My son was shocked/electrocuted when a ball didnt return properly and sat in the cup, as soon as he grabbed the ball the return mechanism was engaged and shocked him. I have reported this to Dick's and was assured it would be investigated. I am returning mine and will buy something else. You can find a video I posted on [REDACTED] so I could share this issue with the public, simply type in the product name. I attempted to put a review on their website but received an email stating they did not approve it and would not publish it.

12/20/2025 · No Incident, No Injury · MODERN MANUFACTURING LLC · Virginia

I ordered and received a can/golf ball launcher from a manufacturer in Washington state. This is not a weapon but rather a novelty item. There is a critical part, the locking lugs, that is necessary for proper function a most of all safety. I never used the item having recognized the this critical item was missing. Attempting to use it would have caused a dangerous explosion back into the users face. I contacted the seller about the issue. First they said it wasnt necessary for the item to operate, which is false. If someone, who doesnt understand the mechanics of this item, used it the consequences could be devastating .

11/25/2025 · Incident, No Injury · MGI Golf Pty Ltd · California

I am a fire investigator with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST). We responded to a structure fire in San Diego, CA that involved a battery-powered golf bag caddy. The product was an MGI ZIP Navigator with serial number UZXNV7212231622. The battery pack appeared to have failed and caused this fire. Please note though, we do not have any engineering experts to conclusively determine this.

Showing 8 of 9 reports.

Product Recalls

Search for active and past recalls related to golf (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How dangerous are golf (activity, apparel or equipment)?

Based on 20 years of CPSC data, golf (activity, apparel or equipment) have a danger score of 49/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 36,909 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.

What are the most common injuries from golf (activity, apparel or equipment)?

The most common injury is other to the upper trunk, accounting for approximately 72,813 injuries over 20 years.

Are injuries from golf (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?

Stable over 5 years.

Who is most at risk for golf (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?

The 65-74 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 166,124 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.

What happens when someone is injured by golf (activity, apparel or equipment)?

Of all ER visits involving golf (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 14.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (85.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.

How can I report a safety problem with golf (activity, apparel or equipment)?

You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.

Safety Guides

What this means for you

Treat the 49/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.

  • See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
  • Injuries cluster in the 65-74 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
  • Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls

NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.

Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.