Playing Golf with a Pacemaker

Having played golf for a number of years, and while in Spain I was on the course 3 times a week, I had already stopped playing on a regular basis due to painful arthritic joints in my feet that objected to 4 hours walking, but I always knew I could play if I wanted to. I had been out on the Par 3 course a few times last summer before being told I needed a pacemaker fitting, and as golf was no longer a major interest to me (much to the disappointment of my husband) it wasn't high on my list of priorities to get back to after my implant.

However, I know that for many people it is a key concern: can they play after having an implant and how soon.

Today, I have swung a club for the first time since my operation. A friend has just started having lessons and we went out on the Par 3 course with her.

Before going onto the course, I went onto the driving range, just to make sure I could still hit the ball. I started off with a gentle swing to see what I could or couldn't feel. My pacemaker unit sits quite high in my shoulder, according to my consultant, a result of my youthful age meaning my muscle is still quite firm and therefore the pocket is not as deep as some. It has caused a few problems previously and it didn't surprise me that at the top of my back swing I could feel it pressing in to my clavicle. I'm right handed and my unit is in my left shoulder. After hitting a practice few balls I could tell that it was going to get painful after a while if I wasn't too careful and that I needed to restrict my back swing. 

Onto the first tee and I suddenly felt very unsure on how to hit the ball, as now I was going to have to re-learn how to swing a club. Over 9 holes I had a variety of successes, but overall enjoyed it. 

I realised I could now let other pacemaker wearers know about golfing after an implant.

The main question is normally how soon after the implant can someone resume playing golf. In all honesty I don't think I would have been able to swing a club for a couple of months even if I'd wanted to, as my muscle was very tender and the wound was not healing as well as I would have liked. The biggest risk is dislodging the pacing wires and, as my procedure had not been straight forward, I was definitely in no mood to being opened up again to have them re-sited. 

Until your doctor or clinical technician says it's okay to start raising your arm above your head golf is a definite no-no, this is normally 4-6 weeks. There is plenty of cable inside you to allow the movement necessary for a full golf swing, (I was told there's about half a metre coiled up behind the unit) but it is important that the pacing wires have had time to gain a permanent hold to the inside of your heart. The leads have little hooks on them and are hooked into the ridges on the inside of your heart. Heart tissue then grows around them and forms a good hold. Those that are chomping at the bit to get back on the golf course could probably get back after about 6 weeks, with doctors agreement,  but depending on the healing process, your wound or muscle damage may mean you need to wait a little longer as the stretching and pressure may be too uncomfortable. For me, if I had been keen to get out there I think it would have been nearer 3 months for my wound and muscle to allow me to play. 

After the first couple of weeks from the implant you feel quite well in yourself and keen golfers will start to want to get their clubs out, especially if the weather is decent, and the next few weeks will be frustrating, but it's only a few weeks out of the rest of your life, so it's worth being sensible and waiting until your doctor says you can play again.

As far as actually playing, for many people a pacemaker will make very little difference to their game. Some, like me, may need to adapt their swing a little but as I found today, everything else works as it did before. In the first 6 months after my implant I was very aware of my unit all the time, I still had some tenderness in the muscle and the skin over the top of it felt tight at times, but gradually I found I noticed it less and less, so the earlier you start to play golf again, the more aware you will be of your unit. Over time I think it will become less apparent while golfing, as it becomes in other aspects of your life. 

It's surprising when you talk to people on the course, the number of other people you come across that have a pacemaker, so for the majority of golfers an implant will mean a few weeks away from the course and then carry on as before. And a few weeks to recover and make sure the pacing leads have a good hold is worth waiting for, for the sake of your health.

Happy golfing.