Return to golf after adult degenerative and deformity spine surgery: a preliminary case series of how surgery impacts golf play and performance.

All patients returned to playing golf at or more frequently than their preoperative status. Degenerative patients returned to play sooner than deformity patients. All patients performed at a higher level after surgery, except for one high-level golfer whose handicap worsened slightly. These data provide baseline information for future prospective studies of golfers undergoing spine surgery.