As sporting injuries go it’s not one that would immed-iately spring to mind.

But golfers are at serious risk of going partially deaf – according to the latest research.

And now an Apperley Bridge audiologist is offering free check-ups to enthusiasts who fear their hearing may not be up to par.

The invitation has been issued to sportsmen and women throughout West Yorkshire after research, published in the British Medical Journal, suggested that the latest designs of titanium golf clubs cause a ‘sonic boom’ when they make contact with the ball.

It goes on to say that this could result in a temporary or even permanent hearing loss for those who play golf on a regular basis.

In the tests, the loudest offending club recorded an impact sound in the region of 130 decibels – similar to the sound pressure level of a jet engine or a gunshot.

Now the Apperley Bridge healthcare centre is giving golfers the chance to get their hearing checked out – while helping to conduct research into the pheno-menon – by launching Golfers’ Hearing Month.

Lisa Binns-Smith, of Binns Hearing Healthcare, who was recently awarded the title of audiologist of the year, said; “We were interested to explore the impact of this research to understand the implications and the effect it could potentially have on golfers in West Yorkshire.

“Firstly, the expression ‘sonic boom’ is a bit misleading in relation to this subject area, as it actually means the sound that the air makes as an object passes through it, at or above, the speed of sound.

“This would mean that a golfer would either have to swing his club or project the golf ball faster than the speed of sound, which is approximately 760 miles per hour!

“However brilliant a golfer you are, it’s unlikely you’ll achieve a shot of this calibre – unless of course you’re Superman or, perhaps, Tiger Woods!

“However,” she said, “the problem is really due to impact noise when the thin-faced titanium club contacts the ball.

“There are at least six different types of titanium golf clubs and many more types of golf balls. They have all been developed using materials designed to increase speed which, in turn increases sound and, therefore, some combin-ations may create a much greater noise level than others.

“Professional work guidelines suggest that long or repeated exposure to sound above 80 decibels can cause hearing loss.

“Therefore, this sound level would be adequate to cause temporary or even permanent nerve damage to the inner ear, particularly to certain individuals who had a high level of susceptibility to noise induced hearing loss. So this could, as ludicrous as it seems, affect those who have played golf on a regular basis for some time, especially keen golfers who perhaps practice at a golf range several times a week.”

During May all members of golf clubs in West Yorkshire will be able to book a hearing test at Binns – at the same time allowing audiologists to carry out research to see if the sport really can damage hearing.

Anyone wanting a test should call 01274 622666. They should have the name of their golf club and membership number to hand.