In brief: Fifty-one female professional golfers and 142 female amateur golfers were evaluated for skin cancer and skin cancer risk. The professionals were considerably younger than the amateurs (average of 28.4 vs 54.5 years) and received five times as much sun exposure as the amateurs. Four of the professionals had already developed basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Their average age was 25.5 years. Eleven amateurs also developed BCC, but their average age was 51.4 years. This study suggests that skin cancer can develop at earlier ages when sun exposure has been heavy. The likelihood of developing a skin I cancer also was related to eye and hair color.