Some ideas to help you with the game of golf
So you want to play golf and you are not sure how to go about getting started? Well, this blog is going to give you some ideas about how to approach the game. Regardless of your age there are some things that you can do to learn the basics of the game, build on those basics and perhaps even determine whether you even want to pursue the game further. Golf is a game that requires self control and patience. It is a game where you, as an individual, play the golf course. So let’s get started.
The clubs
If you are a beginner and have never played before, do not run out and buy a full set of clubs. Because one of the first things you need to do is take a few basic golf lessons. The grip, posture and swing are very important things to learn early on. It is much more difficult to correct bad habits in golf than it is to learn good habits in the beginning. So all you need to get started are a couple of irons and a metal wood. I suggest a Pitching Wedge, 7 iron, and putter is all you need at first. After a couple of lessons you should probably add a Metal Wood (Yes, they used to be made of wood) to learn to hit them off the tee and from the fairway. Your set makeup will eventually be determined by your skill level, the courses you play, and your preferred style of play. Let’s talk a little bit about that. Most young golfers and most male golfers are obsessed with distance off the tee. The suggestion here is that in the beginning you should not worry about that. In fact, one of the great golf teachers, the late Harvey Penick wrote in his Little Red Book that it is best to learn the game of golf from the hole out. In other words when you take your lessons you are going to learn to chip and putt, as well as learn to hit the ball from a tee and grass. Remember, a chip or putt counts as a stroke just like a 250 yard drive off the tee. The secret to scoring, for beginners and veteran players alike is to stay out of trouble and have a real good short game. So off to your lessons..and check back every 4 or 5 days. Next post we will talk about getting started on the golf course…
The Golf Course
So now that you have learned to hit the golf ball and are ready to play, what’s next? You probably want to add a couple of more clubs to the bag. A good starter set would be a fairway wood to hit from the tee box and from the fairway, a 5 iron, 7 iron, Pitching Wedge, and putter. We will talk more about set make up as we go along. But for now let’s try to get a little more comfortable with the game. It is not a good idea to start out on difficult golf courses. Find some fairly easy courses that are fairly flat and not too long. Executive courses are often good choices to start as they are shorter, but usually in good condition. It is very difficult to learn to play if the course is too difficult or in poor condition. It is also a good idea to have an experienced golfer go with you at first, to help you learn rules and golf ettiquete as you learn to play. It is best that it be a friend with patience. Golf courses usually have 3, sometimes 4, tee boxes. Typically they are black for the back (championship) tees, Blue for more advanced players, White for men, and red for ladies. I don’t like to think of them that way, as it is really more related to the skill level of the player. There are a lot of women who can play from the White or Blue tees and lot of men who should’nt. Better players can handle the extra yardage. If you want to keep score right from the beginning, then you need to learn some rules as golf is a game of penalties for errors, from both poor shots to incorrect procedure. But you will learn the rules as you go. For now if you hit a ball out of play just take a drop and count it as a stroke. Later you will learn about out-of-bounds, water hazards, lateral hazards, lost ball, etc, etc. So go give it a try and remember to enjoy the golf courses, and enjoy the good shots. We will talk more about clubs (particularly the Driver), and rules in coming posts… Have fun!
