| Brief Guide to How to start playing golf |
| You can start playing golf at any age. Of course, it helps to start young, as with all sports. But as long as your limbs are reasonably flexible, and you have an open mind, golf could be the game for you. And, unlike many other sports, it does not demand high levels of stamina and muscular power. Rather, it's a game that involves plenty of walking in the open air, and demands grace and precision rather than great strength - a probably a good sense of humour to cope with its frustrations! |
| Don't be intimidated |
| If you're intrigued by golf, you've probably got some idea about what it involves. But it's easy to feel intimidated. For one thing, the game is littered with jargon: par, bogey, birdie, tee, fore, woods, rough, bunkers, fairway, wedge, chip, strokeplay, matchplay, slice, hook, handicap… the list goes on. In fact, it's all pretty simple: the jargon is very easy to pick up, and with a bit of practical experience of the game, you'll be speaking the lingo in no time at all. As for the skills, they are essentially natural, and easy to learn. |
| Get into the swing |
| If you fancy that you might enjoy golf, give it a go. Borrow some clubs off a friend and try having a swing. See whether the movement feels comfortable. Note that you can play right-handed or left-handed, but each requires a quite different set of clubs. Try hitting a ball. It's easiest to start with high-numbered clubs called irons, such as a No.7 or No.8: these are clubs with wedge-shaped metal heads set at a steep angle away from vertical, which send the ball high, but for a short distance. You can practise hitting within the confines of a smallish garden if you use lightweight practice golf balls made of plastic or foam. Or you can go to a driving range, which is special commercial enterprise where golfers go to practise hitting proper golf balls off a teeing ground. Get in touch with the driving range first, tell the staff that you're a complete beginner, and they'll probably be able to fit you up with clubs and balls, and give you some professional advice to get you started. There's no need to feel embarrassed about your lack of any previous experience: everyone has to start somewhere, and golf is always keen to make new converts. |
| Call on a pro |
| It makes sense to pay for some professional help early on - unless you are lucky enough to have a friend who will give you expert advice for free. All golf courses have professionals, whose job is to give tuition to players at all levels. Go to a golf club near you (check the Internet for locations) and talk to the 'pro': you don't usually have to be a member to have lessons. The advantage of doing this is that you will learn how to do the basics - the stance, grip, posture, alignment and swing. These are the absolute essentials of golf, and it's worth knowing how to do these properly right from the outset; otherwise you will develop some bad habits that can be hard to correct later. You may find a series of, say, six lessons will be all you need to get started. |
| Your first set of clubs |
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It's a mistake to think you have to rush out and buy an expensive set of clubs before you have even begun to play golf. Clubs are the most costly elements of the equipment that you'll need, and they can be very expensive indeed. But bear in mind that every individual has his or her own physique, style and preferences, and it may take a while to find out which kind of clubs suits you best. Again, a golf pro could well be your most helpful guide. You can hire clubs when you first start. You can also buy excellent clubs second-hand, perhaps from the golf shop of the golf club where you are learning. Meanwhile, have a look at prices in the specialist online golf shops on the Internet to see what's available, and to get an idea of values in general; but the advantage of buying from a bricks-and-mortar shop, is that you can actually get the feel of individual clubs and may well be able to try them out before you buy them. You may also find bargains at general second-hand stores, or car boot sales. See www.golfshop.co.uk.
The maximum number of clubs you can carry, according to the rules, is 14; but to begin with you'll only need a 'half-set', which consists of seven or eight clubs. This might include five irons (e.g. Nos 3, 5, 7, 9 and a sand wedge), two woods (Nos 3 and 5) and a putter - but each player may wish to vary this selection according to his/her game. The higher the number of the club, the higher the 'loft' - the angle at which the clubhead is set. The lower the number, the lower and further you will (in principle) hit the ball. Woods are the bulbous-headed clubs that are used for hitting long distances; the heads used to be made of wood, but these days are made of lightweight metal, such as titanium. Putters are used only on (or around) the greens, for getting the ball in the hole; they come in many shapes and sizes. Try to find a source of cheap golf balls: you are going to lose plenty. Some golf shops sell bags of found 'lake balls' which are quite good enough; if you have spent pence rather than pounds on each golf ball, losing them isn't quite so painful, and hence you will waste less time searching in vain for them. |
| Clothes |
| Loose-fitting garments and trainers are all you need to start with; specialist golf shoes fitted with spikes or cleats (for extra grip) can wait. Remember: golf is an all-weather sport, so light windproof and waterproof gear is also useful. Golf is quite wearing on the hands: you may well decide early on that you want to protect your leading hand with a gold glove. See www.golfshop.co.uk. |
| Learn the rules |
| There is an old adage: 'Golf is a simple game made complicated by those who play it.' In essence, golf consists of using clubs to hit balls into little holes strategically placed around the countryside. It's as simple as that. But there are thirty or so rules of golf that govern the sport. As with all sports, these seem far more complicated on paper than they do when you are actually playing the game: so the best advice is to familiarise yourself with the rules by reading them through, then start playing with someone who already knows them. You can download of the rules of golf for free at www.randa.org, the website of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Scotland (which is responsible for standardising the rules, along with the United States Golf Association). |
| Know your etiquette |
| Almost as important as the rules is etiquette: how you behave on the golf course, and how you treat other players. Etiquette is vital for the sake of courtesy, safety and the pace of play. For instance, you should not distract another player who is making a stroke by talking or moving; you should not play your ball if the players in front are within range; you should play as promptly as possible, so as not to keep other players waiting; you should replace your divots (lumps of turf dislodged when you play a stroke). The carefully manicured putting greens, which surround the holes, have to be treated with particular respect. Again practical experience of playing golf will be your best guide to etiquette. |
| Pay-and-play courses |
| Once you have learned the basics of golf (how to hit a ball, the essential rules and etiquette) you are ready to play. It may be best to start on a course that welcomes beginners, and which is not too expensive. Check if there is a municipal golf course near you (these are easy enough to find on the Internet): they are almost always cheaper than the private golf courses belonging to membership-based golf clubs, which often have long waiting lists and high membership fees. Pay-and-play golf courses allow you simply to book a round and play, without first becoming a member. Many of the pay-and-play courses are 9-hole courses, which can be an advantage for the beginner: the usual 18-hole course can seem pretty daunting at first. |
| Practise, practise, practise! |
| Golf is a sport that rewards the player who practises. Get into the habit of practising regularly, on the practice grounds, or at a driving range. Always remember that you will hit the ball further by hitting it better, not harder. Practising putting can be particularly valuable to a beginner: you may be able to reach the green in two or three strokes, but all that good work can count for little if it takes you another three or four shots to putt the ball into the hole. Many golf courses have facilities for practising putting, or 'pitch and putt' practice areas. |
| Enjoy it |
| Golf is a notoriously frustrating game. Do not assume that all that green space and fresh air will make you feel relaxed and at peace with the world. You will begin each round full of high hopes, only to return crushed by your utter failure to match your own expectations. If you manage to do a few good shots and start to think that your game is really improving, beware! You are probably about to slice the ball into thick woodland; and the next shot will go into the lake. The best approach is to enjoy the game for the challenges it sets you, and acknowledge that you are not perfect, and never will be. Even the very best golfers suffer endless disappointment. But when you hit that beautiful, sweet shot straight up the fairway, just where you intended, cherish it and store it in your memory. That's the joy of golf that will bring you back for more. |
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