Calling all golfers

[montanafan]

First off, I'm a female, fairly athletic, I mountainbike and used to play tennis regularly. My friends are playing tennis less and less these days and I think it's time for me to find a new sport for the times when I can't find a tennis partner. I've never played a round of golf, but I have hit at driving ranges before and enjoyed that. A nice new 18-hole course opened up near here recently and I'd like to give it a try. So what do I need to get started?

They don't rent clubs, so I figure I'll buy a cheap set of clubs to get started. Friends have offered to loan me theirs, but I'd rather not do that. So what should I look for in a set? Would it be best for me to get women's specific clubs? I'm 5'6"" BTW if that makes a difference.

I'll also need golf shoes. Anything in particular I should know when buying those?

They have driving, chipping, and putting ranges so I thought I would spend time on those my first few visits before venturing out on the actual course so that I don't completely embarrass myself. I taught myself tennis by reading up on the fundamentals and then practicing the proper technique, so I'm hoping I can do that with golf as well to get myself started. I also have some friends who work at the course who will help me out some.

Any advice to help me get started would be appreciated.

 

[zylander]

I started out at the driving ranges, then moved on to some 9-hole courses.

Id suggest practicing a few more times at the driving range, then an easy 9-hole before you try an 18-hole. You say you have friends who had offered to loan you their clubs. Go golfing with one of them one day and share their clubs, thats what I did my first time out. Lets you get a feel for it before spending the money on a set.

 

[montanafan]

zylander, some of my friends offered to take me out with them, but I'd rather not do that before I know a little more about what I'm doing. They're all good golfers and take it pretty seriously. I know they'd be nice about it, but I also know I'd slow them down big time and I don't want to ruin a day of golf for them. I'd like to get some basic skills down first.

There is a little 9-hole course near here as well, but they don't have the training ranges. I may take your advice and give it a try before the 18-hole course, but after using the training ranges at the bigger course.

Thanks.

 

[zylander]

You shoudl still try and get one friend to go with you to the 9hole. They are small and easy and if youve had enough practice at a driving range you wont go too slow. Plus, having a more experienced golfer there with you, especially a friend helps a lot because they can watch you and give you tips. And, even after youve practiced, if you still manage to annoy your friend by going to slow, just offer to buy them lunch afterwards .

 

[montanafan]

zylander, that sounds like a good plan, but instead of buying them lunch after, maybe I should buy them a few drinks before we start. It might make playing with me seem less painful.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Speaking as someone who totally SUCKS at golf... (Yet plays 2-3 times a week)


It's up to you. I like it because it gets me outside, lets me drink a few beers and every once in a while I make a birdy or hit a really cool shot. Take some time to get comfortable with your swing, thes go for it.

 

[Estrella]

If you pursue this in the long run I hope you have money. Golf is not a cheap sport. I should know.

Also, wear sunscreen. You may think it is a pansy sport but, you will either burn or look like a cabbage with enough time.

ALSO, don't get mad when eighty year old men shoot their age and whoop you. Trust me, they will every time.


EDIT: I would seriously get lessons or find some type of adult/child/whatever-you-are camp from a course professional. Golf is like playing an instrument, a teacher will have to undo all your bad habits if you teach yourself. It does not matter what you read, you will still be doing it incredibly wrong. Get a VERY experienced golfer or a local club pro to help you.

 

[imported_mateo]

All good advice above. I completely agree you should get one of your friends to join you for 9 holes. A friend of mine who is a good golfer has really helped me along and actually helped keep the game fun when I am having a bad day... (i.e. Having someone to drink a few beers with.)

When I first started I got REALLY frustrated because it is such a hard game that seems like it should be so simple. My game completely changed when I looked around and realized most people actually suck at golf. Many of those who are "good" are only good because they cheat...

Just relax and have fun and you will play MUCH better! Even on a good day though expect a bad hole or two. If you are confidant and having fun other golfers will not care about how good you are (at most courses anyway...).

Lastly, if you really want to get better, be honest with yourself and keep an honest score. Shaving off strokes (as MANY people do) only fools you into thinking you are getting better and pisses off the people you are golfing with.

 

[spidey07]

Take lessons. Can't stress how important this is.

As far as the clubs go - you'll want womens clubs.

About going out with other players...just go with them if they offer. They'll help you out and teach you etiquette. If you're really slowing the group down then just pick up your ball and move on to the next hole. Or just hit a shot or two, pick up and drop where they are.

oh - it's a VERY hard game and you will be very frustrated. Any day golfing beats being inside.

 

[montanafan]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll just get some of my friends who are experienced golfers to go to the training ranges with me and give me some tips there, then after practicing on those for a while, get someone to go to the 9-hole course with me to get used to playing on a course before trying the 18-hole one.

I'm not too concerned with how long it will take me to be a fair golfer, I just enjoy being outside and being active. My only goal is to get good enough to be able golf with friends and not be a burden to them on the course.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice and encouragement.

 

[Juno]

it is all about confidence. if you can play a round then do it.

i'm an avid golfer and i picked up golf when i was 10. i never got to play a round until i was 16 because my dad thought i wasn't physically ready. screw dad. i'm 23 now and i've been trying to beat my dad in a round.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: montanafan
Thanks guys. I guess I'll just get some of my friends who are experienced golfers to go to the training ranges with me and give me some tips there, then after practicing on those for a while, get someone to go to the 9-hole course with me to get used to playing on a course before trying the 18-hole one.

I'm not too concerned with how long it will take me to be a fair golfer, I just enjoy being outside and being active. My only goal is to get good enough to be able golf with friends and not be a burden to them on the course.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice and encouragement.

Let your friends teach you how to play/etiquette.

DO NOT let them teach you how to swing. GET LESSONS

Every part of your swing, setup, alignment will be ingrained in you. It's a ton of a lot harder to fix a problem than it is to learn proper from the start. Go get some lessons and enjoy a sport you will play for the rest of your life.

 

[tfinch2]

Start off with all irons in your bag: 3, 5, 7, 9, pitching wedge & putter. Don't worry about distance as much as direction and consistency. Putting is key as well.

Do this well and you will be able to easily beat most men.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

1) Borrow clubs. You're likely to quit very early and any money you spend on clubs would be wasted. The good news is that most other people quit too and they were dumb enough to buy clubs. Ask around, all those people still have a set in their garage and would be happy to loan them out.

2) Play in sneakers at first. You don't absolutely need golf shoes to play or enjoy the game. Only buy shoes if you play a few times and intend to stick with it. Golf shoes help with traction, especially on wet hills. On a dry day you can play without spikes and never notice they're missing.

3) If possible, find an open field and whack some balls around. It's a VERY different game on a course than it is on a driving range. Don't venture onto a real golf course until you can make contact every time, get it in the air the majority of the time and hit it beyond 50 yards the great majority of the time.

4) Learn the ettiquette of the game. I can't stress that strongly enough. You will be expected to know what to do, how to act, how to avoid damaging the course, how to avoid interfering with other players, etc etc BEFORE you play. Nobody cares if you're bad, everyone is bad to start. But if you can't keep up the pace of play and don't know the special behavior of the game you will risk getting tossed. Think of golf as driving. 60MPH on the freeway is not the place to learn. Stepping onto the first tee is like taking the onramp onto the highway. You'll get run over if you don't know what you're doing.

5) A nice new 18 hole course is the worst possible place to start. It will be filled with serious golfers, will likely be expensive and will likely have a very low tolerance for beginners. Find a crappy old course and if possible find a crappy old par 3 course. You will have a MUCH better time playing as easy a course as humanly possible. You will meet and play with worse golfers and feel less intimidated. You won't have marshalls watching your every step, you won't have the pressure to maintain a pace of play.

6) If you play a few times and like the challenge of the game, then look into buying clubs and shoes and taking lessons. Don't waste money on any of that to start.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Start off with all irons in your bag: 3, 5, 7, 9, pitching wedge & putter. Don't worry about distance as much as direction and consistency. Putting is key as well.

Do this well and you will be able to easily beat most men.

Good advice.

Key thing though is do not try and look at the ball after you think your swing is done.

The natural anticpation of wanting to look up causes a pre-mature look causing a complete errant shot because you weren't finished.

Resist temptation and you will go far grasshopper.

 

[everman]

Great game, very difficult, love it. I'm probably the worst "Golfer" on this board, I suck horrendously but it's fun. Get some practice in, but don't just beat balls, you need to conciously work on the swing.

Go out to a 9hole with a friend and make them teach you proper etiquette, although I suck really bad, I do know proper etiquette so I won't piss anyone off

 

[backseatmidget]

i love playing , but i suck real bad. my favorite course to play is just a par 3 9 hole course. Makes me feel like a good golfer playing there.

 

[Slew Foot]

I wish real golf was like Tiger Woods on the Wii. Just shot a 59 at The National

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Slew Foot
I wish real golf was like Tiger Woods on the Wii. Just shot a 59 at The National

LOL, get on a course and shoot that for 9 holes.

Just remember, it's quite hard to hit that little white ball. Harder to hit it properly. Even harder to hit it properly without putting so much spin on it it doesn't fly right.

The first few years are great - you improve rapidly. From duffing most shots to actually getting a hold of the ball most times.

tfinch2 - most ladies prefer woods - 5, 7, 9. I'm no golf pro though. I was watching the LPGA this weekend....they hit considerable weaker than men. Think needing a 9 iron for 125 yards.

 

[montanafan]

Juno, I'm pretty confident in my athletic abilities. I've managed to get pretty good at every sport I've tried and liked, so I'm just hoping this will be one I'll like and want to work at. Thanks.

spidey07, I know what you mean. When I taught myself tennis I was pretty good, but then a friend who had played on a college team pointed out that I was bringing the racket too far back on my forehand swing. It made a big difference. One of the friends I'm talking about teaches golf at a course and I'll work with him at first while I'm trying to see if I like the sport. Thanks.

tfinch2, I was wondering about that when I was looking at some sets of clubs on the Dick's Sporting Goods site. They had different combinations of clubs and I had no idea what I'd need except for some advice on their site about most women finding a couple of particular clubs to be best for their game. Thanks.

GagHalfrunt, lots of good specific stuff, thanks.

1) I do have one friend whose wife bought a set of clubs to play with him, but never does. I may see if she still has them and borrow them before buying a cheap set.

2) Good to know. I thought golf shoes were required on the course. I'll hold off on buying a pair.

3) Not many open fields around here. Maybe I can sneak onto the school's football field to hit a few balls.

4) Yep, I definitely want to know what I should be doing before I step onto the course. I don't want to get in anyone's way or embarrass myself or who I'm with by not knowing what I'm doing.

5) The new course does have a lot of serious golfers from near and far, but they do have a pretty good tolerance for beginners as well because they're encouraging locals and teens to come and learn. There is a crappy old 9-hole course nearby that others here have convinced me to try a few rounds at first though. I think most of the people who golf there are half in the bag when they're on the course anyway, so I would probably be more comfortable starting out there for sure.

6) Sounds like a good plan.

Thanks.

dmcowen674, yep, I worked on that with help from friends at the driving ranges I'd gone to in the past. It was hard to get used to, but one of the few things I've accomplished so far. Thanks.

Edit for another reply:

spidey07, yeah I saw that about women and woods when I was researching clubs. I guess I'll just worry about making contact and hitting it straight at first before thinking about what I'll need for distance later.

 

[SViper]

Funny you should bring this up because approximately 4 weeks ago, I had my first round of golf. I'll try to portray my experiences here.

1. Driving range =/= golf course. I probably practiced for 2 months on the driving range before going out the first time. Not so good of an idea. Being at the driving range and being on the course is a difference of night and day. Not only do you have to worry about hitting the ball straight, you have to make your approach on a certain hole works. For instance, if there is a few water hazards on a hole, you have to place the ball around the hazard within your capabilities as a golfer.

2. Get some professional help. I learned all of the wrong things at the range just going out by myself. After a month and a half of going to the range by myself, I bring a friend of mine who's a really good golfer. I take one swing and he tells me everything I'm doing wrong. Lucky for me, I hadn't really learned the bad habits yet, so he got me going down the right path.

3. Bring sunscreen. You will get burned if you play 18 holes of golf. You will spend approximately 4 1/2 hours out in the sun with very little shade. I would suggest getting some lip balm with some SPF value as well. I got the sunscreen thing right my first time out, but my lips got sun burnt.

4. Bring a lot of patience. My first time out, it was pretty hectic. You will spend a majority of the time looking for your balls in the rough, avoiding all of the mud holes while simultaneously avoiding getting hit by the other golfers. I had a few close calls in the rough between fairways when some balls landed near me.

4a. Bring a lot of balls. I bought 1 box of 15 balls. By the end of the day, I had 1 ball left. You will lose a lot of balls.

5. Have fun

 

[ElFenix]

get lessons.

get clubs that are for your size. nothing worse than a golf swing developed around clubs that were wrong for you.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: spidey07
tfinch2 - most ladies prefer woods - 5, 7, 9. I'm no golf pro though. I was watching the LPGA this weekend....they hit considerable weaker than men. Think needing a 9 iron for 125 yards.

Sure, but you have to learn how to crawl before you can walk. What's wrong with a 125 yard 9 iron? That's about how far I hit mine...

 

[montanafan]

SViper, the few times I'd been on a driving range in the past was while vacationing with friends and it wasn't to learn, just for something to do. They taught me a few things, but we were mainly just wailing away to see who get get the ball the farthest. They've already told me that when I go to the range to learn, I should concentrate on hitting it straight and not worry so much about distance because straight is what will matter most on the course.

I may take lessons, but first I'm going to just try it out and get advice from a friend who teaches at a course. Once I know if I'm really interested, I'll look into lessons.

I hadn't really planned on taking sunscreen even though some here have mentioned it, because I've never used it before and rarely burn, but maybe it would be a good idea to take some along. I do use lip balm with SPF though when I'm biking.

I teach, so I'm a professional when it comes to patience.

You know, I hadn't really thought about how many I'd need, except to buy a box or two. Guess I'll bring them all along that first time.

Thanks.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
get lessons.

get clubs that are for your size. nothing worse than a golf swing developed around clubs that were wrong for you.

Yes there is something worse. It's spending big bucks for custom gear and lessons when you quit the game 2 weeks later. It's a simple fact, golf is hard, progress is slow and the VAST majority of beginners quit in the first two months. Anyone that spends money on gear and lessons before being totally committed to the game is an idiot.