Newbie

So i just started working at a golf course in the restaurant about a month ago, i got moved into the pro shop and started playing about 3 weeks ago. I was slicing the ball as badly as one possibly could. After about 5 or 6 times hitting the driving range i am now hitting the ball very straight the only problem is that 50% of the time i hit it perfect and the other 50% im hitting before the ball causing it to go way short. How do i fix this?  Also what score should i be shooting for? I hit the first 4 holes after hours today and it was only my third time every playing a real course. I missed a chip on to the green that would of given me a par put...ended 1st hole with a double. Went to the second and put first shot in woods, chipped out, drove the ball to the rough on the side of the green, chipped on and sank the put for a bogey. 3rd hole I drove the green and missed the birdie put and sank the par. The fourth hole is a long par 5 and i hit my second and third shot a combined 30 yards, and still got away with a double bogey. I finished the 4 holes with a +5. I was pretty excited about the par but was upset with how else i played. Is that a decent score for just being my 3rd time like i said before. Thanks for the input and help!

getting bit by the golf bug is both a wonderful and terrible thing. you get the wonderful thrill of the game of golf for the rest of your life, and the overwhelming disappointment the game brings 90% of the time :)

learn to appreciate the small things and try to get a  little better every time you grab a club

When I first started out, par was a HELL of a number. My first season I was shooting 100+ easily, although I didn't have fitted clubs... I had the ole hand-me-downs

I have only been playing for about 8 months. I have only broken 100 a few times and usually play a double bogey game. Keep at it and you'll see moderate improvement as you develop a swing and get comfortable with your body movements.

Watch the Golf Channel. Michael Breed gives great tips on "The Golf Fix".

You can look up "The Golf Fix" on youtube. Just look up something like "The Golf Fix: Stop hitting balls fat or thin" or "The Golf Fix: Improving your ball striking"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmasOOS9jpM

That should get you started.

Short answer: A lot of the times, when I hit the ball fat or thin, it is because I have improper movement in my shoulders. If you dip your shoulders forward or back in your swing, the club is obviously going to arrive to the ball early or late.

If you're like me and looking for tips online, find a guy or two that you like and stick with those guys. Michael Breed like Legacy pointed out is solid. My mistake when I started out was taking every piece of advice from you tube to the range. I was always online looking at golf tips until my head got filled with a bunch of contradictory info. Take my advice, any nut job can post a vid on you tube, try to only listen to guys who have a name or a decent rep.