Minimum skills for a beginner before hitting the course

[12iron]

When should a beginner feel able to hit his or her first 9 holes? Off the top of my head I'd expect a few lessons that cover:

• driving/tee shots
• irons
• chipping
• putting
• bunkers
• a primer on rules and etiquette

And, what, when I hit 50% of my shots on the driving range reasonably well? 40%? 60%?

-12i

[Spyder]

All the above. It is also very important to know that the golfer can hit off of a real tee and natural grass. The mats can be misleading. There is no real practice unless you are hitting in real situations - driving/irons off of real grass. Most courses are very open and a beginner golfer can get away with 40% easily. When I first went as a kid with my father he was 240 dead straight off the tee, and I was hitting from the adjacent fairway due to a severe slice. At the range, off the mats, I was golden though!

[SamW]

You learn more on the course than you ever can on a driving range.

I think if  you can find an experienced golfer to take you out, when the course is quiet (maybe twilight or similar), take a tonne of balls, play a practice 9 don't try to score, if you hit a bad shot drop another ball and play another. If you ever have people waiting behind you just call them through and take the time pressure out.

Being on the course hitting real shots from real lie's is the way to do it. Like the previous poster said, it's easy to spend too long on the range, feel like you are playing awesome golf then have a real reality check when you hit the course with high expectations.

The overriding thing is do it in a way that avoids being a pain to other people on the course... hence quiet times are best.

[YnotMcFly]

This happens to be decision that I just made myself. I decided that I wanted to have a reasonable amount of control over my ball and decent ball striking skills before I went out on to my local executive 9-hole course. So I made sure to get a few lessons and spent several weeks on the driving range. Took me about 7 weeks from the first time I swung a club to playing 9 holes. This was just my method as I wanted to build up a little bit of confidence before playing on a course in front of other golfers. Just as others have stated once your on the course it's certainly different than being at the range. It's also a lot more fun!

[meenman]

I spent months on the range before ever playing on a course. It was a waste of time to not play that long. When we first hit the course we played during the afternoons (you were guaranteed a 5 hour round at best), so there was no chance of us slowing anyone down.

The biggest problem we had when we first started playing mornings, was getting paired with the twice a year golfers. Once the starters realized that we weren't the problem, we would go out before the first tee time in the morning and never saw anyone other than the cart girl during our round.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by 12iron

When should a beginner feel able to hit his or her first 9 holes? Off the top of my head I'd expect a few lessons that cover:

driving/tee shots

irons

chipping

putting

bunkers

a primer on rules and etiquette

And, what, when I hit 50% of my shots on the driving range reasonably well? 40%? 60%?

-12i

To be honest, all you really need is the etiquette training.  That way your lack of experience won't impact as heavily on your more experienced companions.  I had played golf for years before I ever took a lesson.  It's more important to know how to act on the course than it is to know how to play.  To know that if you are lagging behind, then you pick up and move ahead.  If you don't have a short course available (par 3 or executive course), then you can play the course to begin with by just dropping and teeing off at around the 150 markers.  There is no law that requires you to play from the marked tee on every hole.  As you get more comfortable, you can move back.

There is nothing wrong with taking lessons and practicing on the range, but why deprive yourself of the experience of actually playing golf?

[darkhunter139]

I went a few times before I ever had a lesson and it was not bad.  You just have to know when to pick your ball up if you are slowing anyone down.  As long as you can hit it decently on the driving range with your irons I would go give it a try, you would be surprised how bad a lot of people at the course are.  Just look for a course that is a little cheaper and wont be as crowded for your first time.

• a primer on rules and etiquette  This would probably be the most important thing you listed.

Bunkers and driving don't really matter at all, I have been playing for about 8 months now and I still don't hit my driver very often on the course.

[WUTiger]

As you said, 12iron , it's important to have practice in all these areas, and take some lessons first. Also, make sure you have a basic pre-shot routine. You can save time and look better if your set-up and alignment is somewhat consistent.

All the above. It is also very important to know that the golfer can hit off of a real tee and natural grass. The mats can be misleading. ...

You learn more on the course than you ever can on a driving range.

I think if  you can find an experienced golfer to take you out, when the course is quiet (maybe twilight or similar), take a tonne of balls, play a practice 9 don't try to score, if you hit a bad shot drop another ball and play another. If you ever have people waiting behind you just call them through and take the time pressure out. ...

A good first trip - again when the course is quiet - is a par 3 course. Here the emphasis is on scoring, rather than hitting 250-yd. drives on most holes. A majority of golf shots occur inside the 100 yard range, and par 3 focuses on this. (And Par 3 Golf helps your short game once you start playing regularly)

Originally posted by Fourputt:

I had played golf for years before I ever took a lesson.  It's more important to know how to act on the course than it is to know how to play. ...

While etiquette is certainly important, you don't want to just go out and play. One out of 20 new golfers is able to "learn as they go," but the rest of us need some lessons and range time to avoid terrible frustration and slow play. Also, your swing takes its basic shape after about 6 rounds of golf - self-taught people often spend years of  "unlearning."

You do have an excellent idea for beginners to drop the ball at the 150 yd. marker and play in from there. When I was recovering from major surgery, I dropped the ball about 50 yards out - anything more than a partial wedge or a chip-and-run hurt!

[newtogolf]

Each person has their own experiences so the answers you get will vary greatly.  Last year I decided to take golf seriously and took lessons and put in a lot of range time. I thought I was ready to move my game from the range to the course but I wasn't.  Ranges and golf mats will only get you to the point where you make consistent contact with a perfect lie off of a mat, that's not real golf.  To become a good golfer you have to put in your time on real courses too.

The more grooved your swing is, the better your chances of hitting the ball okay will be but you should still expect to chunk up alot of grass, lose balls, and pick up your ball and advance it to where your playing partners are to avoid slow play.  Unless you hit your driver well, leave it home, it will cost you a lot of lost balls and frustration.  I'd be most concerned about hitting my irons and wedges with full swings than chipping and putting.  You have to get yourself close to the green first before you worry about scoring.

If I had to do it all over I'd probably approach my first day on the course like a scramble, play my ball from best ball position of my group.  This way I'd get an opportunity to hit different shots but not risk slowing down the group.  Set your expectations low, and use the first time to just have fun and learn how it feels to hit the ball off of grass from different positions.  I wouldn't even bother keeping score, just have fun.

[12iron]

This is awesome, folks. You're giving me a lot of encouragement.

Another priest in my diocese has told me that she often hits the par 3 course near to her in Lexington. I've got a meeting up there with her and some other people on August 18th, and we've got a date to play that course in the morning. So now I've got a date to aim for!

I've been to the driving range 4 times this week, and bits and pieces are coming together. My first lesson will be sometime next week.

-12i

[ettsn]

My friends and I have helped several people get started up recently, and our general plan is:

1. Go to the range with them and give them just enough to start swinging a club in a reasonably decent "tweakable" fashion (meaning you don't have to fix everything, just ensure they aren't developing habits that will require a complete starting over to fix).

2. Hit an Executive/Par3 course in the late afternoon. Throw away the score card and just focus on hitting in real scenarios. Executives around here are ghost towns after about 4p. Otherwise let any group catching you play through. If you only manage to play 12 holes, so be it. Completing the round is unimportant.

3. Go play a real course, but play a scramble pairing a decent golfer with each noob. You're making shots without taking forever, because you get one swing from each lie. We did this the other day, and I actually took two of my partners shots on his second ever attempt at golf! You're having fun, with less penalty in time or frustration.

This pattern seems to work great, and usually after a couple more range sessions, they're decent enough to hit the links for real. I also matched up some of my older irons with an old bag and a recent driver that a buddy had just upgraded from. Now we have a loaner set of Pings/Mizuno/Rossa, so they're playing with quality gear unlike a lot of the uber noob sets. Gives them a round or two to decide if it's their thing before investing real cash in clubs. Which brings me to my next point: when your newbie buddy is ready to buy clubs, have him set a budget and go along to look. Picking up a nice, used set of irons from the preowned section of Golfsmith or wherever is a much better solution than getting the Department Store Specials. For example, a buddy picked up a nice set of 2004 Big Berthas from Edwin Watts 4-10(W) in great shape for $89. Added a Cobra F-speed driver for $30 and a putter he liked for $20. He popped for a bag he thought looked cool, but still managed to be ready to rock for about $250. This was MUCH better (IMO) than spending $250 on the premade kit he was eyeing prior. Our buddies gave him a dozen balls one guy bought but didn't like, a pile of tees, an older sand wedge and now he shows up at the course looking and feeling like he's "for real".

[trackster]

I am going to disagree with people and say that you don't have to have a set of minimum skills before hitting the course.

Just know some rules so you don't make some one mad.

You'll learn way more on the course then you would hitting at the range.

[acetoolguy]

I wish I had started near the hole and worked my way back. I think I would have done better faster. My scores fell as my game improved from 100 yards in.

[Meddle]

The most important thing that people actually care about is slow play. Anyone can go out and play at any skill level as long as they either play at a normal pace or let people through.

[Paradox]

Yes, the most important thing to know is that you're not the only human being on the golf course and you aren't free to do whatever you please.  If you can manage to adapt that mentality, you'll be just fine if you aren't that great yet.

For my non-experienced friends that have played with me(all athletes in some way..just maybe not golfers, lol).  I will always let them hit a tee shot on every hole..if its a good one..then awesome and if its pretty bad..we pick it up and drop it at my shot(unless I hit a really bad one, too and then you're screwed haha).  This goes on til we are on the green and then I'm usually pretty generous with the "gimmies" and tell them to go ahead and putt it.  Without the pressure of scoring..they usually make the putt and get some confidence.  Before too long, they all start to be able to hit shots and manage their way around the course.

Oh and one other rule..don't ask what club to hit on every shot..only you know that answer! j/k...sorta

[DocWu1948]

Originally Posted by 12iron

I've got a meeting up there with her and some other people on August 18th, and we've got a date to play that course in the morning. So now I've got a date to aim for!

I've been to the driving range 4 times this week, and bits and pieces are coming together. My first lesson will be sometime next week.

My goodness. That's three weeks away. Summer's too short for that kind of schedule. Ask your pro for a recommendation on a suitable place for a beginner and get out this week!

[ghalfaire]

I agree.  When I started playing with my Grandson he was about 8 and we played executive courses and selective shot so we could keep up.  I taught him to fix divots, ball marks, order of play, rake the bunkers after your shot,  and his responsibility to keep up with the players in front of us plus a few other things.  I did also pay for some professional lessons so he didn't develop like me with a lot of bad swing habits.  Today he is 16 and a better golfer than I but just as important he is good golf citizen and respects others on the course and the course itself.   Some lessons are only learned on the course and I see no reason to delay the education process.

Originally Posted by Fourputt

To be honest, all you really need is the etiquette training.  That way your lack of experience won't impact as heavily on your more experienced companions.  I had played golf for years before I ever took a lesson.  It's more important to know how to act on the course than it is to know how to play.  To know that if you are lagging behind, then you pick up and move ahead.  If you don't have a short course available (par 3 or executive course), then you can play the course to begin with by just dropping and teeing off at around the 150 markers.  There is no law that requires you to play from the marked tee on every hole.  As you get more comfortable, you can move back.

There is nothing wrong with taking lessons and practicing on the range, but why deprive yourself of the experience of actually playing golf?

[12iron]

Alright. We've got a 9 hole course here in town, and I might just head there tomorrow and go on out, if it's quiet. I'll sit out if someone comes through behind me, pick up and walk on if I'm getting bored or frustrated, and see how it goes.

Why not?!

-12i