Where to start. . .

[zionarbadon]

Hello,

I'm an engineering tech. in Cincinnati Ohio.  I have been wanting to try out golfing to see if I like it, but I am not sure where to start.  Clearly I don't want to plunk down hundreds of dollars on clubs without trying it out first.  Where do I start?  Thanks for your help!

[phillyk]

A couple options, go out and have a good time with friends who do play and rent some clubs.  That will hopefully introduce you to how fun and frustrating this game can be at the same time, as well as teach you a little bit how to play.  Other options are to talk to a bunch of different pros and see if they'll bring you to a range with rental clubs and do a simpler, introductory lesson.  Maybe do even both.

[Maverick]

Most ranges should have some rental clubs.  If not, you can probably buy just a used 6-iron at just about any golf store, Ebay, Craigslist, etc..as the 6 iron is the widely used demo iron ever.

[zionarbadon]

I was just talking to a co-worker/friend of mine and he said he plays and has a set of clubs he'd let me use to try it out.  ^^  He suggested going to a driving range first though.

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by zionarbadon

I was just talking to a co-worker/friend of mine and he said he plays and has a set of clubs he'd let me use to try it out.  ^^  He suggested going to a driving range first though.

Yeah, you'll probably want to go to the range and figure out how to make contact with the ball before you hit the course.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by zionarbadon

I was just talking to a co-worker/friend of mine and he said he plays and has a set of clubs he'd let me use to try it out.  ^^  He suggested going to a driving range first though.

Go to the driving range first, yes.  Absolutely.  And either borrow a set of clubs or rent a set from the range.

I don't want to discourage you, but I will tell you this story.  I started golfing heavily about 3-4 years ago.  2 years ago my buddy got interested in it simply because every time he called me on the weekend, I was golfing.  So he goes out and buys a starter set from Walmart and says he wants to golf with me in a couple weeks.  I was surprised, but happy.  So I tell him to go to the driving range this weekend and I'll get a tee time (at an executive par 3 course) in a couple weeks.  I call him after that weekend to see if he went to the driving range and if he still wants to play, and he says "no way."  I laughed and asked why, and he said he could barely even make contact at the driving range.  I don't think he has picked up those clubs since.

The point of the story is, try the game out before investing a bunch of money in it.  Also, make sure you're committed to the process of golf.  It's not just a game like basketball that you can simply pick up and play one weekend with friends and enjoy it just as much as a person who plays every weekend.  That is, unless you can still have fun while shooting 120+.  If you can, then disregard some of my advice :)

Brandon

[zionarbadon]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Go to the driving range first, yes.  Absolutely.  And either borrow a set of clubs or rent a set from the range.

I don't want to discourage you, but I will tell you this story.  I started golfing heavily about 3-4 years ago.  2 years ago my buddy got interested in it simply because every time he called me on the weekend, I was golfing.  So he goes out and buys a starter set from Walmart and says he wants to golf with me in a couple weeks.  I was surprised, but happy.  So I tell him to go to the driving range this weekend and I'll get a tee time (at an executive par 3 course) in a couple weeks.  I call him after that weekend to see if he went to the driving range and if he still wants to play, and he says "no way."  I laughed and asked why, and he said he could barely even make contact at the driving range.  I don't think he has picked up those clubs since.

The point of the story is, try the game out before investing a bunch of money in it.  Also, make sure you're committed to the process of golf.  It's not just a game like basketball that you can simply pick up and play one weekend with friends and enjoy it just as much as a person who plays every weekend.  That is, unless you can still have fun while shooting 120+.  If you can, then disregard some of my advice :)

Brandon

Yeah, I want to play cause I hear him and some of our engineers (we are engineering technicians) going out pretty often.  I think it'd be fun to do with them all.  I am lucky in the fact that my friend/co-worker has an old set of clubs he said he can let me borrow.  ^^ Otherwise I'd be much more hesitant.  It looks like a lot of fun, but if i'm so terrible that i'm chucking every single ball into the woods or something like that, it could potentially be frustraiting.  Don't get me wrong, however.  I don't expect to shoot anywhere near what they're shooting (I'm not actually sure on how scoring works yet) and will have fun even if I do the worst out of everyone, as long as I'm able to complete the course.  ^^

[bplewis24]

It sounds like you have a good attitude to start with.  My only other suggestion besides hitting the range, is to spend a bit of time learning golf etiquette.  If a true beginner is bad enough (like if I bring out a date or some friends of mine) I will let them know that sometimes it is okay and even necessary to "pick up" on a hole if they are really slowing things down.  I'm not even a beginner, and if I start to really blow up (meaning 9+ strokes), I'll just pick up.

Other than that, some beginners who don't know the culture of golf do some of the following things they should not do:

• Talk loudly while people nearby are swinging/putting
• Step in another person's line on the putting green
• Drive the cart too close to the green or tee box
• Stand in awkward/dangerous locations on the course (like right at the hole when somebody is putting, or standing in an adjacent fairway waiting to hit your ball while people playing that hole are getting ready to tee off).

In essence, most of these things are simply common sense courtesies.  Just be aware of course surroundings and not simply what you and/or your playing partners are doing.

Brandon

[zionarbadon]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

It sounds like you have a good attitude to start with.  My only other suggestion besides hitting the range, is to spend a bit of time learning golf etiquette.  If a true beginner is bad enough (like if I bring out a date or some friends of mine) I will let them know that sometimes it is okay and even necessary to "pick up" on a hole if they are really slowing things down.  I'm not even a beginner, and if I start to really blow up (meaning 9+ strokes), I'll just pick up.

Other than that, some beginners who don't know the culture of golf do some of the following things they should not do:

Talk loudly while people nearby are swinging/putting

Step in another person's line on the putting green

Drive the cart too close to the green or tee box

Stand in awkward/dangerous locations on the course (like right at the hole when somebody is putting, or standing in an adjacent fairway waiting to hit your ball while people playing that hole are getting ready to tee off).

In essence, most of these things are simply common sense courtesies.  Just be aware of course surroundings and not simply what you and/or your playing partners are doing.

Brandon

That sounds like some good advice, and I will keep it in mind.  I am hoping to do mostly walking (always good to get in where you can).  As for positioning during, I am hoping that being with a small group of people I will be able to observer their behavior and there-by the proper ettiquites well.  Thanks for the tip about not talking when someone is up, I hadn't even thought about that, I wouldn't want to be rude!