Tips for my first time out?

[mgolfer]

If I was you I would just play 9 holes at first to get used to golf. Trolleys are also good to use as they are cheaper to rent than carts (you can also buy trolleys reasonably cheaply) and also it lets both people walk straight to their balls unlike a cart. Group lessons are good but remember that you will not have as much time with the instructor. Maybe you could share a lesson (split cost 50:50) with your fiance for a few lessons with an instructor and then have some group lessons after you know the basics. Then again, it is your choice and you may do better if you have more group lessons as they are cheaper.

[Guest ShadowXOR]

If I was you I would just play 9 holes at first to get used to golf. Trolleys are also good to use as they are cheaper to rent than carts (you can also buy trolleys reasonably cheaply) and also it lets both people walk straight to their balls unlike a cart. Group lessons are good but remember that you will not have as much time with the instructor. Maybe you could share a lesson (split cost 50:50) with your fiance for a few lessons with an instructor and then have some group lessons after you know the basics. Then again, it is your choice and you may do better if you have more group lessons as they are cheaper.

We have a joint bank account so we don't split anything, it just all comes from the same place.

[BaronV]

I was in the same boat as you when I got my Missus involved in golf and I took her to the local 9-hole after we took our group lessons. Play those executive courses first before trying a full 18 to get used to the complexities of the game. If you’re able to, try and get a tee time with the least amount of traffic so you can take your time on each hole instead of rushing as well as possibly having to tee off a few times to get the hand of it. I know when we started, the pressure of a group of golfers hurrying us up ruins the game a bit when you’re still working on the swing and difficulties of golf. We did late morning Sunday games at the local course in-between early bird and when church let out so the course would be pretty clear.

On short par 3s I usually take only my 9-SW and putter. If it’s a long Par 3 (which for me would be anything beyond 175 yards) I’d take a 3 or 4 hyrbid for tee offs. Additional advice: Tee off when you can instead of off the grass (unless you’re really good) to help you get up in the air and prepare to lose balls, bring lots of them. Last condition: Don’t take the game too seriously, it’s just a game.

[bwinger79]

Always, always, always use a tee when given the opportunity. Even if you push it all the way into the ground and sit the ball on it, do it. Enjoy yourself while you are out there. The best golfers in the world are the ones that can forget about their bad shots and move on. You can start with group lessons because they are cheaper, but after a few months you might want to get private lessons just to have more face time with the instructor. This will allow you to get a much better understanding of the golf swing, how it works, how it breaks down, and how to self diagnose to fix swing problems mid round. Once you have a firm understanding of the swing, the sky's the limit as to how low you can shoot. Have fun, don't worry about bad shots(everyone has them), let faster groups play through, PLEASE YELL FORE if you hit a shot towards another group, and enjoy your time on the course with your woman.

[Guest ShadowXOR]

I definitely laughed off my bad shots...like when it hit a tree then bounced off into the middle of the fairway. And out of our first nine-hole neither of us lost even one ball. I almost lost one but it chipped it out of some heavy rough towards the green.

We have some tees so we have been using them, surprisingly we haven't broken any.

[sid77]

Hey Shadow, myself and my girlfriend were in the exact same position as you a few months ago. Here are some tips which might help you.

1. Take some lessons, even one will help you understand what you need to do to hit the dam ball.

2. Don't splash out on expensive clubs before you decide you want to play it more. Golf sounds good in theory, but its a cruel game and much harder than it looks.

3. Try and play when the course is quiet, ask in the pro shop what the last tee time for the day is and go with that. Nothing worse than teeing off with an audience when your playing for the first time.

4. Don't bother with a driver, in fact forget woods altogether. If its a short par 3 course then 5I - SW should be all you need.

5. Have fun and don't bother counting your score, it doesn't matter at this stage.