Liteenie

I purchased Tour Trek One-Click Collapsible Push Cart from Golfsmith for $130. I've used it a few times and I love it. It holds my stand bag well, has all the features I wanted (esp. an umbrella holder) and the price was reasonable. It also feels sturdy. It folds down nicely and it's easy for me to carry to/from the car and store in my trunk or in my house.

My instructor recommends practicing my swing and hitting a tee or a leaf or a chunk of uprooted grass, basically anything but a ball. That way I really focus on my swing and I know if I make contact but I don't have to be concerned about a ball and where it goes. I believe this is one of Harvey Penick's lessons.

I used to only go to the practice range and I was dying to go play but there were two things I did before I felt confident to go play on a course: 1) have a basic understanding of golf etiquette and playing ready golf 2) do a playing lesson with my instructor out on the course With at least those two, regardless of my golf skills, I can keep up with pace of play (even if it means picking up my ball sometimes). My biggest fear about playing on a course was slowing everyone down. Now I love walking 9 holes by myself, I try to go when it's not busy so I don't feel too nervous or pressured. I definitely think it's better to go play rather than just practice at the range because I realized how different the two actually are after my lesson on the course (I actually posted about it, I was so discouraged. But I feel better now!). Good luck!

I love Insanity! I don't think it helps with my flexibility though. It's great cardio and strengthening exercise, no equipment needed and really only takes up 35-40 minutes of my day.

There are two iPhone apps (maybe for android, I don't know) that pull up affiliated golf courses and their tee times/green fees. Some tee times are discounted and you can reserve through the app while paying a ~$4 fee. They don't have all courses but at least you can get an idea of what's around you. One is GolfNow and one is Golfzing.

I want to eventually graduate out of my starter set (Lady Hagen from Dick's) and "invest" in a nice set that I get fitted for. I'm excited for an upcoming demo day because I have appointments with Ping, Cobra, Callaway and TaylorMade. Just wondering about the ladies out there - do you play with clubs that are specifically for women or play "men's" clubs with graphite/ladies flex shafts? Is there a difference?

I agree with the others who recommend Srixon Soft Feel. They're great for me (female, slow swing speed) and they're easy to identify because they're pink. I also bought a box of Noodle Plus Easy Distance that I haven't used yet. They're cheaper than Srixon and they are for slower swing speeds as well.

Bulk - 500 tees for $9.99 at Walmart. I try not to take a practice swing without hitting something (besides a ball), so I'll usually hit tees for practice.

Some courses offer an introductory package special, something like 5 lessons for $99. But I currently pay $80/1hr lesson and my instructor offers $400 for 6. This is in line with another local "higher-end" golf course. For my first pack of 6 lessons, I went weekly. Now I plan to go once a month. I talked to a friend of mine who said he goes every 6 months when his game is good and if he feels rusty, he'll go every 2 months but he's been golfing for 15+ years.

Thanks everyone! All of your advice is really helpful, I'll practice what you preach this weekend. I hope to get a few rounds in. I still love golf though.

I've been taking lessons and practicing at the range for a month and a half or so. I've been improving a lot and I notice when I practice, my good shots definitely outnumber my bad shots. This past Monday, my instructor took me out on the course for the first time and man, was I humbled. All my great shots from the range disappeared and my one good shot was when my instructor stuck a dollar bill under the ball and told me to hit the dollar bill. Then yesterday, I went to a women's golf event in which we had a short clinic and played 4 holes. Again, I did well during the clinic when it was at the range and then when we broke off to play 4 holes, I was all over the place! Now I realize that I need to practice out on the course more than the range. I plan to just go and play 9 holes by myself to practice. Do you guys have any tips for transitioning from range to the course? Maybe I'm just overly excited to be on the course finally. Aside from the swing corrections that my instructor gave me, a helpful tip was to not (yet) worry about where the ball is going and to just focus on what's in front of me. Thanks!

(korean female here..) I like to wear long sleeves, either a long sleeved shirt or a short-sleeved shirt with solar sleeves because: 1) I don't like weird tan lines 2) I want to protect my skin from cancer 3) I want to fend off wrinkles for as long as possible 4) It feels cooler to wear light, long clothing than to have the sun beating on my bare skin 5) I almost forgot..to prevent sunburn! And to agree with previous posters, many Koreans value lighter skin tones. When I was young, I was pretty tan from swimming and when I went to Korea for the summer, some mean kid called me "dirty" because of my tan. *sniff sniff* scarred me for life

Hi. Feel free to disregard my input because I'm new as well but I've been taking lessons with a former pro and he's helped me a lot with my swing. Before I went to my first lesson, I read as much as I could and watched as many videos as I could about swing sequence. Then I would try out what I read and it didn't feel good and my ball didn't go where I wanted, if in the air at all. My teacher's greatest insight so far that really resonated well and helped my swing A LOT: achieve proper address then just swing the grip. (that's the condensed version) Basically, your lower body will naturally do what it needs to do. All the stuff we have read about swing sequence is correct, but not everything necessarily applies to each of us individually. So in my first few lessons and practice sessions, I tried to think of all the steps I've read and do them per what I've read. That messed me up a lot. First of all, our total swing happens too fast to try and think about all those things then actually do them. Also, during the swings in which I tried to "properly" shift weight and rotate my hips, etc., my teacher would comment that I had too much unnecessary movement in my lower body. So when I cleared my mind and literally just swung the grip (important to swing the grip instead of trying to swing the clubhead), my lower body reacted to the movement of my upper body and arms, I kept my backswing smooth and controlled and the results were great. On my good hits/swings, I recall that it feels effortless and easy. I really recommend taking some lessons so you can get specific advice and help on your swing. And also, the instructor can customize all the tips we read to what works for you personally. Hope I helped, sorry if I didn't!

Sunday was my first time at Golfsmith and I was in heaven! I bought two pairs of shorts that weren't marked on sale but ended up being about 50% off, hot pink balls and a Nike hat. I have only been playing with my cheap starter set and didn't realize how comfortable grips can be until I held the Callaway Razr X HL club. I can't wait to upgrade..

What is "Simply Key 1"? I do have a problem not keeping my head in place, I thought I was lifting my head but my instructor said I was lowering my head. I'm not sure if it's because of our chests or we just need practice keeping our heads level.