Beginning Golfer Advice

[MikePA]

Well, I'm thinking about taking up golf.

I golfed when I was in high school, but only 2 times since and high school was a long time ago. I don't even have my own set up clubs! Both times I had to borrow someone else's clubs.

I have no idea of what to buy, where or anything else. Dick's Sporting Goods has complete sets, with bag, from $130 up.

Any advice for a beginner? Any good golf sites on the net? I checked, there's no golfbynet.com.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Well, I'm thinking about taking up golf.

I golfed when I was in high school, but only 2 times since and high school was a long time ago. I don't even have my own set up clubs! Both times I had to borrow someone else's clubs.

I have no idea of what to buy, where or anything else. Dick's Sporting Goods has complete sets, with bag, from $130 up.

Any advice for a beginner? Any good golf sites on the net? I checked, there's no golfbynet.com.

Don't buy the kind I have.... They make the ball go out in the woods

I've got H&B's, a set that's a few years "non-current". I got a heck of a deal from a golf Pro SHop at my boss's country club. They were trade-ins. The Pro was willing to make me a deal just to get them out of his closet. For the beginner, it's a good idea to get a proper "fitting" from an experienced Pro. Proper sized clubs help you to develope a fundamentally good swing. But, in spite of what you'll be told by every salesman who's got a club to hawk, golf is more about technique than equipment. Case in point, my game..... I could spend an amount equal to the national debt and still be a hacker.

 

[Bird]

Getting a proper "fitting" sounds like a good idea, although you may be able to just swing some clubs and get a "feel" for them to decide which ones you want. I know you sure can't buy them just by "looks". My grandson bought a set (very cheap, fortunately) at a garage sale. They "look" normal, but are the most awkward feeling things I ever saw to swing. I doubt that I could describe it, but the weight is obviously in the wrong place.

And I agree that technique is more important than the equipment. One of the things I was given as a retirement gift years ago was a set of relatively inexpensive clubs, bag, balls, etc. The set had real wooden woods, which I later traded for some inexpensive metal woods which I liked better, although I can't really say my playing got any better.

Both of my brothers are golfing fanatics; usually play 3 times a week, and they have some expensive equipment. A couple of years ago, they both bought new "woods"; just the 3 clubs (a 1, 3, and 5 wood) cost about $1,100. One of them gave me his set of King Cobra woods that he'd been using, although for such a short time that they still look new. And I haven't hit a golf ball in at least a year and a half now.

 

[mjarrels]

When I use to play the Naval Station Subi Bay GC, If I hit one into the jungle... It stayed in the jungle... bad snakes and monkeys there!

mark

 

[Bird]

When I use to play the Naval Station Subi Bay GC, If I hit one into the jungle... It stayed in the jungle... bad snakes and monkeys there!

mark

The first time I played in Alaska, my brother told me if I hit into the woods, to make plenty of noise when I went after the ball because there were sometimes bears on the course. Like you, I figured those golf balls really weren't worth much.

 

[Egon]

Travell to the Links, rent some clubs, decide on the your future in the sport then be prepared to deplete the budget on equipment, green fees, lesson's and travelling to exotic spots to make use of all the former outlay.

Or --- releive yourself of trying to put the little ball in a hole via a most difficult procedure and engaging in something inane as a tractor project!

Uhh -- can anyone tell I'm not a golfer nor ever will be.

Disclaimer: If it involves business be prepared to go whole hog but keep in mind who should be declared the winner after 18.

 

[RoyJackson]

When I use to play the Naval Station Subic Bay GC, If I hit one into the jungle... It stayed in the jungle... bad snakes and monkeys there!

mark

Jeez...when was that?

 

[mjarrels]

1984 - 1987

mark

 

[Jimbrown]

Stop what you are doing go get a big glass of Jack Daniels on the rocks forget about golf.

 

[pennwalk]

Practice, practice,practice
Quit your job unless you are a stock broker or an investment banker,Oh wait, if you were one of those you would already be playing a lot of golf.
practice, practice, practice


Chris

 

[ericinmich]

I started golfing about 7 yrs ago... now OK but not great. 16hdcp.

I'd suggest buying a set in groups (Woods, Irons, Wedges, and putter)

I wouldn't just by a set from Dicks. Go to a golf shop and let them educate you about the types of irons. There is a huge range of clubs (irons) from large cavity backed ones (and hybrid irons) that help the high handicapper to the blades that the pros use. Don't by the blades... Often the sets she at the stores like Dicks are a set that look like what the pros use.

Go to the web sites of manufactures and learn the types/ranges of clubs that are out there.

Woods. You don't need to spend the long dollar, but it's worth getting a newer style large driver.

One sand wedge (56degree) and a putter that works (most I've tried don't work well, or for very often...).

Lessons are a great thing to get you going. Then it's about hitting as many balls as you can... I joined a cheap 'country club' (if you can call it that) with a driving range where you can hit for as long as you want. This is about the only way to improve (in my opinion). Most ranges sell a bucket of balls that lasts 30 minues... You want to swing for an hour or more to get a repeatable swing. I have seen some ranges that sell huge buckets and that might work.

Read a few books. Golf for dummies is a good starter (and funny). Subscribe to a magazine for a year or two... after that, you'll have gotten enough advice to make your head spin, plus they seem to rerun the 'pro tips', etc.

Good luck...

 

[tommu56]

My suggestion don't start.
A lot of guys at the plant golf and I thought it sounded expensive compaired to my hobbies RC Planes. Plane is a wash for one set of decent clubs (excluding crashes) then it's about $40.00 dollar a gallon for fuel last me about a 4 weeks
so thats $10.00 per week. Greens fees per round to walk around here $20 and up and add $15 to ride. Oh yea there isn't as as much physical stress relief in flying
Its the landings that provide the stress, relief is in the taxi back to the pits.


tommu56

 

[MossRoad]

This thread will be interesting... my 14 year old daughter wants to take up golf and I know nothing about it. We started by borrowing a set of youth sized clubs from a friend. Then we went to the local public golf course where there is a driving range that is free. Bag of 60 balls is $5.00. Good for an hour of practice. They also have a couple free putting greens and a sand area. So, we started there. She also has some plastic wiffle-type balls for her to practice her swing with in the back yard. All of the public courses here in town offer instruction by the course pro. Here, it is $25.00 for a half an hour. We will start that next week just to get her grip and stance correct, then as needed after that.

One other thing... google search for golf basics and there are tons of sites with good reading. When my daughter started, her first trip to the driving range resulted in nothing over 50 yards. We read some tips and the next trip she was popping them out to 150 very consistantly. Not a bad improvement for a 14 year old girl that has never golfed before.

 

[pappy19]

At 62 years young, I took up golf. I had always figured if it was a good enough day to golf, then I'd go fishing. A buddy of mine finally talked me into going with him and he is a real good golfer. Anyway I went with him 3 times and rented clubs at the rinks we played. I kinda got the hang of what to do, but most of the time I don't do it that way. I'm getting better and bought a used set of clubs (Calaway's) at a garage sale for $50, including the bag. I bought 100 slightly used golf balls off ebay for $20, golf shoes(Oakley's) off ebay for $30, and gloves off ebay for $15 for 3 pair. Heck, I look like a golfer and am loving every minute I can get away to play a new course. It's usually $15-20 here in Utah for 9 holes with a cart. It's alot of fun and I am really liking it. I still fish, but I can sneak off with a co-worker on a early afternoon and play for a couple of hours. Get some sun, drink a beer or two, get some fresh air and smack the heck outa those balls. You'd better try it.

 

[RedRocker]

Pappy, I'd take a shot at playing on some links, all those skaters at rinks used to drive me crazy! ;-)

 

[mjarrels]

As a stockholder of the 36 hole golf course across the road I can play for free including cart... but, my playing partner died a couple years ago so I don't play much anymore. Did take my clubs on a Navy cruise once and played in Hawaii (Navy/Marine course) and Australia. To me, golf is more of a social thing.

P.S. Don't see to many scandels in the news about professional golfers like baseball, football, basket ball players always in trouble with the law!

mark

 

[BB_TX]

If you are average height and weight, you can probably easily get by with any off the shelf set. But if you are above average in height or weight, or under average height, you might consider a golf shop like Golf Smith. They will measure you and tell you what you need. They have inexpensive components they can make you a set of clubs from. Or you can buy the components and make them yourself. I did that and it was fun and did not really take much time to do it.
This is an inexpensive way to get started. They will not be the high quality of Callaway, TaylorMade, etc. but for a novice golfer, it will not make much difference until you improve your game considerably. If you decide to stick with it and get serious, then you can step up to better clubs and a much higher investment.

 

[project_X]

I frequent a golf board with a lot of great information Welcome to 4GEA.com! Home of the Internet's #1 Golf Forum. There is a lot of good information and help there.

I would sign up for a series of group lessons at first 4-6 people weekly for 6 weeks, this will brush you up on the fundamentals without breaking the bank.

I would look at reading "Putting out of your mind" by Dr. Bob Rotella.

I would look at purchasing a used set of clubs from somewhere like Callaway Golf Preowned & Outlet : Used Golf Clubs, Pre-Owned Drivers, Fairway Woods, Irons, Wedges, Iron Sets, Putters (they have lots of brands at varying prices)

Cheers,
Rob

 

[MikePA]

I frequent a golf board with a lot of great information Welcome to 4GEA.com! Home of the Internet's #1 Golf Forum. There is a lot of good information and help there. I would look at reading "Putting out of your mind" by Dr. Bob Rotella. I would look at purchasing a used set of clubs from somewhere like Callaway Golf Preowned & Outlet : Used Golf Clubs, Pre-Owned Drivers, Fairway Woods, Irons, Wedges, Iron Sets, Putters (they have lots of brands at varying prices)

Great sites and book. Thanks!

 

[Podunkadunk]

Don't start! Golf backward is Flog! That's what you'll end up doing to yourself for starting.

It's a lot like marriage, takes total dedication to be good at it, can cost you a lot of money, but is most rewarding if you "master" it, but this usually takes years.

Here's a funny standup video by Robin Williams on Golf. After about the first 20 seconds of the video, he starts talking about the origin of Golf. It's funny as heck, but not PG rated, because of his use of expletives.

Robin Williams on golf - Google Video

Good luck man, you'll need it.

Podunk