Taking Your First Swing
How to Make Golf Less Intimidating as a Beginner
By: Collier Simpson
We all have an image in our head when we think of golf. For most, it’s spending too much money, white men in collared shirts, pristine landscaping, stuffy rules, and drinking beer at 8 a.m. However, if you can make it past all that and actually onto a golf course, you might find that the sport has a lot to offer players of any skill level.
Setting up at the tee box only to take your first swing and miss that tiny stationary ball by a mile can be defeating. Many call it quits right there and pack it up. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way—that you don’t need to snap your club over your leg or throw it into the water feature.
Unfortunately, golf is a sport with a high barrier to entry. For some, it is too high to vault over, as golf retention rates are pretty abysmal. According to the NGF (National Golf Foundation), although the game has seen over fourteen million new players over the past five years, only around 1.3 million of them continued playing after their first outing. Don’t let the statistics deter you. There are many ways to lower this wall so you can enjoy everything this sport offers. Here are six simple tips to get started.
Don’t Get Scammed by Expensive Clubs—You’re Not That Good—Yet
When walking into a golf store for the first time, many people see the staggering array of clubs lining the walls and racks and may be tempted to be drawn in by the stylish and aggressive marketing of the newest models. Posters throw around buzzwords like “game improvement,” “forged faces,” and “increased distance.” As a first-timer, your only focus should be on what feels comfortable and what is in your price range. If you’re on the fence about committing to a set of clubs, most courses offer rental sets for you to try on your first outing. When you do decide to purchase your own, here is what Bacon Park Golf Course’s head professional, Gordon Gnann, has to say: “Buy anything that you can swing, and once you find some consistency in your swing, you need to go get fit for clubs.” Your first set might not be as glamorous as the top-of-the-line models, but the benefits advertised on those thousand-dollar sets don’t matter if you can’t hit the ball in the first place.
Find The Right Course for You
The easiest way to find golf courses in your area is through the GolfNow app. While GolfNow might not show you all of the private or membership-only courses, that’s good, as you don’t want to be playing there anyway. Many of these places embrace tradition hard and will immediately make you uncomfortable and, quite frankly, unwelcome.
First, find a course that is within your price range. Courses that offer thirty to forty-dollar rounds are a good start. While this might not be the most beautiful and prestigious course, it just needs to be one good enough that you don’t find it frustrating to play. Second, find a place that is welcoming and inviting to new players. Most of the time, the cheaper courses are the best option, as once you start going up in price, the more likely it is that the course doesn’t cater to beginners.
YouTube Videos Are Not Your Friend
A golf instructor is pricy, time-consuming, and a little intimidating. So, most beginners will get their starting advice online, probably from YouTube videos. While you don’t want to establish bad habits in your swing, as this can cause frustration down the road, watching too many videos is sure to overwhelm you. Watch one or two, and then just go swing your clubs. However, in the long run, Gnann recommends finding a professional and taking some lessons. “There are a lot of bad habits,” Gnann says, “even if you played for a month or two and created some bad habits, it can be hard to break them.”
There are a lot of golf coaches out there. But luckily, most golf courses have professionals on staff who give lessons. Many times, the pros at the cheaper courses will offer lessons that won’t break the bank. So, if you want to get ahead of any bad habits, find someone you feel comfortable with who can give you a rundown of the basics.
Walk, Don’t Ride
I know what you’re thinking: half the fun of golf is driving the golf cart around. Although fun, you will get a much more rounded experience when walking a course. You will also save the most money on your round here, as many courses charge upward of sixty dollars just for the cart alone. The task may seem daunting, carrying your bag and walking four miles or so—the average length of a golf course—but why not get your steps in for the day while taking a pleasant stroll through a beautifully landscaped course? Other than some extra exercise, walking the course allows you to get a better look at your next shot. In a study done on the benefits of walking versus riding by the Word Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, players who walked not only showed better mental concentration but shot lower scores as well.
Ultimately, do what is comfortable and more enjoyable for you. But, if you are up for a little walk, ditching the cart can prove to be a game changer.
Forget the Scorecard
There is no better way to add unnecessary stress and frustration to your game than keeping score. This may be difficult for many, like myself, who are deeply competitive and want to see improvement with every swing. But the truth is, when you’re learning the basics, your score doesn’t matter. What matters the most is your swing. Even if you need several do-overs at the tee box, that’s okay. You don’t need to tally up a high score only to make yourself feel bad after a round.
Rinse and Repeat
As golf pro Gordon Gnann states, “Golf is hard.” However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and well worth the challenge. The number one thing you can do to improve in any field is practice, practice, practice. For someone looking to start golfing, the key is that you always want to make sure you keep it fun—whatever that means for you. Walking or riding, keeping score or not, looking at new sets of clubs, or browsing the used section. Whatever keeps the game fun for you is the correct way to play.