Golf is a fantastic sport, offering life-changing potential spanning mental and physical health, and huge social scene. It’s another world to escape to, utilising the estimated 485 square miles of golf courses (the equivalent of the size of Greater Manchester) in the UK that offer an oasis of calm, pleasure, amongst the nature of our green and pleasant land.
Even better; there’s never been a better time to get into golf! The days of golf being solely the preserve of the wealthy upper class are now long gone. The vast majority of courses welcome visitors, with many offering deals* on green fees, particularly at quieter times. There’s also a whole array of golf-related activities to be found scattered across the country, from crazy golf to whet the appetite, to hi-tech driving ranges with in-depth analysis on shots, and the chance to play the world’s greatest courses, virtually.
But where do you start? For all it’s wonder, the world of golf can be utterly bamboozling for the newbie. Well, hopefully you’ve got a friend or two that can take you under their wing and show you the ropes. Failing that, here’s a few ideas on where to get started:
1. Make friends with your local golf facilities. You should hopefully find the staff at your local golf club(s), driving range(s) and shop(s) to be friendly and keen to guide you on getting started (not a guarantee / beware of those with a commercial – or indeed other ulterior – motive!)
2. Watch the pros play. Whilst at the opposite end of the ability spectrum, seeing how the elite golfers play can have a number of benefits. It should provide amazing inspiration, to push on through the inevitable hard yards that follow in the quest to get within even 20 shots of their scores. A lot can be learnt from the pro’s swings, their course management (albeit you’ll probably take a different route around tall trees!), etiquette and so on. Don’t have Sky? Most of the tournament’s highlights can be found on YouTube. Even better, try getting to a nearby tournament (see calendar), and watch in wonder as ant-sized figures on the horizon hit balls to within 6 feet of the hole!
3. Book some lessons. Your local club or driving range should have pros offering lessons, that will fast track (relatively!) your progress and reduce the risk of becoming disillusioned and giving up, as so many sadly do. Maybe you could even find group lessons, to reduce the cost, and meet new people in a similar stage of their golfing journey?
4. Read up on the sport. There’s no shortage of articles to peruse, from printed magazines such as Today’s Golfer or Golf World, forums, blogs, and official sites such as England Golf where you can gen up on the rules, or find a local course.
* see this article for more on frugal golfing
