Learning how to golf can be a difficult experience. I remember the first time I went out onto a course, and attempted to play. "How do they make it look so easy on T.V.?" I thought. Just completing the first hole was a huge challenge for me!

Although it can be intimidating at first, stick with it! Golf is fun, if you can keep in mind that it’s just a game. Keep these few tips for beginners in mind when starting out.

Tip for Beginner Golfers 1: Equipment

I know it is tempting to think, "I’ve got to have the best of the best clubs in order to be good!" The truth is, when you are just beginning to golf, the clubs you buy will probably not matter much. I suggest finding a used set from a friend or a cheap set of clubs from K-mart. No need to waste one thousand dollars on a nice set, when you may decide later that you don’t like golf very much. I started out with a set of my friend’s old clubs that I got for free; and when I started becoming more consistent with those clubs, I moved up to a nicer set.

The same goes for balls too. A lot of golfers will spend 40 dollars on a dozen Pro-V1’s, but when you are just starting out that is not necessary. Cheap used balls will do just fine. After four years of golf, I still score the same with a used dirty ball as I do with Pro-V1’s.

Tip for Beginner Golfers 2: Where to Start

For people that are really serious about becoming good golfers; get a lesson from your local golf pro. Even if it is just one lesson, the pro will be able to show you the proper way to swing the club.

Watch golf videos, and try to study the swing as much as possible. Practice swinging in your front yard. I know a teenage boy that just started playing less than a year ago, and he has an amazing swing, and a good game. He started practicing in his front yard about a year before actually stepping out onto the golf course. Now you don’t have to wait a year to go on the course; but the more practice you get before stepping out onto the course, the better you will be.

Go to the driving range a few times a week and hit a bucket of balls. Then once you feel confident enough at the range, try out a par-3 course. They are great for beginner golfers.

Tip for Beginner Golfers 3: Out on the course

Once you make it out to a regular eighteen hole course, keep in mind golf course etiquette. People behind you are not going to want to wait. Don’t rush, but if you are taking more than 10 strokes to get the ball in the hole, and people are waiting behind you, pick the ball up and move on. Remember to fix your ball marks (the "dent" in the green that is made when you hit your ball onto the green). Also replace your divots (the grass that is torn from the ground by your club when it is swung.)

Remember, golf is just a game. It may take a bit of patience at first, but once you learn it, you’ll be addicted!