Thetownend.com

There's a thread for every hobby on here, bar golf.

After years of threatening to start again, I finally committed today and picked up a beaut of a set of starter clubs in the Black Friday sales.

So, anyone else play? Anyone got any tips for how I go from completely clueless to being able to enjoy a round with friends?

My current plan is to get down the range as much as poss between now and spring, get a swing of sorts and then get down to my local club for some lessons to iron out the numerous kinks. Fingers crossed I'll be of a standard to get round a course in one piece by Easter.

I used to play twice a week when younger, and have considered starting again. Need to find some clubs if so. Got my handicap down to 14 at one point and then started shooting 100’s! Packed it in after that as was getting too pissed off with it.

Where did you get the clubs from?

Got them from Clubhousegolf.com - Couple of mates are really into it (hence my desire to join them) and they helped me pick up a decent starter kit on credit.

I'm very much "all the gear, no idea" right now but that creates pressure on me to not drop it, which I like.

If the Range is any good they should have someone to give lessons. They might well be cheaper to start off with.

Interesting, thanks. I'll ask around there.

I play golf (although haven't for about a year now).

Going to the range is good for obviously sorting out your driving but it won't help your short game much or your putting.

Practice is key. I would be rusty af if I went and played tomorrow. Especially off the tee.

I'm at a level where I know what I need to do to correct certain strokes or the slight alteration to my own stance but also everyone will have a slightly different "organic" style of play. I think that is important to remember and not get too hung up on what some of the "course pros" at your local course may say. For e.g, your backswing may be unorthodox to the classic style or your follow through may be shorter, you may naturally "break" or tighten your wrists on a downswing. These can all be worked on but you shouldn't get overly hung up on it too.

What I would suggest, as well as going to the range, is go to your local municipal course but not a full size, just a pitch n putt. The greens might be awful and those horrible rubber matts don't help but they are great for getting really good at your short game. Most holes on a municipal are under 150 yards. So take a 9 or 8 iron, a putter and a wedge/sandy. It really puts you in good stead for things like approach shots (where after plenty of time on the p&p you'll be popping the ball on the green on most occasions), shots out of the rough and of course plenty of bunker practice. Another thing the p&p helps with is to make a full size course seem less intimidating. As it helps you to break up say a Par 5 480yds into more manageable chunks (stroke by stroke into 100-150yds). You don't look at the 480yds and think "fuck this is a long one" but you remember your short game. Even if you don't get the perfect drive of the tee and only manage upto 150yds, you have to mentally not get disappointed - you will still have three strokes and a put to get in the hole with 330yds left. Get on the green in the next two and you have two strokes for par.

That is obviously easier said than done and golf is such a mentally provoking game. It'll frustrate, there will be occasions when you want to snap all your clubs but then there will be moments when you achieve a hole in one or some glorious 50yd chip out of some shitty catkin covered rough, over a seemingly impassable tree, only to see it tickle the pin and slink in; making you feel like Phil Mickelson. Until the next hole where you shank your drive into a protected bird species nest and a passer by kindly tells you "I think you pulled that one mate".

If nothing else, golf is a great way to get outdoors and exercise. I suggest using a FitBit or similar for gauging your distances to pin whilst on a course but over time you kinda know what iron you need to use. In the meantime, here's a pic of me on a practice course (with a horrible green) about 4 years ago after plopping down a hole in one from about 140yds. Yeah I look like a madman but when I started playing at 12, I never envisaged achieving a hole in one would and that it took nearly 20 years to achieve it. Anyway, have a good laugh  :D

I like a round now and then.

This is pretty much what Bamboo said if anyone was wondering.

Lolly McLolz. Hopefully PP will be able to extract something helpful out of my post.

I did. Thanks.

Municipal course is a good idea when I can hit a ball in a straight line sometimes.

 :clap:

I started off by just whacking (golf) balls down the local driving range. I ended up practicing and reinforcing bad habits. Taking a few lessons was money well spent.

I love golf. Play once a week to a reasonable standard. It's hard. Really hard. The good shots keep me coming back for more along with the company, laughs, banter. I don't practice much, just rock up on a Saturday and knock it around.
Lots of decent vids on YouTube to get from complete novices to scratch golfers things to try to get better. The range is a good place to start as are group lessons for beginners.

I used to play military golf. I used to hit the ball left, right, left, right......

I play 3/4 time a week and since retirement my game has improved enormously !

Best tip is don't try to hit the ball too hard. Invariably, the slower you swing the further it goes  ;)
It's not the one that hits the furthest that wins, it's the one that get down in the least shots.
I play golf with a 91 year old and quite often he wins, because he always hits it straight off the tee, is deadly around the greens and never leaves his putts short - easy  >:(

Next best tip - have lessons with a pro and practice what you have been taught.
Going to the driving range and trying to hit the ball over the fence at the bottom is a waste of time.

Last tip - watch Freddy Couples play - smooth swing, timing !

Better to be known as the member with the smoothest swing than the one that hits it the furthest.

Totally agree with all that. Although I was a big fan of Tony Jacklin's style of play...and Phil Mickleson for approach play.

Correct about putting. Think it was Sandy Lyle who used to speak about never leaving your putts short.

Helpful, Thanks. I've been told to go to the range and get a swing, even if it's a bad one learnt from YouTube, because it's better bang for your buck to get lessons to correct a swing rather than start from zero so going to go with that.

you need to start again. come join me and the lads.
we're all off to Celtic Manor in Aug for 3 days

I play but no where near as much as I like.

got my handicap down to 14 when I was playing 2 or 3 times a week.
now I play once a month if I'm lucky.
still shooting anywhere between 85 to 95 so know with consistency I could do a lot better.

The driving range will be good for crafting a swing, but the best place to learn is definitely out on the course.

You can find some good youtube channels to help you out, my favourite is "Golf Sidekick", look up the 'break 100' videos, and learn the ways of the playa. It won't teach you how to swing, but it will teach you how to play.

Start with vids how to grip the club properly first and foremost. Then go from there.

Totally agree, along with stance as well.  Then, as mentioned previously, develop your own basic swing which can then be tweaked with lessons later on.

I’ve floated between a 18-22 Hcp for about 15 years now and while there is no more frustrating sport going, the feeling of a creaming a shot off the middle of the club face and the ball going exactly where it should is a bloody great feeling. Makes all the club throwing, expletives, etc worthwhile