Learn how to play golf: What every new golfer should know

It’s a hard game, for starters, and it brings with it an assortment of equipment and customs that might overwhelm anyone learning the game for the first time. That’s the reason you need to find the right person who can guide you by introducing you to the many nuances that need to be learnt before you actually go and play on the golf course.

Every golfer has been a beginner at some point, the game just like life takes you on this roller-coaster of ups and downs and you’d be surprised about how much of everything you can pick up as you experience this sport for a lifetime of learning. My purpose here is to give you the basics.

INSTRUCTION: THE BASIC ESSENTIALS


Do I need lessons first? What are other ways I can learn?

Taking lessons is very important, and finding someone who can make you connect the dots in a way best suited for you as an individual is very important. Learning golf can be due to various reasons, and some of these maybe just being outdoors, meeting and making new friends, or just simply experiencing a new sport.

Everyone learns at their own pace and golf being a fairly technical sport requires some basics which can help you learn the sport much quicker.

Golf can be learnt through the experience of a teacher who will impart the basics with ease and help you grow your game to the next level. Golf courses across the country have teachers who are attached to their practice driving ranges, and that is where you learn the game. There are even stand-alone practice facilities with golf academies which have created a great environment to relax and learn the game of golf.

Please make the time to understand why you want to play the sport and then find a certified teaching professional who will impart golf lessons. Word of mouth works well as talking to other players on the Golf Course and Practice Driving Range will give you a fair idea of whom to take your golf lessons from. We are all different and require someone who will simplify the sport and not make it more complex. Talking to other players is a great yardstick to arrive at a facility and coach that may suit your needs.

There are so many different clubs. How do I need to know when and how to use them?

In the broadest terms, your clubs themselves will help tell you when it’s best to use them. Each club is designed for a particular job—namely, to send the ball a particular distance at a particular trajectory. The longest clubs in your bag—the Driver, Fairway woods and Hybrids—have longer shafts and less loft on the face, so the ball goes farther. With Irons, the shafts get progressively shorter and the loft on the face progressively increases, which means the ball will travel shorter and come down more steeply as you work your way down from a 5-iron to a Sand Wedge.


EQUIPMENT: EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW


What’s the bare minimum that is required to play golf?

One of the intimidating things about getting started in golf is wondering whether you’re using the right clubs. As with most things in this game, the key with equipment is to start slowly but strategically. First, even if most players get there eventually, there’s no need to begin with 14 clubs in your bag. Basically, you can start with a few and increase as you go.

You will need golf balls, but my advice at this point in your golf career is to spend less and buy used balls and then graduate to new ones. Once you stop losing too many in a round on the Golf Course, then you can start to be a little more particular. Some other essentials I think are important:

Golf bag: If you’re not sure about golf, maybe you should ask a friend who plays a lot as they will have many extras that you can borrow. That will be sufficient for the time being, and it will save you some money.


Tees: Buy a pack of 20, and you won’t be buying tees very often. A divot/pitch repair tool to repair pitch marks on the green will come in handy once your iron shots start to hit greens with more regularity, and you’ll buy goodwill with playing partners as it’s always good etiquette to repair the pitch marks on the green.


Towel: It comes in handy to keep your clubs clean. It also keeps you dry, and can be used during the summer as a wet wipe to keep you cool on the course.

Many driving ranges also offer rental clubs at about Rs.50 or Rs.100, so you may prefer to just rent to start with and then slowly build up your set of golf clubs once you are sure to continue playing the sport.

OK, I’ve tried it and I’m hooked. What’s my next move with my equipment?

This is a matter of defining how much of a commitment you’ve decided to make. And by commitment, I am talking about money you would be comfortable spending.

If you are not ready to spend too much then buy used clubs or borrow some extra clubs from a friend.


GOLF COURSE: GETTING OUT TO PLAY

How do I know if I’m ready for the golf course?

Can you get a 7-iron airborne off a tee with some consistency? the best way to gauge whether a beginner is ready for their first time on a course. In fact, keeping a bunch of tees handy even for the fairway is a great way to ensure beginners enjoy their first couple of rounds of golf. You need to keep it fun. Hitting off a tight lie in the fairway can be daunting to a beginner, so help in building confidence by encouraging them to tee up their iron shots. Using a 7-iron will give the player some good trajectory along with plenty of distance necessary to keep moving along at a good pace.

If possible, seek out a friend with golf experience for your first couple of rounds or have your coach accompany you. They can really help with the minor aspects of etiquette (more on that below). The biggest thing is trying your best to stay positive as struggles are part of the game (for all levels!).

Don’t worry about what score you shoot for your first 10-15 rounds. Just keep tabs of the number of solid hits versus poor hits. Once your solid hits outweigh your poor ones, you know you’re on the path to improvement.


How do I get a tee time?

In the absence of access to a private course, you’ll need to secure a tee time at a public course. Call your local course, and explain you’re a beginner, and you’re hoping to play when the course is less busy, thus making it a less pressure situation for you. Often, late afternoons are great options. Most golf courses are on the internet or have their own websites, and they may not be able to cater to a beginner’s specific needs, so it’s more reliable to call them directly.


Where can I go to work on my game?

Practice driving ranges are great. I recommend finding a facility that is close by and has basic facilities like club rentals, F&B etc. If you have a little room at home, setting up a net to hit into is a great alternative. Anywhere with enough room to allow you to make a full swing is a good practice spot. Plastic balls are great if you don’t have a mat and are practicing in a field near you or your backyard. Those won’t hurt anyone, and will allow you to take a full swing without losing a ball.


ETIQUETTE: THE BIGGEST DOS AND DON’TS


I’ve always heard golf has a bunch of rules. What do I need to know to not make a fool of myself?

It’s true, golf has plenty of rules, but you should take solace knowing even many experienced players don’t know all of them. If you’re venturing out onto the course for the first time, really the most important thing is to be respectful of the people you’re playing with and the golf course itself.

For instance, it’s worth noting most other players don’t really care how good a golfer you are provided you’re not dramatically impacting their experience. That means not slowing the round down. It means being mindful of not interfering with their swing by standing too close or making noise when they are about to hit the ball. And it means leaving the course in decent shape for others: replace your divots when you take one with a swing; try to even out ball marks (known as pitch marks) on the green if you have dented them with a shot; smoothen out the sand in the bunker either with a rake or your foot if you’ve just hit out of one.

Dress code is strictly followed at most facilities, and that generally states that blue jeans and round neck t-shirts are not considered as golf attire so please be careful to dress accordingly.

There are plenty of other nuances you can pick up as you play more (walking in between the line of another player’s ball and the hole when you’re on the green is one I can give you now, as some people make a big deal about that). If you go in with a good attitude and willingness to admit what you don’t know, most golfers will be happy to help you learn.


Jasjit Singh is working as a teaching professional at the Delhi Golf Club. He is a former ‘National Coach & High-Performance Manager- Team India’ (2013-2015) and SAI. He also has run Indian Golf Union’s – Golf coaching programs in different parts of the country at grass root levels