First time golfer

Lads, need a bit of help. Have been meaning to take up golf for a while but never got round to it. Mainly because there is plenty of opportunities for it in my work, client networking etc etc.

Anyways my boss has signed me up to play a round with a few clients at the weekend and being the complete novice that I am, need some practical tips on how not to make a complete ass of myself. I dont think of any of them are playing off a decent handicap, all over 15 but still.

Also now I have been roped into it I may as well start getting into it, so if anyone can recommend anyone in the Dublin area for lessons etc. Cheers!

If you've really never played golf at all I wouldn't advise you to go out on a golf course with anyone, you'll most definitely make a complete ass of yourself. Anyone with a handicap under 30 is fairly capable. I'd definitely advise trying to get out on a pitch and putt course or something and hitting the driving range to see if you can hit the ball any way consistently and any way straight.

What part of Dublin are you based in? I know the Spawell in Templeouge has a driving range and do lessons, there's also a fairly crappy pitch and putt that's ideal for hacking around.

*I realise those probably aren't practical tips for surviving a round of golf, I suppose one of the most important thing is don't try and hit the ball as hard as you can, just try to swing smooth and straight, even a half swing hitting it relatively straight will be better than trying to hammer it and sending it into the nearest ditch.

I'm sure Youtube will have some useful video lessons on the basics.

Get onto a driving range asap, try to hit a driver/ 3 wood, 4/5 iron, 7 iron, and sandwedge as much as possible.

As passinginterest said, don't attempt to smash every ball, keep your lower body still,make sure your shoulders don't straighten up during your swing and never, ever, ever, take your eyes off the ball while swinging.

If you don't manage to hit the ball straight and up in the air, you may not even get around the course.

My first time I hit 136, and after that 144 (in that round, not one ball ever went more than a metre off the ground, unless it bumped up in the air - I was raising my shoulders each time I swung, so I was hitting the ball down into the ground, rather than getting under it). My last time was 96 (I've played about 10 rounds ever). It's hard for me to imagine that you'll avoid making a bit of an idiot of youself, as it really is just a case of getting used to it.

If you can't hit a driver (and remember, even pro's get this wrong quite often) then just stick to irons. This was how I managed to reduce my score at first - just not hitting drivers or woods until I knew how to do it. It meant everybody else was hitting the ball at least 80 yards further than me, but at least I wasn't hitting the ball out of bounds every tee-shot, losing the ball, and getting a penalty for it.

Let the club do the work. If you try and hit the ball hard, it'll screw up. If you just let the club swing into it, it'll go much better.

Saying that, a handicap over 15 isn't bad. Under 20 and they're very good players! Over 20 is still very capable.

Cheers lads, trying to get myself a lesson tomorrow night if i can. Im in rathmines/rathgar. At worst, ill hit the driving range and hit a bucket load of balls until I can at least hit it some way decent. Have played a good bit of pitch and putt in the past so that should see me survive the short game. Its driving is probably the biggest worry. Its a scramble foursomes so not as bad as if i was doing a full round myself but still would like to at least hit the odd decent shot.

For god's sake fess up when you go for the round, no matter how many balls you hit tomorrow - images of The US Office spring to mind - you'll still look like an amateur on the course. Fess up and then you can make as many mistakes as you want, they'll get their kicks out of that anyway.

This reminds me of the time Schumi, Bald Student and I attended Tony McDonnell's testimonial golf tournament*. Aberdonian Stu was due to complete the team, but thankfully** failed to show after pulling an all-nighter at work. Between the three of us, we had about enough golfing experience to determine which end of the stick you hit the little ball with. A slow start saw every other team lap us and a group not affiliated with the testimonial yelled at us for our lack of golfing shoes, before Bald Student managed to hit himself on the back of the head with a shot which struck two trees. We would observe each other swinging from some ten metres behind the ball, but that didn't stop me narrowly missing the other two when I hit the top of the ball, sending it spinning backwards at speed. We were remarkably fortunate with the balls, not losing a single one for nine holes. Then, on the tenth, we each managed to tee off into a nearby river. The game was abandoned when darkness fell. We had started at 11am. Bald Student won a spot prize for "best dressed" - he was wearing a bright red jumper with a highly pixelated golfer on it which I suspect his mother knitted for him.

In conclusion: fess up as Dahamsta said, and wear a silly jumper.

* A testamonial match at UCD would raise about a tenner, if we could get a free referee.
** Nothing against Aberdonian Stu, but the saving in time was useful.

At least you've played pitch and putt so you shouldn't be too bad. If you can't hit the woods just stick to irons off the tee, three or four good hits with a seven iron will make it onto most greens, you might get funny looks but if your're putting it in the hole with 6 or 7 shots you won't be embarrassing yourself at all.

I can't hit my driver consistenly at all so use the 3 or 5 wood off the tee most of the time, they're a lot more forgiving, I've just gotten back into playing semi-regularly this year, I'd consider myself a decent enough golfer and I'm playing off 17.

Spawell is proably worth checking for lessons and for getting on the driving range, it's only 10 or 15 minutes from where you are.

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Originally Posted by elroy

Cheers lads, trying to get myself a lesson tomorrow night if i can. Im in rathmines/rathgar. At worst, ill hit the driving range and hit a bucket load of balls until I can at least hit it some way decent. Have played a good bit of pitch and putt in the past so that should see me survive the short game. Its driving is probably the biggest worry. Its a scramble foursomes so not as bad as if i was doing a full round myself but still would like to at least hit the odd decent shot.

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Elroy................please tell us all how you get on...............promise we wont laugh!

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Originally Posted by elroy

Cheers lads, trying to get myself a lesson tomorrow night if i can. Im in rathmines/rathgar. At worst, ill hit the driving range and hit a bucket load of balls until I can at least hit it some way decent. Have played a good bit of pitch and putt in the past so that should see me survive the short game. Its driving is probably the biggest worry. Its a scramble foursomes so not as bad as if i was doing a full round myself but still would like to at least hit the odd decent shot.

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If you have played ptich and putt " a good bit " and you can play that - you will be fine on the golf course.

My advice to beginners is to grip down the shaft a little and make sure you bend your knees a little when addressing the ball. The shorter the length of the club the less good your hand / eye co-ordination needs to be.

I would pick 3 clubs tonight at the range and practise with them. A 3 wood, a six iron and a wedge - and id hit those clubs only on your round of golf. The key for any golfer is to make things as simple as possible and as comfortable as possible. don't hit every club tonight cos there is no way you can get comfortable with them all. you have your 3 wood for tee shots - 6 iron for the fairway and a pitching wedge for anything in and around the green.

You should have a good feel for putting from the pitch n putt so you should be competant on the greeens. They will be 100 times faster than p&p greens tho so be careful early on. There's nothing funnier than seeing someone putt the ball off the green from 6 feet!

Good luck with it.

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Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

I would pick 3 clubs tonight at the range and practise with them. A 3 wood, a six iron and a wedge - and id hit those clubs only on your round of golf. The key for any golfer is to make things as simple as possible and as comfortable as possible. don't hit every club tonight cos there is no way you can get comfortable with them all. you have your 3 wood for tee shots - 6 iron for the fairway and a pitching wedge for anything in and around the green. .

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To be honest this is the best advice here, I've been playing on and off for over 10 years and when I haven't played in a while this is pretty much exactly what i do, 5 wood, 7 Iron Pitching wedge, an hour on the range the day before I play and I can get round reasonably well.
You should be able to hit a 6/7 Iron 150 yards so if the 3 wood isn't working off the T then 3 belts with one of those bad boys will have you pretty close to the green on most holes pitch on 2 putts and walk off with a 6, no disgrace in that.

As also advised, tell everyone straight up that you're a beginner, no one will laugh at you, they might laugh with you but probably not at you!

That part of Real Ale Madrid's post makes sense, but I'd be wary of the first bit (no offence meant, read on!) simply because, in my experience, a lot of people who are sh** hot at P&P have something that in no way could be compared to a golf swing.
If that's you, then one bucket of balls the night before will have next to no effect on your driving I'm afraid.

The best advice of all here is under no circumstances attempt to bluff it. Tell all, and tell it as early as you can.

Then, stick with a 4 iron (or less where appropriate on the par threes) off the tee. Irons get more forgiving as they go higher. A three is not so bad, it's my favourite from the tee in fact, but if you've a 2 or especially a 1 iron in the bag that I'm presuming you're borrowing, take them out before you go.
Steer clear of the woods too, leave a couple in the bag for show maybe, but it's worth having a 5 wood / rescue-type club in the bag for when you've a wide open (i.e hazard-free) vista and are feeling brave/cocky. Again, they're much more forgiving than the less lofted woods, and are relatively easy to hit from rough lies too.
Also, do observe the etiquette, it is important to some people, and in a much more formal way than P&P. Make sure you have a trolley or you'll have some pain in your shoulder towards the end of the round. Be aware you may need to wear a collared shirt and trousers for the course you're playing on.
And don't hit a hole in one, it'll cost you a fortune! :D

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Originally Posted by stann

if you've a 2 or especially a 1 iron in the bag that I'm presuming you're borrowing, take them out before you go.

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Lee Trevino's advice when caught in a lightning storm on a gold course - hold a 1 iron up in the air, because "not even God can hit a 1 iron".

Never knew so many here into P&P / golf. We should start a society :D

I actually gave it up a few years ago, partly because I was playing very infrequently and simply wasting my sub every year, but mostly because I caught myself on and went playing football instead while I still could. Plenty of time for golf when the years catch up, which is any day now as it happens...

Cheers for all the tips lads. I knew about the etiquette side of things so no worries there, though must get golf shoes in the morning. Playing at a fairly top golf club as well so wouldnt dream at showing up in jeans etc.

Hit the driving range tonight, went a good bit better than expected. Mainly just used a 3 wood, 3/4 iron and a wedge. Bit inconsistent with the 3 wood but went alot better than I expected.

Not sure if its fade or draw but an awful lot of my shots, particularly with the 3 wood were veering off to the right, not viciously but a definite to the right. Anyone ideas what I might be doing that is consistently causing my shots to go right.

Managed to rope another one of the lads from work into the game as well, hes slightly less novice than me but will be good to have someone else with minimal experience on board.

Make sure you let groups play through (pass you out) when they catch up with you. You'll get very unpopular very quickly if you don't.

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Originally Posted by elroy

Not sure if its fade or draw but an awful lot of my shots, particularly with the 3 wood were veering off to the right, not viciously but a definite to the right. Anyone ideas what I might be doing that is consistently causing my shots to go right.

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Assuming you're right handed it's a fade/slice, depending on severity.

Do 1 or more of the following, in order of difficulty:
1) Strengthen your left hand grip, I.e. Rotate it clockwise/to the right around the club as you look down. You should see two knuckles and the V between thumb and fingers should be pointing at your right shoulder

2) take your stance with club and both feet parallel to target line, then pull your right foot back 6 inches. The club should still be aiming at the target but the line of your body and feet should be aimed to the right.

3) when you are taking the club away to start your swing, bring it back inside the line.

Whatever you do, don't aim left to "allow" for the slice, this will make it worse as you'll end up doing the reverse of 2) above.

You should have asked Kim Jong-il for some tips. He's a world class golfer. Shot a 38 under par round, with 11 holes-in-one, in his 1st ever attempt at the sport

Try and get there early. If its a half decent course they'll have a putting green, 5 minutes on there will give you a good idea how fast the greens will be. As others have alluded a par 4 is three short drives and one long putt. Remember you don't HAVE to be on the green in regulation!

Personally, I'd ditch the woods totally and stick with the irons, especially with pitch and putt experience. I'm pretty crap, but I've finally realised that straight is more important than distance. A decent 5 iron (or even 7 iron) is better than a sliced or hooked 200 yard plus drive*. If you do end up playing semi regularly, get a forgiving set of irons designed for high handicappers, and a rescue club or two.

*giving this advice makes me feel ancient.

Watch Happy Gilmore?

Well lads, thanks for all the help over the last few days. It went better than expected. Obvious and all as it is, think the best advice was not to take my eye off the ball at any time. Did so once or twice to very ugly consequences.

Started off ok, and then from about the 3rd to the 7th hole i could not hit a ball for love nor money. My driving wasnt too bad but my shots with the irons and the wedges were awful. Did some damage to the course!! Eventually copped on that i was hitting the ball too high and got the hang of it going down the last few holes. My putting was surprisingly good, the pitch and putt days perhaps saving me there. I did fess up that I hadnt played in a long time, not exactly the truth but near enough and also the other lad that came along was poor enough standard as well so it def helped that i wasnt the only one screwing up shots.. The fact it was a scramble as well was good as well, if it was stroke play Id still be out there!!!

Enjoyed it though so going to try and get started with it now. Anyone any recommendations on where to get a set of clubs to start me off?? Have heard that McGurks do good deals around the 200 mark for a set of clubs to start off with. Dont really want to be spending any more than that really.

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Originally Posted by elroy

Enjoyed it though so going to try and get started with it now. Anyone any recommendations on where to get a set of clubs to start me off?? Have heard that McGurks do good deals around the 200 mark for a set of clubs to start off with. Dont really want to be spending any more than that really.

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I don't know about McGurks. I got my last set online (Nevada Bobs), however be wary of ebay as I believe there's a lot of fakes. There's clubs designed for high handicappers - weight low, deep cavity backs which are "forgiving". Now probably isn't the best time to be looking tbh, mid majors season..

JJB Sports had some very good deals when I was in there recently, full sets of Slazenger clubs for around the €200 mark. It might be worth checking out a few club shops and specialist shops, they can often let you try out the clubs and give advice on what suits. Places like Argos and Heatons tend to do cheap sets too, if you just want to pick them off the shelf, my Uncle bought a Dunlop set in Heatons and I've hit a few shots with the woods, they're very forgiving altough not the greatest for distance.

Don't buy new clubs. A good used set, even if they are scuffed will be 100 times better than a set at €200.

If you're worried they look old, get them re-gripped.

Best advice there from ORA. No need to get a new set, just a quality used set.

Anyone recommend a good place for quality used clubs?

Go to your nearest club pro shop, tell them your a beginner on the look out for a decent set of second hand clubs, they normally will have a few from people upgrading.
As ORA said, avoid the cheap n nasty sets you'll end up replacing them or getting very frustrated with them. I spent 400gbp about 10 years ago on a set and they've lasted me really really well. In need of a bit of TLC now but you get what you pay for, a good second hand set will last longer than a cheap new set. Speak to a pro, get a couple of lessons and find out what you like and don't like by trying some out on a range.

As a beginner look for cavity back irons with a big juicy sweet spot, but a decent pro shop will set you right

Actually come to think of it, no harm to mix and match your clubs over time if you are thinking about taking the game seriously. For example woods, irons and wedges by the same company in a set will vary. A lot of the generic wedges around at the moment are disgusting, whereas one off wedges (Ping, Fazer,) that you might see outside of sets are pretty good. A few lads I play with have all sorts of different brands in their bags. Just something to consider.

I've been thinking of mixing and matching a bit for a while (I'm not a total beginner by the way I've been playing on and off since I was 12), I quite like my irons, they were imported from America by a cousin of mine and they're very nice to play with (apparently they were a copy of a Titleist set), they could do with a bit of work though, a few of the heads need to be re-set quite badly. It's the woods that seem to have dated badly and I've never been consistent with the driver, they're ProStaff woods and the sweetspot and head size is tiny compared to most of the modern woods. There's some good deals online (I've seen a Nike SQ Sumo for €90 brand new) but I'd be worried about spending over €100 on a driver, maybe more, only to discover I can't hit the thing at all.

Could be a gap in the Forum market appearing..............................Putt.ie anyone????

If you are looking for cheap quality stuff check out this website:

http://www.direct-golf.co.uk/golf_packages/

Some great deals on there from time to time.

Right this is probably an embarrassingly stupid question but i am a complete novice in the golfing world, but how would you notice the difference between sets? Not looks wise more so when actually playing.

I presume the cheaper sets with cavity backs will be more forgiving but not so good on distance. I have heard from a good few mates who have started taking it the game more regularly in recent years that they start off with a cheapish set around the €200 mark and then upgrade the driver etc as they progress in skill.

It's definitely a personal choice.

Try and practice with a few different sets when you buy and just see what feels right for you. The cavity backs are a must for a beginner i would say and if you have an nice easy swing then you could try graphite shafts which give you a bit extra distance, (as a beginner id forget about trying to hit it too long anyway) - but these are more expensive. Hybrid clubs are also very versatile and great for beginners and pros alike, they are good for tee shots, long irons and are easier to hit out of the rough. Id try get a nice beginner set for about 2-300 and just go from there. Only if you start playing regularly and improving are you going to even need a better set.

Spend a few bob on a nice comfy pair of golf shoes would be the best advice. Get a nice big umbrella and good rain gear also if you can - the extra bits an bobs make you feel more comfortable - nothing worse than trying to concentrate on a 5 iron to a green surronded by water and a trickle of rain water comes down your neck, or if you're feet are soaking after 6 holes - disaster!

And keep playing the pitch in putt - will improve your short game no end. More in terms of feel and experience of putts etc not so much in terms of technique maybe.

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Originally Posted by Wolfie

Could be a gap in the Forum market appearing..............................Putt.ie anyone????

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www.pitchandputtforum.com

excellent forum.

Right well think im up and running with clubs. By a stroke of luck a mate of mine won a set (not a full set) of clubs and didnt want them so gave them to me for nothing. Have a 7,8,9 iron, a sand wedge, another wedge (havent figured out which one yet, just W written on the base)), 3 iron (21 degrees) and 4 iron (24 degrees)

Am thinking of adding a driver, a putter, maybe a 3 wood, a rescue club and a 5 iron to the above. What ye reckon??? What kinda pricing should I be looking at? Not going to go too expensive seeing as Im a beginner. But with a bag, say around 200?

I'd go for putter, driver, 5 iron.

That's enough, you won't need the three wood unless you're using a wood on the fairway, which I wouldn't advise. In situations where you'd be thinking of using a rescue club, I'd advise you to just get out of the rough as easily as possible, which means a 9 iron or wedge to just chip out a few yards.

Lifestyle sports have some decent offers on clubs and especially bags at the moment, though it may just be in Limerick.

Instead of the clubs, buy yourself a little trolley to wheel your bag round on, or get a bag with a built-in stand. They're invaluable in Ireland's wet weather.

I'm not so keen to change my clubs now, played in my 3rd outing with the society last Friday, which happened to be the President's prize, and won it with 38 point off a handicap of 17. I've never hit the ball as straight all day, just stuck with the 3 wood off the tee and played with patience the odd time I got into a bad spot, 23 points on the back 9, easily the best I've ever played, but it'll be bye, bye to at least 2 shots on the handicap :D Hollywood lakes was the course, some fantastic views and very tricky greens but fairly open fairways make it a nice spot for a round if anyone is out that way.

Elroy - I'd probably agree with you and go for something like a 3wood or driver, rescue club (maybe even use this to replace the 3 and 4 iron, which can be very hard to hit) 5 iron and putter. Getting a trolley is not a bad idea, although you can hire them most places for €3 so it depends how much you plan to use it.

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Originally Posted by passinginterest

Elroy - I'd probably agree with you and go for something like a 3wood or driver, rescue club (maybe even use this to replace the 3 and 4 iron, which can be very hard to hit) 5 iron and putter. Getting a trolley is not a bad idea, although you can hire them most places for €3 so it depends how much you plan to use it.

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Cheers, had another look at them this evening, and the 3 iron and 4 iron are hybrids which are def good news for me being a beginner, much easier to hit. Then have a 5,6,7,8 and 9 iron as well as a pitch and a sand wedge. So think ill just add a driver and putter for the time being.

Just had a look at Hollywood, circa €40 green fees isnt bad if its a decent course. Any of ye played in carton house?? Playing the Montgomerie course in a few weeks, meant to be far less forgiving than the O'Meara.