People play golf for a variety of reasons. For instance, why some people play golf is purely for social purposes, while others enjoy the challenge, competition or being outdoors. This series of articles is aimed at preparing you to get out on the course and start having fun.
Part of why golf is so appealing is the built-in rules that level the playing field between players of varying skills, from beginners to veterans. These include the handicap system and the use of different tee sets.
A handicap is the number assigned to an individual player to estimate how many strokes under or over par he'll be at the end of a round. A golfer's handicap can change from course to course depending on the difficulty, and fluctuates over time as one's scores go up or down. The better the golfer, the lower her handicap, and vice versa. If a golfer carrying a 3 handicap plays against a 13-handicap golfer, the better golfer spots the other 10 strokes for 18 holes.
The presence of multiple tee boxes on each hole is another great equalizer. Better golfers tee off from markers that are farther away from the hole than those used by inexperienced players. The various tees are usually distinguished by color, which indicate what kind of golfer should play from that tee, whether it's women, men, junior or senior golfers.
There is also a wide selection of courses to choose from. For instance, a good place to begin the game is on a par 3 course which is composed entirely of par 3s. These are the shortest golf holes and therefore easier for a beginner to play. There are also courses designated as beginner, training, or executive courses. These are typically much shorter and less challenging than traditional courses and it's a great place to get acclimated to the flow of the game.
These beginner videos will help you build a solid foundation and boost your confidence, explaining golf's many technical terms in simple language beginners can understand. The key is not to feel overwhelmed and to practice what you learn from these videos.
Beginner Golf Tips – Why Play Golf?
Free time is hard to come by in the modern world. When you start to add up all of the obligations you have each week, it can be difficult to find extra time to engage in a hobby. So, when that time does come available, you want to be sure to spend it doing something you truly enjoy. For many people, the chosen way to spend that free time is on the golf course. But is golf right for you? That is the question we are going to answer in this article.
If you are just getting started in golf, or if you are thinking about getting started, you have a lot to learn. There is no other way to say it – this is a difficult game, and it comes with a steep learning curve. Should that stop you from picking up golf as your new hobby? Absolutely not, but it is still important to know what to expect. If you decide to play golf regularly, there are going to be plenty of struggles along the way, and you'll probably be tempted to give it up at some point. For those who stick with it, however, this game can be one of the best ways to spend free time.
In the content below, we are going to highlight a number of the reasons to consider playing golf over the long run. It should be noted that you aren't going to enjoy all of these benefits right from the start. For instance, it is a great thrill to break through a scoring barrier, such as shooting in the 70s for the first time – but that isn't going to happen anytime soon. Golf is a game which requires patience, both in terms of playing a single round over the course of a few hours, and in terms of making progress from round to round. Improvement in this game takes time, which is why it is so rewarding when you do manage to elevate your play.
It is only fair to point out that golf is not a perfect game. Of course, nothing is perfect, and golf is no different. The game can be rather expensive, especially in certain parts of the world. Playing a round of golf on a busy weekend can take longer than it should – sometimes six hours or more. And, due to the difficulty of the game, some players never manage to play at a high enough level to really enjoy their time on the course. However, despite those potential drawbacks, we still feel that all beginning golfers should give this game a fair chance before deciding if they will stick with it for the long run. There is a lot to love about golf, and we are going to use the following content to make the case for it becoming one of your favorite hobbies.
A Social Game
The social benefits of playing golf are a great place to start this discussion. Unlike many other sports, which are either played alone, or are played in a setting that doesn't promote conversation, golf was designed to allow players to engage as the day moves along. There is plenty of downtime during an 18-hole round of golf, so catching up with your playing partners will not be a problem. Even if you don't know those you are playing with when the round begins, there is a good chance you'll consider each other friends by the time you walk off the last green.
In today's world, it is harder and harder to find time to connect with other people in a meaningful way. Sure, you might be able to send someone a message on social media, but what does that really mean at the end of the day? Does it let you get to know that person any better? Probably not. On the other hand, spending more than four hours on a golf course with someone is a great way to get to know them personally. There have been countless lifelong friendships forged on the fairways, and nearly every golfer can think of at least one or two friends they have made through the game.
Following is a list of a few example of how you can use golf to enhance your social life.
- Connect with an old friend. If you are thinking of getting together with an old friend, there are few better options for a reunion than meeting for a round of golf (assuming your friend plays golf, of course). Think about the experience you would have on the golf course as compared to meeting at a restaurant, for example. On the course, you will have plenty of quiet time to talk, you'll get to share in a common interest, and you can get some exercise along the way. On the other hand, you could sit for an hour in a crowded restaurant, trying to talk loud enough to be heard. By any measure, the golf course is going to make for a more enjoyable setting. You will have more time to talk, and you'll make some memories that can be carried forward for years. In fact, you might have so much fun that you wind up scheduling more rounds of golf with this friend in the near future.
- Meet new people in your area. Even if you don't know anyone else who likes to play golf, you can still use golf as a social tool. Simply head out to your local course on a busy weekend morning and let the pro shop know that you would like to be paired with another group. Chances are, there will be plenty of twosomes and threesomes heading out for rounds, and you will be able to join one without any trouble. At the least, you should have an enjoyable time on the course, chatting with new people as you play a great game. And, perhaps, you just may wind up making new friends who will invite you to play with them again and again. When you meet someone on the golf course, you already have a good start to a friendship based on the fact that you have a common interest.
- Grow your professional life. Golf has long been used as a way to develop professional relationships. If you are trying to impress a client, for example, it is a great idea to invite them out for a round of golf. This will give you time to develop your relationship, and you will probably end up talking some business along the way, as well. While golf might not be quite as popular for these purposes as it used to be, there are still plenty of businessmen and women who love to mix time on the links with professional advancement.
As you get more and more involved in golf, don't be surprised if the social aspect of this game is what keeps you coming back time after time. You'll be able to meet new people when you get involved in golf, you will have a chance to develop friendships that could last a lifetime, and you'll do it all while playing a challenging and enjoyable game.
An Ongoing Challenge
With the social aspect of the game already on our list of benefits to playing golf, we now move on to the famous challenge that golf presents. Even those who don't know the first thing about golf know that it is one of the most difficult sports in the world. Golf is humbling, as everyone who tries it inevitably has some struggles right from the start. It is common for great athletes from other sports to pick up golf as a hobby, only to find how demanding the game can be. Raw athleticism doesn't do much to help people conquer golf – this is a game which is about mastering technical skills, first and foremost.
Not only is golf a challenging game, but it remains a challenging game for as long as you decide to continue playing. This is one of the ways in which golf is differentiated from many other hobbies. For instance, you can compare golf to bowling, and see that golf is far more effective at delivering a unique challenge for years to come. Sure, you might not ever get to the point of bowling 300 games, but you can reach a level of consistency that may become boring. Not so in golf. Every golfer, no matter the skill level, hits bad shots in each and every round. Golf is tremendously difficult, and you'll never get bored from a challenge perspective.
Of course, there is also the variable nature of golf courses to think about when it comes to the ongoing challenge. If you do start to shoot consistently low scores on your local course, you can step back to the longer tees to increase the difficulty of the game. Or, you can find a course in your area with a longer, more difficult layout. No one has ever 'mastered' this game, and no one ever will. The dynamics involved with hitting a small ball hundreds of yards through the air are such that perfection is always out of reach. If you want a hobby which you can stick with for the rest of your life, golf is an easy pick.
To keep yourself motivated while learning this game, it is a good idea to set some goals for each golf season. Checking off these goals as you accomplish them will give you a feeling of pride, and it will push you forward to play even better. Some common goals for beginning golfers include breaking 100 for the first time, making a birdie, and hitting the green in two shots on a par five. Some of these are going to be harder to achieve than others, and that's okay. The idea when setting golf goals is to place them just far enough away so they are difficult to reach, yet not impossible. If you are a beginner and you set a goal to break par in your first season, you are inevitably going to be disappointed. Don't set yourself up for failure by laying out ridiculous goals. Set achievable marks and then go after them with your full attention.
In addition to challenging yourself with goals, you can also challenge yourself by entering competitions at your local club. Most golf courses have tournaments which are designed for players of all skill levels. Don't think that you have to be a highly-accomplished golfer to enter a tournament. On the contrary, all you need is an established handicap and a willingness to give your best effort in a competitive setting. Many golfers get hooked on the excitement of playing in golf competitions and they wind up playing in several tournaments each year. Get started by trying to play in your first tournament this coming season – chances are, it won't be your last.
