Help needed to start playing Golf

[maveric74]

Hey all. I'm not sure if this is in the right space to post but giving it a shot. If not, hopefully, someone can re-direct me to post in another area. I've played golf very sparsely over the course of the last 15-20 years. Love to be able to play more decently and understand how I can play better rather than just a swing and whatever happens scenario. I don't own any golf clubs either. I'm 42, reasonably fit (can swing a golf club freely without any discomfort) and don't even have a handicap..lol

1. Should I join a local golf club? Or play at different clubs/courses?
2. How do I get a handicap? Does it matter? Do I need one if I'm looking at just improving my game currently or should I wait a year, improve my game (hopefully) and then get a handicap?
3. Should I buy clubs online/at a golf shop/at a club pro shop? Do I need to get clubs fitted?
4. What should I aim to spend on clubs as a beginner? I have had shitty clubs before and so would be interested in getting decent clubs which actually make me look like Tiger once in a while rather than John Daly all the time.
5. Should I take golf lessons from a club pro to start with? And then perhaps once every couple of months?
6. Any other ideas/suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks people. Have a great 2016 golf year ahead full of birdies, eagles and aces!

[mrbluu]

Welcome!!

I would get lessons first and start from there. If u learn good fundamentals, that will make improving much easier and u will enjoy the game more.

If you find a good Pro he should be able to guide u what clubs to buy and maybe join a local club to get a handicap.

[3Puttpete]

G'day Mav, welcome aboard.

I was in the same situation about 4 years ago. I reckon the best thing you can do is start with lessons. As long as you're half coordinated you'll see improvement simply by playing more golf but lessons should ensure you start with good fundamentals.

As for joining a club, it depends on when and how often you want to play. The more you play, the better value a membership will be. You can work out how much you pay per round and if that'll end up more or less than the cost of a membership over a year. If you join a club they'll sort out a handicap for you which allows you to play in competitions. If you don't want to play competition golf, there's no need to have a handicap.

You can spend a few hundred on decent used clubs a few years old or a few thousand if you want the latest gear.

A decent coach should also be able to talk you through all of these issues.

[Jazz18]

Hey Mav. Hope you enjoy this place.

Maybe start with a golf clinic if you need some basics. It can be just as effective as one on one coaching for beginners and much more cost effective. If you do go one on one, make sure you don't buy a lesson package until you know you like the guy/girl. Golf pros are all different and some will suit you and some won't, just like anything else. Any teacher worth their salt will be able to guide you in the right direction with clubs etc.

Joining a club is a great way to have access to a golf course when you want to play. It can be hard to get onto a golf course to play on the weekend if you're not a member so it gives you that flexability.

Good luck.

[maveric74]

Thanks lovely people! Some great feedback/suggestions here for sure. Here's what I am thinking I'll do. Head over to my local club (Northcote golf club, Melbourne). Speak to the golf pro there about getting some one on one lessons and also some suggestions on clubs for a beginner. The membership for the club is actually quite cheap for the year ($185 + $25 green fees). Even if I play once a month (at a minimum) that seems pretty good to me + meet & chat with other players and hopefully start to show some improvement to actually be able to get out there on the golf course and play without being a danger to other golfers :-)

[oldracer]

lessons are the way to go but be sure you get some footage of your swing during the process so you can visualise the changes happening and those required. practise is also the key to improvement, u need to have the time to work on what you are being taught. range time and course practise will really help your improvement, enjoy the forum Mav

[Progolfgear]

Hey all. I'm not sure if this is in the right space to post but giving it a shot. If not, hopefully, someone can re-direct me to post in another area. I've played golf very sparsely over the course of the last 15-20 years. Love to be able to play more decently and understand how I can play better rather than just a swing and whatever happens scenario. I don't own any golf clubs either. I'm 42, reasonably fit (can swing a golf club freely without any discomfort) and don't even have a handicap..lol

1. Should I join a local golf club? Or play at different clubs/courses?
2. How do I get a handicap? Does it matter? Do I need one if I'm looking at just improving my game currently or should I wait a year, improve my game (hopefully) and then get a handicap?
3. Should I buy clubs online/at a golf shop/at a club pro shop? Do I need to get clubs fitted?
4. What should I aim to spend on clubs as a beginner? I have had shitty clubs before and so would be interested in getting decent clubs which actually make me look like Tiger once in a while rather than John Daly all the time.
5. Should I take golf lessons from a club pro to start with? And then perhaps once every couple of months?
6. Any other ideas/suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks people. Have a great 2016 golf year ahead full of birdies, eagles and aces!

Hey Maverick,

I am actually an ex-club pro and can tell you what I would tell anyone in the same boat that had come to me.

1. I would suggest joining one club for a couple of reasons; a)You will be in regular contact with the same groups of people and probably find it easier to strike up friendships, find playing partners and perhaps even mentors. b)You will have a relative benchmark so to speak and be able to gauge your improvements a bit easier on the one track.
2. I believe at the moment, you play 3x18 hole stroke rounds and pass your scorecards in to your home club, they will then establish your handicap for you. I would suggest waiting until you can score <120 consistently. The maximum handicap you can have is 36, with most courses being par 70-72 that would mean you need to be able to score 108 or better to play to or below your handicap.
3. I would seek the advice of a proper golf pro, leave the off-course golf stores for now (they might give the impression that they are giving you an accurate club fit, but truthfully the majority of them have no idea what they are doing). Just know that the specifications of your golf clubs WILL influence the way you swing the club, poorly fitting golf clubs early on can definitely cause you to develop bad swing habbits.
4. Completely depends on what you are willing to spend, I would say don't spend less than $500 as you will be getting rubbish, I probably wouldn't go spending more than $1,500 unless money is no problem in which case go to town on it! There is a good chance whatever you get, you will want something different by the time you reach a <20 handicap.
5. I would for sure take lessons, depending on how much ability you are starting with, I would even look at doing group clinics. A good golf pro will be able to guide you in the right direction, most of us are actually trying to better the game of golf and not just make a quick buck. Provided you are dealing with someone who has a respectable track record, I would take their advice on how many/how often to have lessons.
6. Enjoy!

[maveric74]

Hey all..just a quick update as to where I am at currently. So I have taken the next step & booked a club-fitting at MGA @ Moorabbin. Saw some excellent reviews for them so decided to bite the bullet and go with it. @Progolfgear I know this is not what you have recommended. Bit unsure about getting club-fitted at MGA now to be honest. The fitting is on Friday and will last 90 minutes or so. Hoping to get back to you guys over the weekend as to how it goes. My budget was $1000-$1500 at the max, so MGA has recommended Infiniti golf clubs which, according to the person I spoke with, will last me around 2-3 years and then I can always upgrade to a better brand. @progolfgear I will definitely be taking your advice with regards to joining my local golf club here in Northcote. It's $85 for the year with a $100 joining fee and I can get my handicap through them and play regularly with the added benefits you mentioned of regular playing partners, skills improvement, finding mentors, friends etc.

Thanks everyone for all the help so far and I'll post again over the weekend as to how the club-fitting process went at MGA.

[3Puttpete]

Full steam ahead Mav. Enjoy

[thecollective]

good luck Mav, if you have any doubts don't be afraid to pull out

[Hatchman]

Upgrading from Infiniti will be like starting all over again.
Don't expect to be getting anything back for them in re-sale or trade in, JMHO.

[maveric74]

@Hatchman, so you recommend spend an extra $1000-$1500 to get Callaway/Titleist/TaylorMade clubs? What is the re-sale value on these (just even ballpark figure) if I do spend the extra money?
@3puttpete yeah mate, don't believe in doing things by halves! Also, at 42, I kinda feel like I've worked long enough & hard enough to give myself a year to 18 months to try and see if I can get better. If it doesn't go well, there's always bowls at the local bowlo :-)
@thecollective Cheers, will remember that but sometimes just gotta experience it, right? At least this way (after club-fitting @ MGA), whether it's good or bad, I can report back on the process and other people can be better informed right?

Thanks all.

[oldracer]

Mav, I would have thought you could have purchased a good named brand set for that money including lessons???? House of Golf, Drummonds all have package sets that are very good value

[maveric74]

Cheers @oldracer. Will check out what's out there at these Golf Outlets a bit more for sure. Thanks for the heads up

[maveric74]

Hey all,
So went to MGA Golf at Moorabbin on Friday. Had a 90 min club-fitting session with Adam (club pro/fitter/teacher). Got a bucket of 100 balls and then onto range which was thankfully separate for the teaching/fitting area. Otherwise I would have probably taken a few heads off with my wild, skewed swings :-) Started with a 7 iron. Adam was monitoring with Trackman device that was linked to a tv screen which gave information about club speed, launch angle, distance covered, contact angle etc. I was swinging Infiniti clubs to start with but then switched to titleist 7 iron and it immediately felt super light and amazing to hit with. After a few swings, I was definitely feeling comfortable with this club. Next, Adam taped the bottom of the club head and I started hitting off a plastic plate and he encouraged me to try and hit under the ball to get loft which I tried as best as I could. Moved to a hybrid wood next which I did ok with but then switched to a fairway wood and again this pace huge dividends as I was launching the ball quite decently and striking it clean. Moved to a 12.5 degree driver and after a few tips on correct grip for driver, that driver was just amazing. Did slice it a few times, but boy! it was a joy to swing with and see some distance on the hits. Club speed on average with iron was around 66-67 and on driver around 77. Finally finished off with a few wedge shots and done and dusted. Adam was patient, relaxed and offered me some fantastic advice on club buying. I could buy the bare essentials and then add later, get the infiniti clubs which would be good for 2-3 years and then upgrade or buy a name brand for a bit more which would easily last me 7-10 years. Also offered advice on getting half set or full set depending on budget and payment options. Overall, I was extremely happy with the session and felt it was the right thing to do. Clubs are ordered (titleist) and will have them in roughly 7 days or so. Looking forward to getting out there on the golf course. One question folks. Should I now get a few lessons/join a golf clinic before going around the course? Or just hit away and then worry about lessons/golf clinic later? Remember my aim is to play reasonable golf 2-4 times a month and then eventually get a handicap so I can start playing more regularly with others. Thanks in advance for all your help and advice..

[LoveGolf2012]

Adam is the brother of Marcus Fraser Mav

[maveric74]

Adam is the brother of Marcus Fraser Mav

holy crap! We talked a fair bit about golf and the Asian Tour but he never mentioned it :-) Got lucky then I guess! He was definitely all class in dealing with a rookie like myself.

[Daves]

If you can fit in and afford lessons that would be a great start. Shared Clinics can be a cheaper option. Better to not embed bad habits early if you can avoid it.

IMO the perfect start would be a lesson with Adam (I presume he also does lessons?), once the clubs are in hand, just to confirm the fitting and get you fully comfortable with them. Then a playing lesson of say 9 holes to get some course time and feedback on course management, your distance clubbing, putting etc etc.

[oldracer]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This, lessons will give you something to work on when hitting balls