5 Tips for New Golfers

I wish someone would have given me these 5 tips when I was a new golfer. Or even before I stepped foot on a golf course. These tips are just downright sensible. If you have been reluctant to take up golf, these 5 tips for new golfers should give you some comfort.

1. Don’t feel like you have to keep score. There’s plenty of time to do that after you’ve become more comfortable playing golf. It’s not important that you know how many times you swung at the ball. Just expect that it’s a LOT and it doesn’t matter. But if you are counting, and you get to something approaching 9 on any hole, pick up your ball and let the rest of your team finish the hole. No harm, no foul.
2. Remember nobody cares how well or how poorly you play. They were new golfers once, too, and I’m sure they remember being at the point you are at right now. They don’t care how well you play, but they do care how fast you play. That’s really all they care about. So watch your pace, keep up with the rest of your team, and you’ll be fine.
3. Buy a couple dozen cheap balls or recycled balls. You are bound to lose many, many balls as a new golfer. And one way to keep up the pace of play is to not spend too much time in the rough looking for your lost ball. They’re cheap, they’re almost disposable, so don’t fret over lost balls. Just know you’ll lose many balls at first.
4. This may sound rude, but don’t talk too much. Too much talking on the course slows down play, and your partners will appreciate silence when they are setting up to the ball and taking their shot. Judge your chattiness by watching your partners and let that be your guide to your talkativeness.
5. The rules of golf are important, and you can learn those later, so don’t worry about the rules just yet. But do read up on golf etiquette before you play golf. Included in golf etiquette is knowing how to dress for the course you are playing, keeping your cell phone on mute, avoiding walking on your partners’ putting lines on the green, and more. Do your internet research. There are many good articles on golf etiquette. Arnold Palmer’s Golf Etiquette Tips is an excellent one.

Many of the husbands at Sierra View Country Club have non-golfing wives. It is our hope that all of the women partners at Sierra View feel comfortable taking up the game. It’s a sport husbands and wives can play into their golden years!