OOT: I'm now a golfer

[MikeSmith]

dont forget to focus more on your short game than your swing, turning 3 shots into 2 is key.

[KAknight]

For every hour on the driving range, spend 5 working on chipping/putting.

[drdre2001mm]

Have fun and be prepared for non-stop frustration!

[K-Slay]

Once the tuning fork rings in your loins, you'll be hooked for life.

[James Boston]

All,

There has been some excellent advice here, so thank you OOT.

My initial goal is to be able to join my friends, who already know how to play, and not slow their game down. Having no knowledge of golf, it seems like I first need to learn how to keep the ball in play. Even if I 3-putt, that won't slow the game down as much as slicing the ball out of play. Am I wrong?

My top priority is learning how to hit my irons with some level of accurancy.

[AJay2000]

Slicing the ball out of play? This brings up an interesting twist: learn the rules as quickly as possible. Many beginners lose time on the golf course because they don't actually know the rules of the game. For instance - if you slice the ball 'out of bounds' you can hit a provisional, hopefully back in play, until you find out if the ball is out of bounds or lost. If, however, you slice the ball into a 'hazard' (red stakes or yellow stakes represent 'lateral' or not, respectively) and you can proceed to the point at which the ball last crossed the hazard, add a penalty stroke, and proceed.

The rules can be COMPLEX, but the faster you learn them, the better you will be at moving around the golf course quicker.

Rule books can be acquired through the USGA (United States Golf Association) online, or through local golf shops.

Again, good luck!

- Jay

[tagtastic]

[ QUOTE ]
All,

There has been some excellent advice here, so thank you OOT.

My initial goal is to be able to join my friends, who already know how to play, and not slow their game down. Having no knowledge of golf, it seems like I first need to learn how to keep the ball in play. Even if I 3-putt, that won't slow the game down as much as slicing the ball out of play. Am I wrong?

My top priority is learning how to hit my irons with some level of accurancy.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're quite right with this thinking, and this is why I advocate getting at least one good lesson to get you started swinging properly.

I think AJay's suggestion is a bit hasty. There are a ton of nit-picking rules to golf, very few of which need to be followed strictly in a fun game among friends.

[beenben]

[ QUOTE ]
All,

There has been some excellent advice here, so thank you OOT.

My initial goal is to be able to join my friends, who already know how to play, and not slow their game down. Having no knowledge of golf, it seems like I first need to learn how to keep the ball in play. Even if I 3-putt, that won't slow the game down as much as slicing the ball out of play. Am I wrong?

My top priority is learning how to hit my irons with some level of accurancy.

[/ QUOTE ]
tips for fast play:

+make smart decisions.

don't try to be tiger woods and shoot the ball between two trees, around a bush and onto the green. if you get into the trees, or the rough just punch out into the fairway or take a drop. drive with a club that you can consistently hit into the fairway.

+don't look for balls

you have five minutes under the official rules but you're not going to use them. give yourself a minute. then just drop one.

+play ready golf.
that means hit when you're ready, as long as it's safe. that is, you don't wait for your friends to hit before you do unless they're standing in front of you

+don't watch each other put
closest person to the pin should take the flag out once everyone is on the green. person furthest away lines up their put and puts. other two are lining up their puts in the mean time. preferably, one person puts until they make it in, then the next person goes, etc.

+when you get to the green, leave your stuff toward the next hole so that you can walk right off to the next hole

When I'm playing by myself with no one in front of me, I can do a 3 hour round by a) not looking for balls at all b) leaving the flag in c) not stoping at the turn (b/t 9 and 10).

[Villainaire]

Golf is baseball without defense.

[wuarhg]

I hate and love golf, i started playing when I was 9 and it has been mostly on and off. Started playing seriously 1 month ago again. THE FRUSTRATION, PLZ CAN THE BALL GO STRAIGHT??? =(((

Keep it fun and persevere and you will become good. And yeah, lessons are a good idea.