06-11-2003, 04:07 AM
My two cents, where I either disagree or modify what the others have said:
Tees: They make nylon tees now. They cost a bit more than wood, but they are almost unbreakable. You might lose them, but you won't break them. You only need a few of nylon tees, I've seen them in a bag of 6.
Alternate for tees: on the par 3s, you'll want to tee up short and use an iron. There are almost always broken tees lying around that are perfect.
Balls: Get cheap, NEW balls. The recycled balls sold in stores are often recovered from the bottom of ponds, and have lost their "stuff" from being submerged for a long period. A new Spalding will be better than a soggy Titelist.
Don't even THINK about getting a sleeve of the really high-end balls to try. The Balata balls that the Pros use have a very soft cover, making them more controllable. A less-than-perfect hit will ruin a $5 ball. As a beginner, ALL of your hits will be less-than-perfect
Finding balls: You're going to spend a bit of time looking for you balls. As a point of etiquette, don't spend too long looking for it, unless you're playing by yourself on an empty course. While you are looking for your own balls, you will probably find other lost balls. Those will give you a chance to try other brands. :) If you happen to find a brand that works well for you, consider trying a box. Wilson Ultras work best for me.
Finding balls2: Just because the ball you found was high-and-dry, doesn't mean that they guy who LOST it never got it "recycled".
Wedge: Get a sand wedge, AND a pitching wedge. I have a few justifications for this. First, as a noobie golfer, you will be spending a lot of shots getting on the green. You might as well get the equipment that you'll use a lot.
Second, the wedges are clubs that you can practice with almost everywhere, in the back yard, parks, or wherever. And, you SHOULD practice with them. A good chip shot can save a stroke putting, and it's a lot easier to get good in the short game than it is to add 20 yards to your drive.
Hat: Everyone here said "Cap". No, no, no! Get a HAT with a full brim. You really don't want to be a "Redneck".
Glove: Get a couple of cheap gloves to begin. When my swing was off, I tore them up badly. A $20 glove will tear as easily as a $4 glove. My favorite glove to play with was my old cycle glove, with no fingers and a palm-pad. It looked funny, but nobody laughed after I hit. :)
Shoes: Sneakers don't cut it. Get a pair of Footjoys, reasonably cheap. Plastic spikes, because pretty much all of the courses around here don't permit metal spikes anymore. Learning to hit the ball is hard enough, without your feet sliding around.
Ride or Walk: If I remember correctly, you live in London (just up the 401 from me :) It rarely gets too hot to walk 18 around here. Get a good-carrying bag, something light with legs. I have a Sundowner, that I got when they first came out with that type of bag. It's great. Don't overload it.
When it really, REALLY, is hot, go ahead and cart it. Also, if you enter a tournament, get a cart. You can easily spend 6-8 hours on the course in a Scramble. They are a hoot, but no fun if you're beat.
Fun Games: Like a said, Scrambles are a hoot. Another great night out is Glow-ball, but there are not many Glow-ball tournaments around here any more, since they tend to destroy golf courses & carts. The last Glow-ball I played in, there was one cart that went in a creek, another went in the river, and loads of them went into trees. Amazing fun, though.
Serious Games: Yup, get lessons, like most have said. BUT, don't be afraid to get a lesson from a different Pro if the first one you go to doesn't help much. People are too different for one Pro to know what you really need. A good (helpful) Pro can often suggest someone who will be able to get you going.
Playing the "Tour" is okay for variety, but join a club where the dues are fairly cheap. It help a LOT, when you know the layout of the course. You can then concentrate on your game, and less on where you want your ball to end up. Plus you'll eventually lose fewer balls, and find more lost balls, since you'll know where they wind up. Plus, you'll get to know more people, and the Pro is more likely to give you a deal on lessons and equipment.
That said, DON'T join up this year, unless you find the club you REALLY want to join. Play the "Tour", and get a feel for the courses. The Two-for-One ticket books they sell around here are a great deal for this.
-rcv-
Tees: They make nylon tees now. They cost a bit more than wood, but they are almost unbreakable. You might lose them, but you won't break them. You only need a few of nylon tees, I've seen them in a bag of 6.
Alternate for tees: on the par 3s, you'll want to tee up short and use an iron. There are almost always broken tees lying around that are perfect.
Balls: Get cheap, NEW balls. The recycled balls sold in stores are often recovered from the bottom of ponds, and have lost their "stuff" from being submerged for a long period. A new Spalding will be better than a soggy Titelist.
Don't even THINK about getting a sleeve of the really high-end balls to try. The Balata balls that the Pros use have a very soft cover, making them more controllable. A less-than-perfect hit will ruin a $5 ball. As a beginner, ALL of your hits will be less-than-perfect
Finding balls: You're going to spend a bit of time looking for you balls. As a point of etiquette, don't spend too long looking for it, unless you're playing by yourself on an empty course. While you are looking for your own balls, you will probably find other lost balls. Those will give you a chance to try other brands. :) If you happen to find a brand that works well for you, consider trying a box. Wilson Ultras work best for me.
Finding balls2: Just because the ball you found was high-and-dry, doesn't mean that they guy who LOST it never got it "recycled".
Wedge: Get a sand wedge, AND a pitching wedge. I have a few justifications for this. First, as a noobie golfer, you will be spending a lot of shots getting on the green. You might as well get the equipment that you'll use a lot.
Second, the wedges are clubs that you can practice with almost everywhere, in the back yard, parks, or wherever. And, you SHOULD practice with them. A good chip shot can save a stroke putting, and it's a lot easier to get good in the short game than it is to add 20 yards to your drive.
Hat: Everyone here said "Cap". No, no, no! Get a HAT with a full brim. You really don't want to be a "Redneck".
Glove: Get a couple of cheap gloves to begin. When my swing was off, I tore them up badly. A $20 glove will tear as easily as a $4 glove. My favorite glove to play with was my old cycle glove, with no fingers and a palm-pad. It looked funny, but nobody laughed after I hit. :)
Shoes: Sneakers don't cut it. Get a pair of Footjoys, reasonably cheap. Plastic spikes, because pretty much all of the courses around here don't permit metal spikes anymore. Learning to hit the ball is hard enough, without your feet sliding around.
Ride or Walk: If I remember correctly, you live in London (just up the 401 from me :) It rarely gets too hot to walk 18 around here. Get a good-carrying bag, something light with legs. I have a Sundowner, that I got when they first came out with that type of bag. It's great. Don't overload it.
When it really, REALLY, is hot, go ahead and cart it. Also, if you enter a tournament, get a cart. You can easily spend 6-8 hours on the course in a Scramble. They are a hoot, but no fun if you're beat.
Fun Games: Like a said, Scrambles are a hoot. Another great night out is Glow-ball, but there are not many Glow-ball tournaments around here any more, since they tend to destroy golf courses & carts. The last Glow-ball I played in, there was one cart that went in a creek, another went in the river, and loads of them went into trees. Amazing fun, though.
Serious Games: Yup, get lessons, like most have said. BUT, don't be afraid to get a lesson from a different Pro if the first one you go to doesn't help much. People are too different for one Pro to know what you really need. A good (helpful) Pro can often suggest someone who will be able to get you going.
Playing the "Tour" is okay for variety, but join a club where the dues are fairly cheap. It help a LOT, when you know the layout of the course. You can then concentrate on your game, and less on where you want your ball to end up. Plus you'll eventually lose fewer balls, and find more lost balls, since you'll know where they wind up. Plus, you'll get to know more people, and the Pro is more likely to give you a deal on lessons and equipment.
That said, DON'T join up this year, unless you find the club you REALLY want to join. Play the "Tour", and get a feel for the courses. The Two-for-One ticket books they sell around here are a great deal for this.
-rcv-
