Finally: The course
Entering the jungle
First, let me give you the good news. When you start playing golf the chances are high that the local pro has a couple of clubs that you can use to practice. You can use them for the first weeks and do not have to buy your own. The problem is that the clubs may not be available when you want to practice.
So, if you want to get your green card, you need to practice and this is easiest if you use your own set of clubs. The reason is that you need to get used to one set of clubs, for no two golf sets plays like each other - unless they are from the same series.
If you decide to get a set of your own clubs you should ask your professional (who knows how you swing) for a dynamic fitting session. That means that he does not just pick a set of clubs based on your length, but also tests how you swing with them. The fitting session will tell if you need longer or shorter than standard irons, how stiff the shaft should be and what material is best for you.
Your first clubs
In my opinion you should start with only a set of iron clubs (from iron 4/5 to Sand Wedge) and a putter. There are good starter sets from Dunlop, Precept etc and in Germany they cost about 200 - 400 Euro. Take your time when you look at putters and find one that looks and feels good to you - for this is the most important club in your bag. There is no need to invest a ton of money in a Titleist or Ben Hogan putter; the most important thing is that you like the putter and trust it. The price of a putter can be very high, and I recommend that your first putter is one that costs less than 100 Euro.
Forget about woods. They are way too difficult to control for a beginner. When you start hitting the irons constantly about 90-100 meters you will quite easily get good scores even if you only use irons. Even on a very long (400 meter) par 4 you should only need 4 strokes to get on or near the green, one approach shot and two putts and voilà you are able to reach even this hole with a handicap of 54 (green card)!
Balls for beginners
There is a jungle of different golf balls out there, and which should you choose?
I would recommend that a beginner (handicap down to 40-45) should not spend much money (less than 1,30 Euro per ball) and should play standard distance balls. The reason for this is that a beginner:
- have not developed enough feel yet to notice big differences between balls
- often loose balls (which makes it very expensive)
- are not helped in their game by playing expensive balls
In fact, as a beginner, you will find that playing better balls makes the game even more difficult! What do I mean by better balls? These are usually more expensive (say 2,50 Euro per ball) and are designed to spin more than standard distance balls. This means that they maximize backspin and sidespin. Better players use the spin abilities to control the behavior of the ball.
While backspin is very useful and creates a stable ball-flight, sidespin for a beginner is not! Sidespin will maximize the effect of not hitting the ball correctly. Due to more sidespin a slight slice is not too bad with a distance ball, but with a spin ball the slice or the hook will be made worse. As manufacturers have not designed a ball yet which can create only backspin and no sidespin, beginners should stay away from mid- to highspin balls.
I would recommend that you choose brands like Top-Flite XL, Pinnacle, Dunlop, Precept, Wilson or similar.
But: Buy only one type of balls. While you will not notice much obvious differences between different balls, you will still get accustomed to the behavior of the ball as you play and practice. By playing with just one type of ball, you will easier develop a feel for it. For the same reason you should play the same balls on the putting green and on the pitching/chipping area that you will use on the golf course.
