Never played golf
Brave New World
Golf seems to be a strange world that does not openly invite beginners. The golf clubs are located at isolated places, there are signs telling you that only members may approach. There seems to be a complete set of words and actions that you are supposed to know before you can even start playing the game ? and visiting a golf shop only makes it hard to understand what your first step should be.
Actually it is not that bad. There are old-fashioned golfers who would like to have the golf course to themselves, but they are few in the clubs we have played at. Most fellow golfers are happy to get you up and playing. So the first thing you could do is to talk to a friend of yours who plays golf, he will be happy to invite you to the golf course and show you what it is all about. On many courses you are not allowed to play without first having taken the test to prove that you have some ability to hit the ball and know how to be considerate to other players (golf etiquette) on the golf course.
But there are practice grounds - the driving range and the putting green for example - where you can swing the club and try to hit the ball. We have found out - from experience - that the first attempts to hit that very small ball with such a club head can be embarrassing. But now and then we hear about beginners who manage the trick and can enjoy the sight of their ball soaring and make up their minds that this is a feeling they cannot wait to repeat.
If you do not know anyone who could show you the golf course, you can contact one of the clubs close to where you live and ask if they have introduction days and courses. Our club invites guests every Tuesday evening and you can spend a couple of hours with a pro (the golf trainer) in a group to be shown a glimpse of what golf is all about. Thereafter we recommend that you start taking lessons. You can take individual lessons, but it is a lot of fun to join a group; golf is a social sport and in the group you will find others to play with when you are allowed onto the golf course.
You can also combine your first introduction to golf with a vacation. There are golf courses located close to hotels and they often have special deals, or offer training classes. The only thing we will warn you about are the offers promising you to learn to play well enough to get a "green card" - the necessary proof that you are competent enough to play golf at your golf club. These green cards say that you have reached a handicap of 54, but there are many golf clubs where you have to be a member to play at this level. Nevertheless many return from such a holiday with a dedication to the sport.
