Up until this point you may not even have been on a course. All you know is that you want to, but many golf clubs will not allow you to play until you have proven that you are able to.

Our golf pro told us that the most important thing is to learn the etiquette; how to play fast and to avoid hurting other players. That is not enough. You also have to learn to hit the ball well enough to be able to reach the hole with no more than 3 strokes over par on average. That takes time to learn so you should visit the driving range and the various greens (putting, chipping and pitching green) frequently.

And then there are the golf rules, but that is a complete chapter by itself.