Golf for Beginners: Quick Guide — (Golf Instructor's Advice)
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Patrick Corley
- 10/12/2023
Golf for beginners is the main topic today!
Spread throughout this article we have relevant guides linked for beginners. Whether it be the rules of golf, learning golf, or just knowing how far your clubs go; this is the place for beginners.
If you know a golf beginner; you can have the chance to give them a hobby they are passionate about (Golf).
Enjoy! ⛳
What Rules of Golf Do I Need to Know?
This Official Guidebook to the Rules of Golf is a must-have for beginners of the game. It’s authored by R&A and the USGA, and is quite affordable!
But, there are some key rules that would benefit you regardless of skill level.
5 Key Rules to Know:
- You can only carry 14 clubs in your golf bag.
- Unless a local course rule is in place, you must play every shot where it lies. You cannot move your ball or improve your lie.
- If you hit a ball and cannot find it, you have 5 minutes to find it or go back and hit from the original position.
- A water hazard has yellow stakes surrounding it. A lateral hazard has red stakes. If you can find and identify your ball in a hazard, you can hit it if you want. If you do not want to hit it or cannot locate it, you must trace back the line that the ball entered the hazard. For red stakes, you can go back on that line as far as you want. For yellow stakes, you must drop within two club-lengths of where the ball entered the hazard.
- The person with the lowest score on the hole prior tees off first on the next hole.
Why does a golfer need to know the rules of golf? Which ones do we need to learn? Tell Me More Golf is here to help you navigate the rules of golf, including those more commonly used in regular play.
Regardless of your skill level, it is important to have a fundamental knowledge of the rules of golf. The rules were made to help golfers and to keep the game fair. Unless you are a PGA Professional or USGA Rules Official, you are not going to need to recite the entire book.
The rules of golf are complicated, so why not buy a physical copy to take out on the golf course with you? Just throw it in your bag!
Golf Etiquette
New golfers should learn both the rules of golf as well as some of the basic etiquette. At any skill level, there is basic etiquette that should be followed. Here are some examples:
- Do not interfere with anyone else during their golf shot.
- Be ready to hit when it is your turn. It is important to keep up the pace of play.
- If you take up a divot, replace it or fill the ground with grass seed. Many golf clubs will put a container with seed in the golf cart.
- Try not to stand in another golfer’s peripheral vision while they hit. This applies to all shots from full swings to putts.
- Rake the bunker after you hit out. Leave the bunker in better shape than when you got there.
- Fix your ball mark on the green, using a tee or special ball mark tool. If you see any others, fix those as well.
The rules of golf and basic etiquette are there to help golfers and protect the golf course. You do not need to learn the entire rulebook, but being familiar with the basic guidelines will make it more enjoyable and keep an appropriate pace of play which is typically four hours and twenty minutes for a foursome playing 18 holes.
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How Do I Start Golfing?
Beginners Guide
After decades in the golf world, we have seen it all with beginner golfers. I have watched players get started in a variety of ways, so I can confidently tell you how best to get going in golf. You will need equipment to play golf, but you do not need to spend a fortune. If you go to your local big-box store or an online store like Global Golf, you will be able to find a set of clubs that are reasonably priced and are ideal when starting out.
You will also need golf balls for when you eventually get onto the course. Costco, Walmart, Global Golf, and other large retailers will have inexpensive golf balls that will provide plenty of performance when you are starting golf. As far as golf shoes, you can find plenty of inexpensive options.
Ways To Learn Golf
Juniors and beginners should consider going to a local PGA Professional to start learning the game of golf. They will be able to help you with the fundamentals of the golf swing including the setup, golf grip, and how to make a balanced backswing and downswing. Beginning golfers will benefit from investing in quality instruction from the start. You will learn how to swing the golf club as well as how to play golf when you make it out on the course.
Beginner golf tips are everywhere and it can be difficult to know where to get your information. Your golf tips for beginners should come from reputable sources like your trusted PGA professional or from the experts at Tell Me More Golf. Once you graduate from the driving range, your first time golfing should be a fun learning experience.
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Know How Far Your Clubs Go
Tiger Woods has said that knowing how far each of his clubs goes is a key factor to success on the course. This is true for beginners and experienced golfers. Different clubs are designed to travel different distances and getting to know this info will be very helpful on the course.
When you are starting out, this is going to be less of a priority. Your priority when you learn should be to find the center of the club face. A good teacher will provide you with the fundamentals and help you consistently hit the sweet spot. Once you start finding the sweet spot, you will start learning how far each club goes.
Basic Shots Of Golf
Golfing for beginners can be nerve-wracking. You are still learning how to navigate the rules and etiquette while also just doing your best to get the ball in the hole. To have the most fun on the course, keep your focus on the basic shots of golf.
Basic Shots:
- Tee shots – This could include your driver, however, I typically suggest a fairway wood if you are not comfortable yet with the longer and larger club. On par threes, your tee shot might be with an iron.
- Iron shots – Your irons are a great place to focus on the fundamentals like keeping your backswing and downswing in balance.
- Chip shot – Around the greens, you will want to start with a basic chip shot when you are a beginner. This could be played with a pitching wedge to start and work your way up to a sand wedge.
- Hitting from different lies and grass – On the driving range, you get a perfect lie with every shot. Out on the course, you will need to get used to hitting from the fairway and rough. In addition, you might be hitting a shot with the ball below your feet or above.
- Putts – The putter will be used more than any other club in your bag. It is a club you will use on every hole, typically counting for one or two strokes on the scorecard.
Where To Find Golf Lessons
Golf lessons are not just for beginners. When part of my game goes south, I know that I can go visit my club’s teaching professional to get me squared away. The Professional Golf Association (PGA) website is a great place to find a local pro to help you get started, help you improve, or get you out of a slump. Golf instruction has become advanced and
Investing in golf lessons upfront is a great way to get better faster. A regular player in my golf group started as a beginner a few years ago. He bought a starter set and began to take lessons. Three years later and he is a single-digit handicap and can regularly beat the other members of our group who have been playing for more than a decade.
As a proud member of the Tell Me More Golf team, I will provide the same advice to our readers that I give to my regular golfing buddies in my group. Invest in lessons and practice chipping and putting. The rest of the golf game will take care of itself. When you have a repeatable golf swing, you gain confidence and your skill level rises quickly.
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