Contrary to popular belief that golf is the easiest sport ever created, it’s quite the opposite. The “sport of kings” requires a lot of talent, helpful gear, and precision to be able to play it properly and get decent scores, let alone win. Before heading to the golf course, it wouldn’t hurt to research some of the important things needed to get you on the right track.
So, we’ve come up with a list of some of the things you should know before you start playing.
Your Golf Gear
To play properly you need to equip yourself with the necessary gear. If you’re buying everything brand new then you might find it a bit expensive, but properly searching around and comparing prices can help you find all the equipment you need for good prices. The golfing enthusiasts at TheLeftRough.com believe that the right equipment in your bags can make a huge difference; this is why you will need all the clubs: whether it’s wood, putter, drivers, or iron clubs, which you can rent too. You will also need proper clothing, gloves, shoes, bags, club brushes for cleaning, travel covers, and rangefinders to calculate the distance needed from each swing. See if you can borrow some used ones from your friends or family if the gear is too much on your budget.
Try Everything Before You Buy It
The gear you’re buying isn’t exactly cheap, so you need to test everything out and make sure it’s all durable and comfortable. Make sure your gloves, clothing, and shoes are comfortable and you’re able to walk around the course with them. When it comes to your clubs, having multiple ones is great but you should focus on getting the wood ones with extra loft first; they are perfect for beginners. So, remember to test the clubs before purchasing to make sure they have just the right loft to make your shots fly straight and properly and reduce all the possible side spins because you’re still a beginner. Range finders are an essential component to your gear, so it’s better to get one with user-friendly capabilities; it would be annoying if you bought a device that you can’t use properly.
Learn The Sport’s Lingo
You need to learn the basic words and phrases to avoid any confusion to the uninitiated. So, here are some of the notable golf terms that you’re going to hear, and their meanings:
- Ace: A hole in one.
- Stroke: The swing made to hit the golf ball; it’s something that you need to keep track of to know the scores. Just remember that even a missed swing can count as a stroke.
- Par: The number of strokes it should take to get your golf ball to the hole.
- Birdie: One stroke under the par.
- Eagle: Two strokes under the par.
- Bogey: One stroke above the par. If it’s two strokes they called it a double bogey, and if it’s three strokes above then it’s called a triple bogey.
- Tee: The wooden peg that you place your golf ball on at the start of the game.
- Tee Box: The first area you started on when you play your ball at the start of the game.
- The Green: It’s the soft ground that surrounds the hole.
- Fairway: It’s the part of the golf course that leads you to the green.
- Bunker: It’s a sandy ditch and it usually surrounds the green area.
- The Rough: It’s the area with long grass and trees and it’s on either side of the golf course’s fairway.
- Hazard: This is everything that is between you and your scoring your ball in the hole: could be ponds, sand-filled ditches, trees, rocks, streams, and a lot more.
Learning The Sport’s Etiquette
Understanding the rules and learning the game isn’t enough; you need to be courteous with the other players and understand what’s the acceptable behavior in dealing with everything during the game. The sport’s etiquette instructs that: you shouldn’t lose your temper if shots weren’t perfect, never hit the ball into a group ahead of you, don’t distract someone during their backswing, and give people enough room with their line from their ball to the hole.
Even though golf isn’t known to be a welcoming sport for beginners, it’s still an amazing game that is worth the effort, time, and expense. You need to get all your gear in order, making sure you got all the essentials. Learn the sport properly to understand what to do, and familiarize yourself with the rules, lingo, and everything it takes to make you a decent golfer.