Virgin Golfer please help!

talla10

hey my oh and i are looking to start playing golf but we have no clue at all about how to play, where to buy equipment how much it costs etc so are just looking for some info. We have a club in the country we can join cheaply as a distant member but have no equipment at all!we are looking to price 2 golf sets & not looking for best money can buy just some decent beginner stuff to get us going. We are looking into getting lessons and are wondering is this the done thing, is it frowned upon not to and how much do they cost and where to get them. Sorry if this all sounds completly stupid but we literally have no clue and dont want to seem like an idiot walking into a golf shop with no a notion of what i'm on about!!any help welcome thanks guys

ANXIOUS

talla10 wrote: »

hey my oh and i are looking to start playing golf but we have no clue at all about how to play, where to buy equipment how much it costs etc so are just looking for some info. We have a club in the country we can join cheaply as a distant member but have no equipment at all!we are looking to price 2 golf sets & not looking for best money can buy just some decent beginner stuff to get us going. We are looking into getting lessons and are wondering is this the done thing, is it frowned upon not to and how much do they cost and where to get them. Sorry if this all sounds completly stupid but we literally have no clue and dont want to seem like an idiot walking into a golf shop with no a notion of what i'm on about!!any help welcome thanks guys

Check adverts.ie or the sticky at the top of the forum some good cheap stuff there. Your only start off so don't spend mad money. I'd say max €200 each you can replace as you go. Check the likes of argos for full sets.

Regards lessons every driving range clud has a pro, you'd be looking at spending €45+ for an hour.

talla10

thanks anxious good to get some advice from some1 who knows their stuff never would have thought of argos tbh

lotie

Starter set deals with clubs, bag, shoes done for reasonable rates by most golf shops.

Take a few lessons with a pro (again deals to be done here for a lessons package). Great to do this before you head out on the course.
Once this is done then give yourself a number of rounds to work through the first round struggles. Once you play a few times (regularly!) you'll start to get more proficient and the bug will bite!

Above all - when on the course play quickly without rushing. Experienced golfers dont mind beginners as long as they keep moving!

Trekker09

As mentioned in a previous thread, why don't you try par 3 courses. You need less gear and it's still great fun, at least till you get sorted out with gear.

Jimdagym

Haave you played pitch and putt before? Why dont you try and borroe a set of clubs each and play a casual round or two before you start spending your money? You dont have to join your distance membership straight away.

fitness fan

"As mentioned in a previous thread, why don't you try par 3 courses. You need less gear and it's still great fun, at least till you get sorted out with gear."

I agree I started out on par 3 golf and when I got the hang of the basics moved up to the full golf course. When I was a beginner a par 5 was a huge challenge but not so bad nowadays!;)

ANXIOUS

talla10 wrote: »

thanks anxious good to get some advice from some1 who knows their stuff never would have thought of argos tbh

The reason I thought of Argos is because I know if a new golfer goes into SOME golf shops straight away the chap will try and up sell you. Before you know it you've spent €500. At least Argos you don't get this, you also get it cheaper.

The amount of times I've seen people go in get taylormade this titliest that, and all they need is Wilson to find out if they actually enjoy golf.

talla10

lotie wrote: »

Starter set deals with clubs, bag, shoes done for reasonable rates by most golf shops.

Above all - when on the course play quickly without rushing. Experienced golfers dont mind beginners as long as they keep moving!

Good to know

Jimdagym wrote: »

Haave you played pitch and putt before? Why dont you try and borroe a set of clubs each and play a casual round or two before you start spending your money? You dont have to join your distance membership straight away.

yeah we have played pitch and putt a few times and really enjoy it thats whats got us interested in playing golf proper

talla10

ANXIOUS wrote: »

The reason I thought of Argos is because I know if a new golfer goes into SOME golf shops straight away the chap will try and up sell you. Before you know it you've spent €500. At least Argos you don't get this, you also get it cheaper.

yeah thats what we dont want to get fleeced while we still havent a clue about the sport ive seen the same in other sports!!

Jasonw

There's no requirement to get lessons but I think you'll enjoy the game a lot more if you start off with one or two just to get the fundamentals right.

Take what you've learned onto a driving range and practice a little until you're confident you can get it around the course.

you can learn all about rules and ettiquite on the internet. There's dozens of quick guides to the rules of golf out there.

Most importantly, enjoy it. You've picked a great game to learn.

changes

Make sure the irons you get are cavity back with a large sweet spot. Stay away from blades/muscleback irons.

That may sould like double dutch but you will soon learn. Cavity backs are much more forgiving than blades and allow you get the ball up in the air better.... i only say that incase you see a nice set of mizuno blades or something on the internet and think yeah they look nice.

talla10

cheers for all the replies and advice so far gettin loads of tips no doubt ill have all your heads wrecked soon enough wit all my questions

C.O.Y.B.I.B

With regard to lessons , another thing to consider might be Group Lessons , either just the 2 of you or in a larger group. When I started off , I did a group lesson with another 5 people , and while I didnt get that one to one , I did learn the basics without spending a fortune up front. (Think it was 80 euro for 8 1hr sessions)

ellejay

mscull wrote: »

With regard to lessons , another thing to consider might be Group Lessons , either just the 2 of you or in a larger group. When I started off , I did a group lesson with another 5 people , and while I didnt get that one to one , I did learn the basics without spending a fortune up front. (Think it was 80 euro for 8 1hr sessions)

Hi MSCULL

Can you tell me where you took those group lessons?
I've just been quoted €140 for 6 one hour lessons!

Ideally, I'd like South Dublin, North Wicklow.

Thanks,
Lj.

Mister Sifter

Hmmmm.... a virgin you say.

conno16

Jimdagym wrote: »

Haave you played pitch and putt before? Why dont you try and borroe a set of clubs each and play a casual round or two before you start spending your money? You dont have to join your distance membership straight away.

good suggestion - also as you progress just create a miniature golf course on the pitch and putt version.
for example, when teeing off on the first, go for the third green
move onto the 4th tee and go for the sixth etc
just keep an eye out for other players
it'll make it more interesting as your skill range multiplies
will also allow you to test out longer clubs in a safe setting

C.O.Y.B.I.B

ellejay wrote: »

Hi MSCULL

Can you tell me where you took those group lessons?
I've just been quoted €140 for 6 one hour lessons!

Ideally, I'd like South Dublin, North Wicklow.

Thanks,
Lj.

I did the lessons with a guy called Arnold O'Connor who is/was based in Elmgreen. Was a bit bargain basement but got the basics right at the start without spending a fortune . It was along the lines of an evening class with a few sessions on the range .This was about 4 years ago and at the time I wasnt sure if I was interetsed enough to spend a fortune.

conno16

good auld arnie..
is he still using the wooden driver?