First time out on the course!

Cecco70

Hi everyone, me and the misses took up golf a year ago and at the time neither of us had ever picked up a golf club. We started off with a few lessons, learning the basics etc. Poor guy, dealing with two absolute beginners , but he did a pretty good job and after a few lessons we were beginning to hit some pretty good shots at the driving range. After a few lessons he took us out on the course to play 3 academy holes, a par 5, par 3 and a par 4. The par 5 was a nightmare for both me and my misses but I eventually closed it off in 10 :mad:, we both double bogeyed the par 3 and finally I bogeyed the par 4. We were feeling pretty good with ourselves after the disatrous par 5, and we really enjoyed playing those 3 holes.
So we were finished with our lessons and the next step for us was to hit the course and play the full 18, the misses was really nervous about that so we just continued going to the driving range and played some pitch & putt. A year has gone by and I am fed up with pitch & putt and the driving range, so I just booked a tee time last week to play this morning at 10:30.
I couldn't wait to get out there this morning, the misses on the other hand was a nervous wreck. She kept going on about other experienced golfers out there watching us make complete arses of ourselves, so I kept reassuring her that others couldn't care less about how good or BAD we were, as long as we didn't hold them up.( this comment didn't help matters )
Anyways, I didn't sleep at all night...I was like a child on Christmas Eve:) I was so excited. So this morning we headed off to the golf course, I made sure we arrived early so we could hit the practice green for a few minutes. As we putted away waiting for our tee time the queue at the first tee kept growing, and while the person at the tee was hitting away 10-15 others were watching on......my misses didn't know whether to laugh or cry, by this point I was starting to feel shaky...it was my first time driving from the 1st tee and others would be watching, I didn't want to make a fool of myself. So there we were waiting to tee off, Par 4...the misses steps up and hits a pretty good drive straight down the middle of the fairway, mine goes slightly right and into the rough....we make our way towards our balls and I noticed the two women ahead of us picked up their balls and moved onto the second hole. We decided to do the same so we wouldn't slow the group behind us. Basically our round started on the second hole par 5. My long game from that point on was absolutely terrible, I couldn't hit my driver(distance was shocking), my rescue clubs...what a disaster(couldn't get the ball in the air), not to mention my 5 and 6 iron(everything was hooking right). On the other hand my short game was pretty good and even excellent at times(by my standards:) ) I was kicking myself, I seem to hit my driver and rescue clubs pretty good at the range but today nothing was working. Anyways we didn't manage to par any holes, I bogeyed a couple and double bogeyed another 3-4 holes, all the others were triple or worse.....usually its your short game that cause you to lose so many shots isn't it? For me today it was my "not so long game".
At the end of it all we had a great time, we talked to some nice people and we enjoyed the day out playing golf and thats the most important thing.

I apologize for the long and boring post.

neckedit

Nice one man, Welcome to a world of pain and frustration..........with a pinch Anticipation, denial, hope, joy, anger and just a sprinkle of success and satisfaction.:)

dubber

Congrats on your first round. As you said yourself, you're as entitled as anyone else to be on the course once you're not holding up play (or so I keep telling myself ).

Out of interest, at the range do you hit off mats? If so, if might be worth finding a range where you can hit off the grass ... might make for slightly more realistic practice.

k.p.h

Sounds like you had a great time, well done. I think neckedit summed it up perfectly

p.s I hope you don't have any plans, chances are golf is now going to consume you.

irish bloke

Good for you and your missus..

It is nervous on the first tee, even for experienced players. At least ye have passed that obstacle now.

I'm trying to get a mate of mine out for years now and all he keeps saying is that he cant play and he will only look like a fool.

If ye wanted ye could start on different holes on the course where it is quieter. My Da used to do that with me when I was a kid so we wouldn't be holding anyone up. Most courses don't mind that.

Cecco70

Thanks lads, yes we both had a great time and I'm glad we've finally done it, now I can't wait to get back out there...maybe I'll tee off at a later time when the course isn't as busy or start off at a different hole like you said Irish Bloke.
Dubber, yes I hit off mats at the range..I guess that didn't help with all the shots I had to hit out of the thick rough today.:D
Neckedit, yes it was painful at times today, hopefully in the future I'll get that sprinkle of success and satisfaction.
K.p.h you are so right, I was already addicted to the driving range and now that I've hit the course my addiction can only get worse .

BobbyGolfPro

Kool guys well done its great to get over the stress and get out. We all feel that we are worse then we are and were never as bad as we think

one ill cat

I understand your wife's nerves, I can still be like that when teeing off with a group watching. Tell her from me, another lady golfer, that it gets better.

In the beginning, I only played a par 3 course. My husband had already been playing golf for years, but he recognized that the best thing for my game was confidence & the easier the course the more that confidence would grow.

I'd strongly recommend the one he took me to, assuming it's local enough to you. Check out Glenmill Golf Club in Co Wicklow.
http://www.glenmillgolfclub.ie/

It's a par 3 yes, but it has plenty of bunkers, water, trees etc & is a decent test, especially for beginners. From memory there are 2 holes about 200 yards so she'll still be using her driver & you will have need for your rescue etc. The greens are also far better than any other par 3 course I've ever seen, so your putting test will be just as it would be on a championship golf course.

Best of luck with it, as already said in this thread, clear your schedule as golf will truly take over your life!

65bl

Cecco
I can emphasize completely. I took a handful of group lessons a few years ago but never followed up and so basicly forgot about golf. Earlier this summer a retired relative (and now regular golfer) persuaded me to try the range again. Considering I just have part time work at the moment and therefore time on my hands I decided to give it a go. I got a few more lessons on the range but could not get any consistancy. One day balls high and straight - next day balls all over the place. Decided the range was of limited use and to progress I needed to get out on the course. I was playing of mats and wanted to get the feel of grass plus the caveman instinct seem to dictate that all balls on the range be hit as hard as possible and as far as possible hence my inconsistant swing.

Like your wife, i would be incredibly self consious and nervous but like you I really wanted to give it a go. I'm the sort who prefers to work away on my own (in the beginning anyway) so the pro advised that Tuesday mornings were usually quite and i could well have the course to myself and even if there was another group behind i could just wave them through.

So one wet Tuesday morning 3 weeks ago, I hit the course at 9am full of enthusiasm. First hole par 3 with out of bounds all down the left. Considering my tendency for shots to go left, you can imagine my nerves but nobody was looking so off i go. First shot was fine - slightly left but stayed in bounds and 25 yrds from green. That was the last decent shot i played. More often than not the balls scudded over the ground and from one side of the fairway to the other. The more i tried to correct it the worse it got. Everything i learnt on the range was forgotten. But all the time i had a big grin and and was delighted with myself. I was playing golf.:D I only played 11 holes by the time the weather really got bad and i called it a day. I must have taken at least 120 shots.

The drive home was spent trying to work out what i will do to improve next time out - no question of giving up. I have'nt got out again yet but in my head I can visualize the perfect round so the next wet tuesday morning - and if nobodies looking i may well be out again. Keep an eye out for me.

Sorry about the rambling post but .........


bl

Cecco70

Thanks for sharing your experience bl, very similar to mine and the main thing is that we had a great time no matter how many shots we took..(I stopped after the second hole)
One ill cat, Glenmill golf club looks like a really nice par 3 course. When I have a bit more free time I'll give that a go, I'm sure my wife will enjoy the shorter holes, thanks.

slave1

I remember my first round, well the score anyhow, 129 (had never lifted a club before).
5 years later I shot a 79.
Last 6 years I gave up the game (small family, bad back), playing again since July and managed a 85.
Beautiful day yesterday and had one lost ball, two scratches, 9 duff shots, putted well for 33 points with a considerable amount of 'if onlys'
Welcome to the frustrating world of golf!!!

flopshot

Well done Cecco, welcome to the wonderful game of golf. I brought the missus out for her first 18 holes last month and we played the full 18 at Faithlegg. Even by hitting one decent shot out of the 120 plus strokes you will be hooked!

AldilaMan

Cecco70 wrote: »

Thanks lads, yes we both had a great time and I'm glad we've finally done it, now I can't wait to get back out there...maybe I'll tee off at a later time when the course isn't as busy or start off at a different hole like you said Irish Bloke.
Dubber, yes I hit off mats at the range..I guess that didn't help with all the shots I had to hit out of the thick rough today.:D
Neckedit, yes it was painful at times today, hopefully in the future I'll get that sprinkle of success and satisfaction.
K.p.h you are so right, I was already addicted to the driving range and now that I've hit the course my addiction can only get worse .

This time of year it should be placing everywhere. This means that you mark where your ball is, clean it and replace so it sits up nicely in the rough (like on a tee). Trying to hit a ball out of deep wet rough is very tough even for seasoned golfers so you should take full advantage of winter rules particulary while you're learning the game. Enjoy

TGoodall

The excitement the night before never goes away. I still wake up 3 or 4 hours early, look at the clock and then feel disapointed it isn't time for golf yet.

Keep it up though, I started playing 3 years ago and hit maybe 2 good shots in my first round. went around in 122. Played the same course yesterday for the first time since and went around in 99 after the worst golf I have played in the last year. Just focus on the good shots and you will keep coming back.

If you can hit one good shot why can't you hit 72 good shots in a row!

link_2007

Cecco, I am in the same boat. I played my first two rounds in the last two weekends. I can totally relate to the excitement the night before turning into nerves when you get to the course the next morning and realise there will be a number of people watching you tee off.

My first ever tee shot I was standing there, gripping my 3 wood for dear life thinking "Please don't be an air ball, please. I'm begging you. I don't care if you don't go straight but please just go somewhere".

I'm don't know where you're based but if you and your wife would like a round with a similarly inexperienced player, PM me and we can try and arrange something.

Keano

link_2007 wrote: »

Cecco, I am in the same boat. I played my first two rounds in the last two weekends. I can totally relate to the excitement the night before turning into nerves when you get to the course the next morning and realise there will be a number of people watching you tee off.

My first ever tee shot I was standing there, gripping my 3 wood for dear life thinking "Please don't be an air ball, please. I'm begging you. I don't care if you don't go straight but please just go somewhere".

I'm don't know where you're based but if you and your wife would like a round with a similarly inexperienced player, PM me and we can try and arrange something.

Try to stop yourself thinking like this. If you do top the ball so be it but if your mind is thinking negative thoughts like these before you hit it, chances are it will happen.

link_2007

Keano A Legend wrote: »

Try to stop yourself thinking like this. If you do top the ball so be it but if your mind is thinking negative thoughts like these before you hit it, chances are it will happen.

I know what you mean and thankfully this fear has gone away now. But standing on that first tee, for the first time, with 5-10 sets of eyes on you is a daunting task!

Keano

link_2007 wrote: »

I know what you mean and thankfully this fear has gone away now. But standing on that first tee, for the first time, with 5-10 sets of eyes on you is a daunting task!

I still dread it! Don't know if that will ever leave me!