Hi guys....young adult here lol wanting to get started in golf. My university has a large golf course. Plus the town I am in and the surrounding towns have tons of golf courses. I really wanna learn this sport (as of now, I'm actually a competitive powerlifter...thought I'll pick up a calmer sport as well as a side hobby haha). I have friends that play. My grandfather has encouraged me to start many many times....even gave me some money to buy a starter golf set. Any advice? Recommendations? I realize it's somewhat of an expensive sport but I'm planning on sticking to it. I believe it's a great and relaxing hobby, not to mention that it provides some great networking opportunities.

Aggghh! Don't do it. From what I've seen it is addicting and will cause you to spend all your money!

You should also know that golf is an "entry drug" to yachting.

A few lessons at the beginning will go a long way towards making your golf game "relaxing" and not *frustrating* -- a lot more so than an expensive set of golf clubs -- stick to a starter set for now, and try a few 'less classy' courses before jumping to the snobby ones.

Yes, I am planning on buying a starter set. My buddy who plays a lot of golf said I'd probably have to get mine custom fit at the store since I'm tall (for a golfer I guess...6'2).

I suggest this topic is better suited for the General Discussion board.

Sorry, you're right. If a moderator could move it, I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

It's important to keep in mind that golf is a $75 billion business in the US, and I suspect that number fails to capture everything related to the golf industry. Watch a few golf tournaments, or flip through some golf magazines, and eventually you'll be dreaming about Mercedes Benz cars, Rolex watches, exotic vacations, and expensive financial products. But the main event is equipment and apparel. A lot of guys who play golf only a few times each year get swindled into spending thousands on multiple sets of clubs and brand-name golf pants, shirts, shoes, etc. You'll see people spend $6 per golf ball, only to lose them in the woods with a single stroke. The industry makes people believe that they could play more like a pro if they just shell out a little more money for these things.

If you really want to be a decent golfer someday then you should get an old set of second-hand clubs and some cheap used golf balls. Then use the money saved to hire a good instructor and play more rounds of golf. You need to play/practice as much as possible, nearly everyday, for a long time to become a semi-respectable player.

I spent about one year trying to get really good at golf. It wasn't cheap, but I didn't break the bank doing it either. I got a membership at a cheap municipal course for $750 and played everyday, so that was basically my entertainment budget for the year. My clubs were a gift from my parents, but I could have just as easily used an old set found in someone's basement. I also bought 100 used golf balls for just $20, and they were fine. I never rented a cart - just walked everyday. I had some prior instruction, and I was savvy enough use an old digital camera to do my own swing analysis, but I probably should have hired an instructor to work with on a regular basis. In the end, I was able to get my handicap down to about 16, which made me proud at first, but eventually left me frustrated.

I suggest reading Paper Tiger by Tom Coyne. I think it will be enlightening.

Tim

After spending the last two weeks at our condo on a very nice golf course (luxury resort area, several PGA and LPGA championships played there, highly rated by all the magazines) I can attest to everything Tim said. The folks who play at our course shell out hundreds per day playing golf, thousands per week. And some of them pay us thousands in addition to stay at our condo.

They must be good to spend all that money, right? Judging from the 1-2 balls an hours that smacks the condo complex, no! A large majority of them suck! I probably could not do better...but I don't call myself a golfer.

My wife went around along the edges of the course one evening and collected 2 dozen Titleist balls that go for about $5 a piece (most people at our course seem to play with those because they make them play better I guess). These were NOT on the course, they were in our condo complex along the course. I'm not a student of the game but I don't think the goal is to hit them onto the lawn of the resort next door, though I could be wrong.

There were a few other brands but not nearly as many. The next evening she took a walk around the same area and found about the same number again. The course was not very busy the last week or two either.

So what did we do with our $250 worth of premium golf balls? We are giving them to a friend of ours who golfs.

I've played golf and it was a lot of fun. So I see nothing wrong with it except that I am not very good and can't really afford it. But it is amazing how much otherwise intelligent men and women will spend on the sport!

Just like you cannot buy happiness, you cannot buy a better golf game. But people do try.

Tim

a mate started out on one of those driving ranges to see if he could hit the golf balls any distance and got hooked that way.
see if you know anyone and borrow their set (hopefully not an expensive one) and have a round and see if you do have the temperment to play it.

I always wonder what kind of jobs people have where they feel that playing golf will help with networking prospects. It reminds me that Bernie Maddoff knew alot of investors via golf clubs. I guess it worked out well for him.

My FIL was in business and high end sales, but never did the golf thing, because he thought it was a) boring b) time consuming and c) expensive (lots of hidden costs). Instead he had a mean tennis game, and would pack his tennis racket and clothes on business trips and often fit in games with associates and clients. Lots of networking opportunities but much much less expensive.

My take on golf is be a good golfer first, and buy good clubs later when you know you're going to stick with the game. Also, you don't have to play a round of golf each time you want to really enjoy the game. I enjoy simply chipping and putting on the practice greens. It's a no cost way to improve your game and still enjoy the satisfaction of playing a game that requires skill. Then, when you get to playing a game, you'll be much improved because the games are won or lost on the green.

I play golf, and don't have a rolex, or spend thousands on it. Hubby and I own a business, and how it helps us is that our accounts (hospitals) have fund raising events that we sponsor and play in yearly, and through them we solidify our relationship with the power players in the hospitals, network and get referrals and have a solid reputation from not just our work, but that we support the hospitals who have provided us with an income. These vp's have friends in other hospitals and are more willing to help us along.