Dear pros
I’m about to turn 56 and I’ve never really golfed other than a couple trips to the driving range as a kid. I found it pretty frustrating tbh, but I was a kid so…
I’ve been thinking about giving it a go. Clearly not a cheap hobby but I’m hoping it could be a social outlet since I have no non-working friends at the moment. I looked today and adult lessons are $150. How many will it take to get a noob going do you think?
Also is this a good idea at my age, ie would you take up golf at 56 knowing what you know now?
Definitely... great to get outdoors, get a little exercise and comaderie is great. I didn't know any of the people that I regularly golf with now until after I retired.
If I was just starting out I would try to find a good 2-day or 3-day golf school. I attended one about 20 years ago. You'll hit a lot of balls on the range, they'll work on grip, stance, alignment, swing, etc. At that juncture consistent contact is job 1. The golf school that I attended also included video of your swing and what the swing should be like, putting, reading greens, chipping, etc. On the last day a group of us played about 9 holes with an instructor and learned about course management.
Speaking of course management..... its essentially paying smart and not being stupid and trying to execute a low percentage shot to recover from your last bad shot which more often than not will just get yourself in more trouble.
An example from just yesterday. My drive was hittable but just a couple inches from a tree about 125 yards from the green with some overhanging brush between me and the fairway. The smart play would be to either take and unplayable lie (two club lengths, one shot penalty) or just putt it 10' or so out of trouble. But oh no... I thought that if I just hit a small, low 4 hybrid that I could advance the ball 30 yards or so and make that 3rd shot to the green easier.
Well, I hit the 4 hybrid much better than I thought and it went across the fairway into the water. Found my ball and fished it out of the water, took a drop and hit the approach fat... it would have been in the water again, but the water is low so it is on dry dirt. I chop it out of there over the green to the fringe... two putts from there is a triple bogie 7 on what should be an easy, short par 4 that seems to find a way to bite me more often than not .
Our club has a golf group called Duffers, Liars and Cheats that plays a mixed 9-hole scramble on Sunday afternoons. It was a great way for newcomers to enjoy the game, get tips from experienced players, learn golf etiquette, get to know people and socialize. We typically have drinks and dinner after golf. Most golf clubs (public or private) have similar groups or leagues.