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Give me just one tip for my first year of golf

Don't stress too much, being a beginner at anything is tough. So keep it simple - hit ball, find ball, repeat.
 
Get some lessons and start out on the right path instead of ingraining a flawed swing. Those flaws are hard to get rid of later. And have fun.
 
Have fun above all else - and be patient! Improvement doesn’t come quickly, and your game will randomly come and go.
 
Have fun with it and shoot low!
 
All of the above tips plus, practice between you lessons. Make range time fun. Vary your range targets and distances at the range. When just starting out concentrate on your short game.
 
Don't hit bucket after bucket on the range with your driver.

Spend time on your short game and shots under 120 yards.
 
No one cares how bad you golfas long as you keep pace. They are too busy sucking themselves. Golf is hard
 
Carolina Dundee said:
Don't hit bucket after bucket on the range with your driver.

Spend time on your short game and shots under 120 yards.
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^ Good advice. I have a friend who took the game up a couple years ago - he could hit his driver reasonably well and wasn’t bad with his irons, but he could never break 100 because he’d waste 4 or 5 shots around every green. Once he started focusing on his short game, he dropped into the 90s and a few weeks ago he broke 90 for the first time.
 
Hate to be a parrot.....But have fun. I had seen a number of folks disappear from this game because they believe they should be on the Tour.
 
tahoebum said:
Learn proper golf etiquette. Spend time practicing your grip. See Hogan's Five Lessons for details on the grip.

Whoops, that was more than one thing. ;)



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Ohhh great call on the grip.

It all starts with the right grip.
 
Always remember that you are paying to ENJOY this activity, you’re not being paid to show up.

The course collects the same greens fees from you if you shoot 200 or 58.
 
Your first lessons with a pro, have him teach you how to chip and hit pitch shots. It’s the easiest shot to learn (next to putting). You will be using it on every hole while you are starting out and will save you more strokes immediately than anything else.
 
If you have a significant other make sure they are on board with all the money you’ll be spending!

Also, have fun, get lessons, learn etiquette and rules.

And find a buddy or two that are close to scratch to play with. Watching them and getting tips from them has probably helped my game the most over the years.
 
Enjoy being on the course.
 
Get fitted for clubs
 
Take lessons and practice what you are taught
 
camden_kid said:
Thanks. Did you make change that felt like a step back?
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Tiger Woods made changes that were a step back quite a few times in his career. To express what many others have said, but in other words, dont' espect too much! Expectations bring pressure, and you don't need that. Golf is supposed to be fun. And it is with the proper mindset. Just enjoy being out there, the smell of the freshly mown grass, the feel of the Sun on your face. And occasionally striking the ball well.

Scott F said:
Your first lessons with a pro, have him teach you how to chip and hit pitch shots. It’s the easiest shot to learn (next to putting). You will be using it on every hole while you are starting out and will save you more strokes immediately than anything else.
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Sorry, but I don't agree. First of all, I've never heard of an absolute beginner telling a teaching pro what to teach! Second, a competent teaching pro should teach a beginner grip, stance, alignment and ball position first and foremost! The last thing this guy needs to be worrying about right off the bat is his score!
 
golf sucks but have fun.
 
Others have covered having fun and not getting too hard on yourself so I’ll go in a different direction:

It’s a scorecard not a postcard.

By that I mean the object of the game is to get the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible. Doesn’t matter if the shots suck, your swing is off, the ball didn’t go where you wanted. Ball in hole. That is all.
 
Dooooooooooont do it! Leave now, find a different recreation/hobby.
even become a NY Jets fan and season tix holder cause even thats sooooo much more fun than this. :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::at-wits-end::at-wits-end::at-wits-end::at-wits-end::angry::angry::angry::angry::banghead::banghead::at-wits-end::at-wits-end::angry::angry::angry::angry::banghead::banghead::banghead::at-wits-end::at-wits-end::at-wits-end::banghead::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up::beat-up:I mean between the two I can only beat myself up so much. :confused2: Take up watching grass grow or watching paint dry instead. Its much easier.:greenalien:
 
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Have fun!
 
There are definite mechanics you want to have in your swing.

However, despite what some will try to tell you, golf is NOT a game of perfectly hitting positions. There is absolutely no such thing as a repeatable swing.

Learn early that golf is about letting your swing to a target happen. The more you allow it to happen and swing without fear and the resulting tension, the better it will be. It's not your job to hit the ball. The more you try to force precise mechanics, and make sure something doesn't happen, the worse things will get.

Find a coach that embraces that philosophy and doesn't turn you into a mechanical mess. I'm quite sure I would be a much better golfer today if someone had taught me that early on.
 
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