Learning Golf

An old adage warns that "Golf is a way to ruin a nice walk". Maybe this is true for some people, who may lack patience, frustrate easily, or simply not understand how to play golf. For those who take the time to learn golf properly, golf is actually a way to enhance a nice walk. Golf courses are typically lovely places, with wide green spaces and calm, quiet atmospheres. The Vancouver area has some stunning ones, including the seaside, mountain view course at Furry Creek Golf and Country Club. Getting out and enjoying a round of golf in a beautiful setting is truly a pleasure, as it combines the relaxing effect of the outdoors with the mental and physical challenge of golf.

However, you're not going to enjoy golf at all if you don't prepare yourself properly. Here are some things to think about before you start learning golf in Vancouver.

First, make sure you are ready to make the commitment to learning golf. Besides finding an instructor and taking golf lessons, you are going to need to practice, practice, practice! You're going to hit on the driving range for a long time before you even set foot on a golf course. Get ready for all sorts of well-intentioned amateurs to chat you up at the driving range, with "helpful" tips and suggestions on how to improve your swing. Don't listen to them! As you are learning golf, it is vital that you only listen to your instructor.

If you are committed to learning, you need to find an instructor and a driving range. This is covered in another article here

Once you get your swing down, you will begin to think about life outside the driving range. The goal in golf is to get the ball from the tee to the hole with the fewest strokes possible. In order to do so, it is important for players to understand the parts of a golf course, know how to read the course, and know what clubs are appropriate for what shots.

A full-size golf course contains 18 holes, but there are also 9-hole courses that are generally more suitable for beginners. Golf courses are also ranked according to difficulty, and players should be sure to match their ability to the course for maximum enjoyment.

The first step in playing a round of golf is to reserve a tee time. When you arrive at the first hole, you will step up to the teeing ground or teeing box. There may be multiple sets of tee markers, which will denote different yardages that could be played on the hole. Choose a set based on your drive's power and range, and place your tee and ball on the line between those markers. Then you are ready to tee off and hit your first drive on the golf course! Remember, it is exactly the same as hitting on the driving range. Remember what you've practiced. Don't get mentally unsettled by the change in location; just let your muscle memory kick in and execute the swing.

After hitting, you will either walk or take a golf cart to your ball. This depends largely on the size of the course and the distance between holes. Walking is of course the better exercise.

The fairway is the expanse of grass that connects the teeing ground to the putting green and hole. The longer grass surrounding the fairway is known as the rough. Depending on the difficulty of the course there may also be water hazards or sand bunkers spread along or even across the fairway. Your goal is to keep the ball on the fairway, out of the hazards, and as close to the putting green as possible. If you end up in the hazards, you will have to pull out different clubs and hit a different stroke to extricate yourself.

After you make it to the putting green, you need to study the contours of the ground, get out your putter, and sink your put. Putting is one of the areas of golf that can really give you a mental workout, as you try to read the green and predict the force and direction necessary to get the ball in the hole. Play is over as soon as the ball drops into the hole.

Once you've learned how to hit smooth, consistent strokes and how to read the course, you are going to love playing golf. And once you master a given course, learning golf really will be just a walk in the park.

Get tips on golf etiquette here

Or try learning another sport in Vancouver:
Learning Tennis
Learning Sailing
Learning Rock Climbing

top image  flickr user jurvetson

Sports in Vancouver