How to play Golf
Part A - All About How to Get Started in Golf
Step 1 Get some info
Step 2 Test the waters
Step 3 Take golf lessons
Step 4 Get out on a golf course
Step 5 Learn, practice and play
General Procedures of the Game
Equipment
Rules of Thumb
Part B - Basic Fundamentals and Concepts in Golf Swing Technique
Important Note
Some Laws of the Universe
Some examples
Some things to avoid
Trying to hit the ball hard!
Looking to see where the ball is going too soon.
Tensing every muscle in your body
Golf tips or instruction from unqualified people
Part A - All About How to Get Started in Golf
What Should I Do?
Step 1 Get some info
Reading this article is a good first step. You're doing great. Now you need some actual exposure, too. 
Step 2 Test the waters
Start your golf learning experience by using a practice facility (driving range, putting green, short game area, etc.). That way, even if you feel like you have no idea what you're doing, or if your behavior is completely inappropriate, at least it's only practice, right? Most golf courses have some kind of practice facility, and some practice facilities are stand-alone (separate from golf courses). Check your phone book or local sporting goods store to find one near you.
You don't need any equipment or special clothing, nor do you need a group of people to get started. Every golf course or practice facility I've seen in my life has some kind of clubs you can borrow (or rent very cheaply) to give it a try. Also, it's totally fine to go to the course or driving range by yourself. People do it all the time. If you're wondering what to wear just make sure it's comfortable, loose enough to move freely and generally appropriate for public places. Most golf facilities frown on tank tops, cut-offs, etc. and many courses require collared shirts and if you're wearing shorts that they be a certain length. Use your judgment and see what other people have on. Sneakers or athletic shoes are best for footwear, but certainly make sure your shoes are flat, comfortable and not slippery -- heeled shoes (any height), sandals or leather-soled dress shoes are not good.
If you are very conservative by nature you could simply go to observe the first time you go to the golf course, but that is a bit extreme. You might as well get your feet wet immediately, no? Plus, when you see the ball flying through the air you will probably not be able to resist the temptation to give it a try.
Golf is a game that is steeped in tradition, civilized behavior and courtesy. Therefore, what you do and don't do when you participate in the game of golf is somewhat important. Golf etiquette is as important as skill to many people who play the game. Learning the nuances and subtleties of appropriate behavior may take years, but if you start with these simple guidelines you'll be fine:
Learn from the behavior of more experienced players.
Be gentle with your sounds and movements (or totally silent and motionless) when anyone is preparing to make a stroke within earshot on the golf course.
Be aware of your position relative to other people and be unobtrusive, e.g., don't stand too close to somebody making a stroke, or in a distracting position (like behind them), don't swing near or toward anybody, etc.)
Be respectful of the course/property. Golf courses are expensive to maintain and the condition of the course is important for maximum enjoyment of the game (i.e., the smoothness of the putting greens, bunkers and fairways). Repair all damage you cause to the course to the best of your ability (e.g., replace divots, repair ball marks, rake bunkers, etc.).
Step 3 Take golf lessons
Not only will this give you the best possible chance of developing the skills you will need in order to enjoy the game fully, your professional will be a valuable resource - you can ask questions and get credible information from a very experienced player. And if you're worried about being embarrassed or looking silly by asking a stupid question, believe me, even an experienced golf instructor started in the same place that you are now and has heard just about everything imaginable. It is highly unlikely you will do or ask anything new.
If possible, select a professional that is a member of the PGA (Professional Golfers Association). These individuals have gone through training and are the ambassadors of the game. Otherwise, make sure you get recommendations from more than one player about the services of a professional. Anybody can call himself, or herself, a "professional." It will be to your advantage to select an individual that not only has appropriate skill and knowledge, but also one that you can get along with and understand.
Step 4 Get out on a golf course
There's nothing like being bitten by the golf bug to motivate you to practice and improve. If you must, consult with your professional to be assured that you're ready. (Rule of thumb: If you miss the ball frequently when you practice you're not ready. Continue practicing and taking lessons until you make contact and get the ball airborne most of the time.) But definitely get yourself out on a golf course as soon as you feel you have a general idea of what golf is about. Don't worry about your skill level because I'm suggesting that you go play at smaller, less intimidating golf courses where hoards of other insecure beginners also play. There are many small 9-hole golf courses, "Executive" courses or "Par 3" facilities with short, relatively easy holes that cater to beginners. Ask your professional where to play. The nice thing is that you don't have to wonder if everybody is better than you are. Highly skilled players don't frequent those types of courses. You will see players that are as bad as, or worse than, you are -- guaranteed. Once you have played golf it is unlikely that it will be difficult to get you back out on the course again.
Step 5 Learn, practice and play
The rest of your golf career will be an endless succession of those three actions (not necessarily in that order), and most of it will be a blast! But perhaps you have already experienced the fact that there is some frustration on occasion. It takes a long time just to accumulate the experience to keep from making (too many) mistakes. Golf is hard enough when you know how to make your way around a course without dumb mistakes. Without the benefit of experience it's nigh impossible. Just reconcile yourself to the fact that it is an ongoing training process and you will probably conclude that it's worth the ride.
General Procedures of the Game
There are an endless number of details in golf. You will learn these as you practice and play. For our purposes here let's stick to the basics.
When you go to play golf you may or may not have a "tee-time" or reservation to play. Tee-times are often required during the busiest times at a golf course to organize the large number of people who want to play. If the course is not crowded a tee-time may not be required. Calling the golf course to find out about their tee-time policy and busy times is always a good idea. Tee-times are commonly made for four players (a foursome) but can sometimes be made for a smaller number of players with the understanding that the starter may include other players with you to make your group total four. Many times it is advisable for beginners to play during what other players might consider undesirable times (e.g., very early morning or an hour or so before dark, when there is not enough time to complete even 9 holes). This is a good way to get experience on the golf course without feeling the need to hurry or get out of the way of other players, and it's even possible that a sizeable discount on green fees applies at these times.
It is always a good idea to get to the golf course prior to your tee-time to warm-up, hit some practice shots and be ready to play when it is your turn. Hitting a few range balls and a few chips and putts before you play is a good thing to do just so you aren't completely "cold" when you begin your round.
Unless you're in a tournament, deciding the order of play (who goes first?) on the first hole is usually done with something casual like a coin toss or throwing up a tee to see who it points to when it comes to rest. After the first hole has been completed the right to hit first, called the "honor," belongs to the player with the lowest score on the previous hole. If the last hole was tied go back to the score on the hole before that, and so on.
You "tee off" from within the teeing ground. You may place your ball on a tee to raise it up off the ground a bit if you would like. This is not required, but most players do it and it's a good idea for beginners (more room for error). Probably the easiest way to tee your ball is to place the ball and tee in your hand together so that the tee is supported between your first and second fingers (see picture below). Then, pressing down on the ball with the tee directly beneath it will easily drive the tee into the ground (if the ground is so hard that even this method won't penetrate the soil I hope you didn't have to pay a green fee). The height which you tee the ball is up to you (General rule: the longer the club the higher you tee it -- somewhere between one-quarter of an inch and one inch will usually do it).
Of course the object of the game is to advance your ball into the hole with the fewest possible strokes, so your goal is to play the ball toward the hole avoiding obstacles and hazards along your way. The fairway is a nice target for your first shot on many holes, though on par 3 holes probably the green, or putting surface, is your primary target.
Generic hole diagram with labeled features
- Teeing ground, which contains the tee blocks or markers
- Fairway
- Putting Green, which contains the hole, cup and flagstick or pin
- Greenside bunkers, usually filled with sand
- Fairway bunkers, also usually filled with sand
- Fringe, collar, apron, or frog hair
- Water hazard
- Rough
Advance your ball toward the hole, the player farthest from the hole going first on each shot, until the ball is in the hole. Once everybody is on the green remove the flagstick, as long as everybody is close enough to see the hole, and putt out. If someone is far enough away that they can't see the hole another player may attend the flag. When everybody has finished, replace the flagstick into the cup and proceed to the next hole. Golf courses are usually laid out in a reasonably organized manner where the putting green of the first hole is somehow adjacent to or near the tee of the second hole and so on. Note: When you initially approach the green it is wise and courteous to put your clubs and paraphernalia on the side of the green nearest the next tee. This saves time and keeps the following group from having to wait unnecessarily while you walk back and forth to retrieve your clubs.
The procedure is the same for all remaining holes. The following cautions and notes would be good things to be aware of:
Always wait until the way is clear before hitting a shot.
If your ball is headed toward someone (this is one time when it is NOT appropriate to be quiet) yell, "FORE!" This alerts them to the potential of an incoming projectile.
If there is a gap between your group and the group in front of you (as a result of a difference in pace of play) and the group following you is waiting for you on every shot, allow them to "play through." This is a courtesy that will be extended to you in kind at some point in the future. Most foursomes should be able to complete an 18-hole round of golf comfortably in four hours if they're walking -- probably faster if they're riding in golf carts. To be reasonable, if you're going to be on a golf course with other players who are also trying to enjoy their round, then holding up play is rude. If it gets bad enough, pick up your ball and move on to the next hole if you are falling behind. As your skill level improves, this will happen less frequently, unless you are an unusually slow player.
What are all those clubs for, anyway? According to the rules of golf a player is allowed to carry fourteen clubs. Amusingly, it is very common for all the clubs to appear to go the same distance when one is first developing a golf swing. The clubs are made to go different distances using the same swing, so that when you find yourself positioned at different distances relative to your target you have an appropriate tool for the job at hand without having to manufacture a new swing for each shot.
The higher the number on the club the more loft the club has and the shorter its shaft (length). A shorter club with more lofts will travel a shorter distance than a longer club with fewer lofts. Clear? Here's another way to think about it: Long clubs with low numbers hit "line drives" and short clubs with high numbers hit "pop flies." Better? The irons are available in numbers 1 through 9, plus an amazing assortment of wedges (pitching wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge, third wedge, utility wedge, the list goes on ... and the variety of wedges and sand wedges that can be found in terms of shape and size ... it's a subject unto itself). The most common set of irons would be 3 through PW (pitching wedge -- it's like a number 10 iron). The 1 and 2 iron are commonly left out of commercially available sets of irons due to the extreme level of skill required to get good results from them (most people have difficulty using them effectively). Irons 1 through 4 are called the long irons. Irons 5 through 7 are called the middle irons. Irons 8 through the wedges are called the short irons.
The woods are numbered in the same way -- the higher the number the more loft the wood has and the shorter the length of the club. The number 1 wood is called "The Driver." It is the only wood that is called a driver, though many beginners make the mistake of calling all the woods, or even all the clubs, drivers. It is unlikely that a beginner, and in fact most intermediate players, should ever use a driver. Though golf club manufacturers and marketers wouldn't agree with this assertion (because drivers are high-ticket items for them), most golfers would realize better and more consistent performance (and greater average distance!) with a shorter club (3 wood or perhaps even higher). A typical set of woods consists of numbers 1, 3 and 5.
That leaves the putter. Putters come in such a wide variety of shapes and sizes that it may be the most diplomatic thing for me to say, "A putter is a very personal thing. Find one you like and then try not to hurt it." Believe me; you want your putter to be your friend. Putters are such a matter of taste that Arnold Palmer practically uses a different one every day, whereas, say, Mark Blakemore has been using the same putter for the last 15 years.
Now, let's see, if you have 3-PW (that's 8 irons) and 3 woods (although remember that Mark has recommended against the driver) and a putter that totals 12 (remember, according to the rules of golf a player is allowed to carry fourteen clubs). What about the other two? Well, that's up to you.
You can choose which clubs you want to carry in your bag. And by the way, there isn't a rule that says you have to carry fourteen clubs. You can play with one if you want to (most people don't). Personally I recommend that beginners start with a "Starter's Set," which consists of just the odd or just the even numbered irons (3, 5, 7, 9, SW or 4, 6, 8, PW, LW), a 3 wood and a putter. Until you reach a much higher level of skill you won't notice the difference between one club and its immediate neighbor anyway. Why spend the money and/or carry the weight?
In addition to clubs you may need other items. Like how about balls? Most golf courses and practice facilities sell inexpensive balls or used balls that are fine for beginners. You may lose a lot of balls at first -- out of bounds, in people's yards, water hazards, forests, etc. Golf balls come in different types for different types of players. The price is more important than the quality of the ball initially, but if you want to focus on one variable choose the hard golf balls, one or two-piece balls with a hard cover. These balls are more durable and actually go slightly farther that the other types of balls. Many golf courses or practice facilities sell used golf balls, which are usually much less expensive than new balls and work just fine. Note: It is unacceptable to use range balls on the golf course.
You may need tees (available from any golf shop or sporting goods store, cheap -- and you'll probably find some as you play and practice). You will need a bag to carry your clubs. Tip: If you plan to do much walking/carrying you might want to consider getting the lightest, most durable bag you can find. Golf shoes are optional for beginners, as are gloves in my opinion. If you play in an area where the ground is usually wet or slippery golf shoes will help. And if sweaty hands or blisters are a big factor for you a glove will help. But there is benefit to be had from practicing with tennis shoes and without a glove -- namely feel.
What other equipment might you need? Hats, sunscreen, ball markers (a coin is also fine), ball mark repair tool (a tee also works fine), a towel for cleaning your ball, clubs, hands, etc. (you probably already have towels). The list can be ridiculous, but I've covered the essentials here. The more you like having little accessories and accoutrements the more you might go out and get all the myriad things that are available. As you become more experienced you will settle on what things you actually use and need.
Part B - Basic Fundamentals and Concepts in Golf Swing Technique
This is not a book on golf swing mechanics and technique. But for the people who are not comfortable with following Step 3 (Take Golf Lessons) immediately I have made a (very) short list of good things to know. The details of golf technique are endless but your nervous system can only absorb and apply so much at a time. Let's keep it very simple here at first. These fundamentals are valid for healthy individuals:
Important Note
For right-handed players -- reverse if left-handed
You hold the club by the grip (handle) of the club. The left hand goes on top, the right hand below it, with no space between your hands. Hold the club a little more down in your fingers rather than way up in your palms (see pictures).
Hold the club in a relaxed manner, trying to be aware of the weight of the club head at the end of the shaft. The tighter you squeeze the less likely it is that you'll develop the correct feel for the golf swing.
It's best to start with a short iron when learning to swing, as these shorter clubs are far more forgiving and manageable than the longer clubs and it is much more likely that you will have success with them.
Align the club face perpendicular to the target line and your body parallel to the target line (see picture).
Stand with your heels about the same width as your shoulders, spine bent forward from the hips with your knees flexed in a balanced, ready position -- weight evenly distributed between both feet and between heels and toes (see pictures).
On the backswing feel more weight on your right foot than your left, with your upper back facing approximately toward the target, and the club over your right shoulder and behind your head (see picture).
Swing through the ball and not at it, feeling the centrifugal force of the club swinging on wide arc (circle) around you and toward the target (see picture).
The momentum of your swing should automatically force you to follow-through. Finish your swing in a balanced, upright position with almost all of your weight on your left foot. The front of your body should face the target and the club should be over your left shoulder and behind you.
The flight of the ball is governed by the speed the club is traveling, the centeredness of contact, the path of the club, the position/angle/orientation of the clubface, and its angle of approach. If the ball is contacted with the face of the club the ball will go where the face of the club was "looking" when the ball left it.
If the ball rolls on the ground it was likely not contacted with the face of the club, it was probably contacted with the bottom or side of the club, or the face was so closed (really not square) as to present 0° of loft or less.
If the ball curves in flight it is because the club has struck the ball a glancing blow, causing sideways spin (i.e., the path/direction the club was traveling at the moment of impact was different than the angle/direction the face of the club was looking.
Given the same club head speed, a ball will go farther the nearer to the center of the clubface (sweet spot) it is contacted and the closer the angle/orientation of the clubface is at a right angle (square or perpendicular) to the path the club is traveling on.
Do not swing hard at the ball or try to hit it far. This is a powerful instinct to overcome. I assure you that no matter how right it feels to swing hard it is a mistake (the number of times that this has been said is uncountable). Yes, I know Tiger Woods swings hard. You are not him -- yet. Once your nervous system has memorized the correct sequence and rhythm of the movements they are easily accelerated -- not before.
Make certain that you have made contact with the ball (by staying in your posture through the impact area) before you look to see where it goes. Interestingly, if you make decent contact with the ball it stays in the air plenty long enough to see it.
Avoid excessive tension (this might be easier said than done from what I sometimes see). If you aren't able to relax a bit and cultivate some sensitivity for the movements your body is making and some feel for the clubs it will be very difficult to excel at golf. If you are a chronically tense, rigid, anxious or uptight person, I'd like to suggest that you also try practicing Tai Chi, Yoga -- or both -- to help in this area. Body awareness and feel are a big part of the difference between a highly-skilled player and a not-so-highly-skilled player. (If you're assuming that golf is not a physically demanding sport just wait and see how sore you are the day after hitting practice balls with tension in your body.)
Avoid instruction or tips from unqualified people (especially if they're your "significant other"). Yes, they may be better than you, they may even be spectacular. Yes, their intentions are probably good. But there is too much potential for miscommunication and developing bad habits (see Step 3).
