Tips for Your First Round of Golf
Golf is a sport that you can enjoy for a lifetime, but your first time on the greens might be a little intimidating if you do not know what you are doing. We have a few basic rules to help you prepare for your first round of golf. Remember, you can also prepare with golf school instruction and by hitting a South Florida golf practice area before you take your talents to the course.
Pack wisely. Taking the right equipment to the course involves both rules and etiquette. The rules place a limit of 14 clubs in each golfer’s bag. There is no minimum number of clubs you must have, but borrowing clubs from your partners is not a good idea. Make sure you have in your golf bag plenty of tees and, most importantly, plenty of golf balls. After all, if it’s your first time out, you’ll probably be losing a lot of balls! And take a ballmark repair tool with you to fix greens if you damage them.
Be on time. For most rounds of golf you play, you’ll want to reserve a tee time. You can get a tee time by calling the golf course the day before you want to play and requesting a specific time, and some allow you to schedule a tee time online. Whichever method you choose, you need to be on time for the appointed tee time. If a tee time is missed, your group might lose its spot and have to wait around for another opening, which can take hours on a busy day. Arrive 30 minutes early to ensure you have time to make it.
Dress appropriately. Many golf courses have dress codes. Find out what the dress code is at the course you’re playing and dress appropriately. A pair of khaki shorts or slacks and a collared golf shirt will almost always meet the requirements, but it’s a good idea to doublecheck.
Keep up. Slow play has always been an issue on golf courses, and it’s even more important as a beginner to be aware of your pace of play. You don’t want to keep golfers behind you waiting, just as you probably don’t want to be kept waiting yourself by slow groups ahead. Be ready to play when it is your turn.