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Back to Golf Tips For Women Listings
Tips For Beginning Women Golfers
As a fellow lady golfer I remember the first year I went out I was
very intimidated. Compared to other sports, there just seemed to be
so many things to remember.
Here is some basic information you should know before embarking out
on the course:
ON THE TEE:
Keep an eye on the people ahead of you. Don't tee off until you know
they are out of your hitting distance.
Keep clear of whoever is ready to tee off and stay out of their line
of sight and out of their peripheral vision.
Be still and quiet until the person tees off.
Once everyone tees off, head toward your ball but stay behind the
ball of the person who is the first to hit their next shot.
ON THE FAIRWAY:
The person furthest from the hole hits first. Proceed this way until
everyone is on the green.
Again, be sure to remain behind the person hitting as you move down
the fairway.
Keep an eye on the people ahead of you...don't hit until they are
out of your hitting distance.
ON THE GREEN:
Notice where everyone's ball is lying and make sure you do not walk
or stand on their putting line. Mark where your ball is with a ball
marker or small coin and pick your ball up. Do not stand in the
putter's line of sight or peripheral vision while he/she putts.
Don't let your shadow get in the way either.
The person furthest from the hole putts first. Proceed this way
until everyone holes out.
Tending the Flag:
The person closest to the hole can tend the flag for everyone else.
Ask the person putting if he/she needs the flag. If he/she does,
keep the flag in the hole and pull it out after the person putts the
ball. If not, carefully lay the flag down on the green, making sure
it won't interfere with anyone else's putt. While tending the flag,
make sure to stand where you cause the least interference for the
putter and to stand very still. Make note of your shadow too...don't
let it fall over the hole. When replacing the flag be sure it's
fully in the hole and stands straight.
A person whose ball is on the fringe of the green has the option of
having the flag remain in the hole or having it removed. Ask what
his/her preference is.
COURSE MANAGEMENT
As you play, you need to keep up with the group in front of you. As
soon as they are out of your driving distance, start teeing off. As
soon as they are out of your fairway hitting distance, proceed to
your ball and hit. As soon as they have cleared the green, hit your
ball toward the hole.
If your group gets a hole behind the group in front and the group
behind you is hitting close, you can let the group behind you play
through. This is usually done at a par 3: your group waits for the
group behind you to tee off first. Once that group is on the green,
usually they will mark their balls and wave you to tee off. After
your group has teed off, they proceed to hole out and continue on
to the next hole. Your group proceeds to finish the par 3.
It's a good idea to play ready golf...that means to be ready to hit
your ball when it's your turn. Be aware of your golf mates as you
play hole to hole. See where their balls are and notice where yours
is. Are you the first to hit? If so, start looking where you're
going to aim your ball, line yourself up, and follow your hitting
procedures. After hitting, look to see where the next person to hit
is and then start heading for your ball for your next shot. Continue
in this way for all the holes you play. You'll get used to hitting
your ball, seeing where it lands, looking out for your partners,
seeing where their ball goes, and get in a rhythm that keeps the
game moving along with everyone having fun.
Do you feel you don't want to go to the course alone but you have no
one to go with? Try golfing early morning when most people are still
asleep. You will be able to play alone, work out any golfing
problems, and you won't have anyone looking over your shoulder
making you nervous. And the best thing is that you can take as many
swings as you want without holding anyone else back.
Buying clubs? Before spending hundreds of dollars on a set try out
someone else's set that interests you and see how it feels for you.
Or ask a shop if they have a trial period for a set you'd like to
try. If nothing else, hit a few balls in a shop that has a driving
net. Usually driving balls into a net doesn't show you exactly
what's happening with the ball, but it will help you get a feel for
the clubs.
Are you of short stature? If so, some manufacturers make clubs for
petites. Check out which ones are available and try them out if
you're having problems in swinging off-the-shelf clubs.
You don't need to buy a full set of clubs when you are just starting
out in golf. You can get by with a 5 wood, 7 iron, pitching wedge,
and putter. These four are enough to get you through 9 holes of
golf.
Courses list 2 numbers somewhere on the scorecard such as 66.0/113.
The first number is the course rating and the second is the slope
rating. These 2 numbers are calculated in a formula which gives a
player a handicap number. When you are ready to post your scores,
you'll need to know these numbers.
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