Table of Contents
Introduction
Have you ever tried to play Golf and it seems complicated and almost impossible to do? Do you always feel frustrated and embarrassed when playing the game because anytime you pick your club you always hit the ball off the course? Or you want to start playing Golf now because your kids are no longer at home and you don’t want to feel alone. Perhaps, you just got retired, and you decide to play Golf at your leisure time. 
Playing Golf can be the best thing that can happen to anyone at anytime. Researchers and scholars believe that Golf is the most fantastic game ever played because it challenges your state of mind. The game can be rewarding and frustrating at the same time, but if learned appropriately, it can be a life-long game for you to enjoy. Learning how to play Golf is simple and straightforward if learned the right way. It will determine your success in Golf as a beginner. Despite all these, beginners are often faced with the problem of high expectations. Beginners do not realize that Golf is a process and takes time to build. Lucky for you, this guide takes you through all the steps you will need to know before setting foot on the green. Let’s play!
How to Play Golf
Here are the steps to know how to play Golf.
Step 1- Find the right equipment
As a beginner, you need to get the right equipment. Start by finding the best club that will suit you for this journey of golf playing. It is perfectly acceptable to think of not spending money now because you feel you are just starting the game. You can borrow clubs that have been used over the years for a minimal amount of money. But before you get started on that, you have to know what to borrow or buy, and you cannot just use any clubs to learn Golf at this stage. You need to get a perfect starter golf club set. For starter, think of getting these five clubs – the 7-iron, 9-iron, gap wedge(52o), sand wedge (56o), and a putter. Now that you know what to get, visit a local pro shop with a professional to help you find the right club for you. Feel the club to know which one is right for you. You can also check the sole’s width to see if the club fits you. This is why you should go with a professional, they will direct you on what to get such as the right shaft flex, club heads, and lots more
Step 2- Go to the golf course with the right mindset
As Arnold Palmer stated that “Success in this game depends less on the strength of body than strength of mind and character”. The right attitude goes a long way in golf playing. The right mindset involves developing the right techniques, such as building your proper swings. We hope you have seen why Golf is a process. Before you take your first swing, get yourself a professional to guide you. A mentor goes a long way to help you learn Golf fast, give you tips when you struggle to play. A professional will guide you to make the correct grip, proper stance, and tempo to aid in your golf swing mechanics.
To get better with your swings, be consistent, have a pre-shot routine just like the pros. As a tip, always visualize your swing using the target line and lastly practice swings to be prepared for the following swings
Step 3- Using your woods and irons
Now that you have your equipment with the right mindset to use it and you have gotten a mentor to show you your first swing. You need to know about the swinging principles to put in mind when using your woods and irons.
At address, you must be in your correct posture with the right balance. Your balance can be maintained by bending from your waist. You should maintain a straight line along your back for proper posture. Most beginners slouch when swinging the club. This doesn’t seem right. It would be best if you instead were with a straight back while maintaining your balance throughout the swing. You should note that your feet help in balancing, therefore, have a wide stance by ensuring the outside of your shoulders extends to the inside of your feet. This will automatically allow your hips to engage, giving you a proper takeaway.
Another aspect when using your woods and irons in a swing is the ball positioning. Ball positioning determines your drive distance. One of the reasons Golf becomes challenging is when you place the ball in the middle of your stance or too far back in the stance. You will not achieve the desired distance if you set the ball like this. When using an iron, the normal position, should slightly ahead of the center of the sternum. But depending on the club you are using, for instance, a driver, and you can tee the ball up and place it inside your front foot’s heel to make an upswing at impact.
As a beginner, once you are making your swings, you must keep track of your stats. Know the distance you achieve in each round with each club. This will allow you to make the appropriate adjustments as you progress in your swings. As time goes on, you will be able to know the structure of each hole, when to use different kinds of clubs, variations of your swing, and so on.
Step 4- Putting
Now we have come to where you master your technique. The first thing to master is your grip. The putting grip is quite different from the swinging technique. Here, you don’t want to overlap your pinky fingers; instead, you join your hands to create a stable point from where to swing the putter. You can learn the traditional grip used by Tiger Woods, cross-handed grip used by Jim Furyk, split handed grip, and the claw grip that looks like you are holding a pen. Just like the pros do, you can also start to feel the weight of the putter head as it passed through the ball. Next is to develop your stance. As mentioned earlier, keep a wide stance by ensuring the outside of your shoulders extend to the inside of your feet and have a foreword ball position. When making a putting stroke, always calm your head! 
Step 5- Chipping
This aspect is greatly ignored when thinking about how to shave strokes from their scores. As a beginner, you should learn this aspect well. To effectively do this, practice on the green just outside of the putting surface and get a professional to guide. Getting this part of the game early will help you reduce the distance of your final putts, saving you from double and triple bogeys and ultimately lowering your scores.
Step 6- Play the game the right way
The first thing to do here is to warm up. Get to the golf course early before your tee time. Practice getting your swings in checks before the round. Before you start to hit the balls, do some stretches because flexibility is key to an excellent swing of the golf club with consistency for 18 holes. It would help if you got your stride before the main round hence the warm-up.
You will need to know about your attire if you are playing at a golf club. Most clubs require collared shirts while some allow shorts. You should purchase a lightweight golf shirt that can retain moisture to keep you dry when playing.
Golf is typically a warm-weather sport, so you need to know about your nutrition and hydration. Food that works best for golfers includes lean proteins like chicken and take fruits such as bananas. Avoid sugary drinks and foods high in salt and fats instead of pack low-sugar protein bars.
It is crucial to know the rules of the game. Therefore, get yourself a copy of the USGA Rules of Golf. The rules of the game can improve your game as time goes on. Apart from the rules, learn some basic terminology. Even before you carry the club to hit the ball at first, you will need to know some of the terms of Golf.
Because Golf is a fun game, find a partner, friend, or group you can play with. Don’t mind their level of skill because you are playing against the golf course. As time goes on, you become more experienced playing a more competitive and fun game. If you are playing a round of 18 holes with other players, you should understand that it takes 4-5 hours to complete. So, you have to play your shot at the required time, do your pre-shot routine to keep you prepared to play while keeping the steady pace of your playing partners
Conclusion
Now that you know what Golf entails and how to play it, you should get yourself a coach. This will help you to learn fast and smart. By following all the tips and processes discussed above, you will be sure to obtain lower scores. It would help if you gave yourself to consistency and practice as this will go a long way to improving your game. Remember the words of Gary Player “The more you work and practice, the luckier you seem to get” and believe in yourself, know what you can do and what you can achieve (Sergio Garcia). You can also check our website for other relevant informational tips. Thanks for reading!
