Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine So, i'm taking up golf...

Yeah, i know, corporate white guy game, but i work for a company that does a lot of meeting on a golf course.

I know nothing about it, don't know the rules, the ettiquite(sp?), about the only thing i do know is that the cart is electric, and if i rent it, i get to drive, lol.

Any other golfers here that might have some pointers on how not to embarrass myself?

Take lessons. It's almost as easy as it looks but not quite. I wouldn't buy the equipment the golf-pro suggests (he probably gets a commission from the shop) but I'd follow all his other advice..unless he tells you to wear those goofy short pants and the fuzzy hat with a little fluffy ball on top.

What Yellow Kid said about taking lessons.

Also, in general relax and have fun. It is just a game. Especially if this is also a meeting, you don't want to get overly competitive. But don't try to lose either. I think most people could spot what you are doing if you try. Don't get angry if you make a bad shot. Even Tiger Woods makes bad shots. My dad used to tell me how his friend Joe would get angry and throw his club. Not the impression you want to leave a client or a boss with.

Beyond that, you have to have a good firm, but comfortable grip. Keep your head down (Lifting your head while swinging throws your body off and messes up the swing)

I agree with Yellow Kid about the hat, but the plus four pants can be stylish. And Golfer Payne Stewart on wearing plus four pants:

His colourful gear dates back to 1982 when, playing in Asia, he saw two other competitors wearing plus-fours. "They kept telling me on windy days you don't have anything flapping around your shoes while you're standing over a putt."

Played my first round today. I just made up numbers rather than keep score. I do however wish i could figure out why i keep sending the ball to the left, even when i change the degree of swing to compensate. Hit one ball in to the sun, couldn't see it. Dropped another on the tee, hit again and managed to follow it. The other ball was less than 20 feet away, lol.

I considered myself consistently bad. But it was cool. took my dad and let him drive the cart. it was quiet, relaxed, not a lot of people on the course, and pretty simple. And yet, somehow, we still managed to miss two entire holes. Haven't figured that one out yet. Still, forty bucks for a round and some time spent with my dad, not bad. There are some public courses around where i live that are pretty inexpensive. One round was just fifteen bucks for me, plus my dad riding and the cart, but it was nice. Over in Sumter there is a nice municiple course. Think i will try it next. The good news is that the course i went to this morning was pretty secluded and there weren't many people, and no one behind me. So, when i screwed a drive up, i would hit another and try to figure out what i did wrong.

There many be one or two ( ) golf websites that coould offer tips. Also, if you just want to practice your swing, I woould assume a driving range costs less than playing on a coourse. Plus you don't have to rent a cart.

That sounds really nice. It's worth whatever it cost to spend a couple of hours hanging out with Dad. Betcha he loved it too.

I can give you a layman's approach (I'm a baseball player by childhood trade) but, I am by no means an expert.

My dad when he was young worked at a golf course and these are some of the tips I got from him.

Stand relaxed on the ball, feet about shoulder width apart. Both hands on the club now (I'm going to assume you know how to grip the club) and start your backswing. You don't have to wind up as hard and far as you can behind your head because most of your power (much like a baseball swing) is going to be generated by the transfer of your weight from back to front through your hips and legs and through your follow through in your arms. The club should only go back above your head to about the point where it is parallel with the ground.

At this point (I'm assuming you're right handed, if not reverse these) your left chin should be down, tucked into your left shoulder with YOUR EYES ON THE BALL! Start your swing forward and keep your head as still as possible with your EYES ON THE BALL still. At this point you swivel your hips at the same time you make contact with the ball. You want to keep the face of the club as "normal" (normal being used here in physics terms to mean perpendicular to the resultant force, and that's a loose interpretation of normal but I can't think of a better way of putting it). Follow through with as little head movement as possible so that your right jaw ends up touching your right shoulder as you follow through.

In my Dad's words... Keep your damn head on the ball as you swing.

Some rules and courtesies as I know them:

Drive for show, putt for dough. (In other words the way to win is to be a really good putter).

Who ever is farthest from the cup is said to be "away" and is the next one to swing no matter how many swings the other guy(s) have taken (this rule has some leniency once every one is on the green though).

When on the green it is considered extremely rude to walk in between someone else's ball/marker and it's path to the cup.

Replace all divots.

Golf is a very humbling activity.

That's the best I can do for you and I'm not even sure how good the advice really is, but hey, it is free after all.

I've been thinking of taking up golf for fun. I never played. I LOVE basketball but at 33 years old I've officially retired a few months ago. It's just too much wear and tear on me for a fun game. The kids out there keep getting younger. It's also harder to keep in shape, etc.

My wife's family is all into golf so I've been mulling it over. Let me know how it goes rickshaw you may inspire me.

This past summer I finally bit the bullet and took golf lessons and learned how to golf. In my line of business (reinsurance broker), its extremely important that I know how.

I'm a blue collar kid from an Irish working class family (first one with a college degree!), and my sports growing up were baseball and hockey. I had absolutely no interest in golf, playing it, watching it, or anything about it. But now that it will help me for work (re: I can spend a day golfing with a client rather than go to my office) and its a pretty decent work out (at 27 I'm starting to feel the wear and tear of other outside the gym sports too).

My advice, as having about, oh, six months on you--take lessons. I did, and I probably will next summer too (I can only play in the summer, too cold in Connecticut). They really help a lot and eventually it will all start to click.

Advice #2 - don't try too hard; aka don't use too much force. That's basically my main problem now. All the force is right there in the actual swing, you don't need to apply any additional pressure. Once you get comfortable doing that, the swing will let you rip the ball.

Its a really fun time once you learn, especially if you're with other guys that don't really care too much about winning. Its a workout, you're outside, you can exert some power and then have some time for skill-type shots so you get the best of both worlds, and its pretty embedded in the culture to go have a few beers after (or even midway through).

I still can't watch it though

My first attempt at the driving ranges, my ball hit the guy on the tee next to me.

It was a sign from God.

Oh crap I'm old. I played the round yesterday and now, today, i cant move either shoulder without it aching. At 41, i now have somehow developed bursitis in BOTH shoulders (caught a package when working for Fedex in my late twenties and tore up the left shoulder, pitched way to much baseball as a kid with the right)and brother, its alettin' me know about it.

Can't take pain relievers, they tear my stomach up.

May not be able to play this game after all.

Ouch.
That'll get better.
Another reasons lessons will help. You're probably trying too hard. Like Cobie said it flows, you can't force it, a lot of the power comes from the way the body rotates through the swing rather than from the shoulders and arms.
I'm a firm believer in technique. From correct form, timing and focus comes all good sport type things.

One of the people i'm building a house for has a driving range and i used it today. Learned a lot.

First, take a practice swing to learn the position of the club head at the bottom of your swing where it impacts the ball (that would't be the apex, would it be the invex?).

Second, grip the club tight enough to not let it twist in your grip when it impacts the ball.

Third, have your feet lined up with where you want the ball to go.

And fourth, adjust your position on the ball. For line drives, have the ball just behind the front foot. For loft, have it further back.

Fifth, well...it involves personal chaffing and the solution to that, lol. Wont say any more.

But, another home i am working on is next to a public golf course, Sandy Point, above Hartsville SC and i think i am going to give it a try if i have to head that way saturday. Green fees run $25 during the week, $30 on the weekend. Does anyone know if that is pretty good or too high? I know Wyboo at lake Marion runs around forty bucks. Not being rich, i have my wife looking for some local golf packages.

Do those adjustments sound right to you guys?

Don't forget the bear repellent.

Well, he was distressed. After all he was in the woods and these guys were just a little too nosy.

Okay, I really started playing this last summer. The other rounds were basically one offs here and there. I got "serious" about it this summer as a means to get exercise for my diabeties.

Today I went and played in absolutely miserable weather. Cloudy and rainy, with a chill to the wind, I had one of my best rounds ever... well, at least as far as I know because its the first time I've ever really kept score and tried. Most times I just go out and try to hit greens and fairways with minimal success.

Today, I had my first ever real chance at a birdie. I made, for me, two perfect shots from the tee and then from the fairway on a 390 par four. second shot was on the green about three feet from the hole.

I two putted it in the rain. That would have been my first ever birdie.

Still, my goal for today was to break 100. At the turn on the tenth i was at 54. going into the 18th, I was at 96.

I drove off the tee and into the woods slightly. Figured that would be the end of my chances. I go to look for the ball and its taken a great bounce and is about six feet out of the woods and in the edge of the rough.

I make a nice shot to put me at the front of the pond with just a pitch wedge shot over the water and onto the green. I make it and wind up about eight feet from the hole.

Thats three shots. if i sink it, I don't break 100, but I shoot 100. Its a slightly downhill shot.

I three putt for a final score of 102.

I'm not good enough to be the kind of guy that pitches a fit on the course, but it was sooooo close to the hole. Bought myself a hat from the club to take the edge off, lol.

Still, my blood sugar has been running high the last few days, in the low 200's, so I needed some exercise. got home and it was 132, so the main purpose of the day was achieved.

Cobie, Minesurfer, hope your game is going much better, lol.

Well, I "broke" a hundred... if you don't count all those mulligans, lol.

Haven't gotten to play in a while now and I'm jonesing. yeah, I know, the ultimate white guy thing, but, put all that aside and I can indulge in my hyper competitiveness with myself and not involve anyone else without creating hard feelings. Plus, I get exercise.

So, I got ot play last weekend after a long layoff, I got to play last weekend. somehow, over the layoff, my short game got better, I managed to hit a few long putts and some nice short chips.

The problem is.. my long game has gone to absolute doo doo. I keep pulling far left, and when I don't pull far left, I don't drive for any distance at all. I know part of it is a bad shoulder that would not loosen up at all, even after time on the range and then out on the course, but that wasn't all of it.

I'm... easily competitive. I can get extremely competitive. And with myself, it gets really bad. Now, I really just go out there for fun and exercise, but sometimes, when I least expect it, it creeps in on me.

I shot six gb's out of bounds and into the woods irretrievably lost on one hole. Hate my long game right now.

Okay, friday afternoons are generally the day I can slip away and play a round. The crews are shutting down for the weekend, the settling up is handled by the office, and most people don't want to be contacted on friday afternoon about selling their timber.

so, last night mother nature decided that we need around two inches of rain all at once... and me with an owner that wants a nice tract cut before the rains come. some days you get the bear, some days the bear gets you.