!44: So You Want To Play Golf? There Are Three You Should Consider Before hitting the fairway.

!±8± So You Want To Play Golf? There Are Three You Should Consider Before hitting the fairway.

Whether you want to be the next Tiger Woods, play with some friends on Saturday afternoon or simply go for a leisurely walk while striking a ball, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before you start playing Golf. Below is a list of ten things you need to consider.

1. Why do I want to play Golf?

There are countless reasons why somebody would want to play Golf. In fact, if you ask any business executive to name the places where a lot of their deals and contacts are made, their Golf club will surely be included in this list. Or if you ask the 80 year old grandfather to explain his reasons for getting up at 6:00 a.m. for a Sunday morning ramble through the fairways he would probably tell you that it helps keep him fit. So why do you want to play Golf? Do you have a reason or is it just a spur of the moment fling? You should think a little while before jumping in the deep end and really be sure that Golf is the right game for you. A good idea is take a pen and a piece of paper and make a list of reasons why you would like to play Golf. Because your neighbor plays every weekend and he says it's a great game may not be the right reason to partake.

2. How much time am I willing to invest?

Golf is different from a lot of other sports due to the fact that there is quite a lot to learn before you can really begin to enjoy the game. Unlike other games, it is not really possible to teach yourself 100% from a book or DVD. The basic techniques require a lot of feel and take a while to develop. If you learn bad technique then it can be very hard to change it. Therefore, it is a good idea to join a club and get lessons from a Golf Pro. Having said that, lessons alone are not enough, a great deal of patience is necessary in order to get a feel for the techniques and to put them into effective practice. You need to spend a lot of time at the driving range and putting green before you ever go near the Golf course. Of course, Golf is not unique in this respect. How many guitars now lie in closets, scuba gear in basements and skis hang on garage walls? The bottom line that Golf initially requires more time than other sports but once you have the basics mastered you can invest whatever amount of time you wish.

3. How much equipment do I really need?

How far down the rabbit hole do you really want to go? Do you want to have a few beers and puck a ball in the general direction of the pin with the boys or play in serious competitions where the extra 10 yards can win or lose a tournament? Do you want a second hand Volvo or a new Ferrari? How much of a budget do you have? I am one of the firm believers that Golf should be a game for everyone regardless of social class, color or creed. So whether you buy your gold plated rocket science equipment from the Pro store or second hand clubs through E-bay, I would still enjoy a round of Golf with you. However, Golf is a game played outdoors and requires a lot of extra accessories to make life a little more comfortable. I'm not going to list everything here but for example if it rains you may need waterproof clothing or an umbrella or if it's very sunny then you may need a cap for protection or sunglasses against the glare so you don't lose sight of your ball in midair. But the basic equipment is no greater an investment than for most other sports or hobbies.

In general, one should ask themselves these questions before venturing into any sport or hobby, but as those who play Golf know, it is addictive and the more you play the more addictive it becomes and the initial learning phase becomes but a fading memory. So if having considered the above questions you still want to play then I look forward to seeing you on the tee.