Born in Scotland but enjoyed all around the world, golf isn’t just your grandfather’s game. It can be loved by all – beginners and experts alike.

Golf is a relaxing yet technically complicated sport. And as a beginner, it can be daunting to understand the rules, the clubs and the courses enough to enjoy your mate’s bucks party or talk shop with your boss at the next conference.

Here, we’re letting you in on all the best beginner’s tips – from how to play golf, what you’ll need, and where to start. It’s tee time!

Areas of a Golf Course

There are 4 main areas you’ll find on any given course: 

1. The teeing area
2. The putting green
3. Penalty areas
4. Bunkers (usually sand pits)

All parts of the course that don’t fall within these 4 areas are known as the ‘general area’.

You’ll start each hole in the teeing area and finish in the putting green with different rules of play depending on which area you’re in.

How to Play Golf – The Rules

Here are the basic rules of golf that’ll get you through a golf game as a beginner.

1. Play the course as you find it.
2. Play the ball as it lies.
3. You can only start to play a hole in the teeing area behind the tee markers. 
4. As the game continues, the player whose golf ball is furthest from the hole takes their shot first.
5. If your ball lands in an unplayable area, you can drop it into a playable area within 2 golf club lengths from its position.

As you get further into the nitty-gritty, you’ll learn about penalties, handicaps and exceptions to the rules. But as a beginner, you’re ready to hit the course if you know these basics. 

How do you win a game of golf?

The ultimate goal of any golf game is to get the ball in the hole in the fewest amount of swings. But depending on which type of game you’re playing, there are two ways you can win a game of golf. 

1. Match Play – The winner is the player who won the most holes.
2. Stroke Play – The winner is the player who took the least number of strokes during the game.

Most prestigious golf tournaments, including the Masters Tournament, use Stroke Play to determine the winner.

What clubs do you need to start playing golf?

If you want to stick by the rules, you’re limited to using only 14 golf clubs during a single game. But as a beginner, you actually probably only need half of that. The main types of golf clubs you’ll need include:

1. Driver – This club is used to hit far distances and is usually used when teeing off at the start of each hole.
2. Putter – This club is used to hit short distances and is usually used in the last few shots in the putting green.
3. 5-iron, 7-iron and 9-iron – These clubs are used to hit mid-range distances. Higher numbers are used for shorter shots and lower numbers are used for longer shots.
4. Pitching wedge and sand wedge – Wedges are used to hit short, high shots as you get closer to the green or to help get your ball out of a sand bunker.

New to Golf? Try These Tips for Beginners

Practice Some Swings at a Driving Range

To get a feel for playing golf on the green, start at a driving range. It might be surprising how something as seemingly simple as hitting a golf ball with a club can take quite a bit of practice. 

Driving ranges are perfect because you’ll get the repetition. You’ll be able to hit golf ball after golf ball without too much time in between to really get the hang of it.

Try Your Putting at Putt-Putt Golf

Next, it’s time to work on your putting which is a great excuse to enjoy some putt-putt golf. Similarly to how you practiced long shots at the driving range, putt-putt gives you the opportunity to hone in on your putting skills with lots of repetition. 

Plus, who doesn’t love putt-putt golf?! 

Improve Your Skills With Indoor Golf

Once you’ve started to get the hang of driving and putting, indoor golf is a great opportunity to test your skills before you actually get out on the course.

The main advantages of indoor golf for beginners include:

• No walking or carting around
• Ability to play golf no matter the weather
• Opportunity to practice on many different courses
• Golf simulators that use cameras to analyse every angle of your swing, perfect for learning

Indoor golf is perfect for beginners. You won’t have to waste time fishing your golf balls out of sand pits and waterways. So you can fail fast and learn fast! You can also opt for golf lessons in an indoor golf setting to nail your swings and get a deeper understanding of the rules.

Plus, with indoor golf, you’re not limited to your local golf course – especially if the only course near you isn’t suited to beginners. 

Start on a Shorter 9-Hole Game

Although a normal golf game is 18 holes, starting with a shorter 9-hole game will help you get into the rhythm of playing golf.

As a beginner to golf, 18-holes can be a lot all at once. On average, it can take more than four hours to golf 18 holes and if you’re still a beginner, it can take even longer!

So, while it’s common as beginners to make mistakes and go searching for your golf balls in the bushes, starting with a 9-hole game that’ll take half the time is probably a good idea.

Once you get a feel for playing on a real course, you’ll have a much smoother transition into playing full-length 18-hole golf games.

Final Thoughts – Golf for Beginners

Although golf is a complicated sport, it’s certainly accessible for beginners. Once you learn how to play golf and give yourself a chance to practice, you’ll be golfing at par in no time. 

By starting with the driving range and putt-putt, moving on to indoor golf and shorter courses, you’ll build up your skills and be playing golf with a strong foundation intact.

Try indoor golf at any of our Australia locations and fall in love with playing golf – even as a beginner.