Looking for something new? How about trying the world’s oldest sport?
It’s the middle of summer and, let’s say, you’re looking for a different pastime, maybe a new hobby or sport. So why not accept the ultimate challenge and take up the game of golf?
Golf, that most humbling of sports that looks so easy but is only ever mastered by the very few. Golf, the ancient Scottish game first played in sheep pastures by solitary men and now played by more people around the world than any other individual sport.
Sonoma County is great golf country, offering a variety of golf courses, practice facilities and year-round good playing conditions. Plus, there are many golf courses with professional teachers, offering individual and group lessons at all playing levels.
The biggest obstacle to taking up the game of golf is the cost of the equipment. But there are several affordable options and one great source to begin a search for a set of clubs. In any neighborhood, at most garage sales and in most family closets, you can find a set of forgotten clubs, just waiting to be put to the test. Go for it.
“You don’t need to go out and buy expensive equipment right away,” says golf teaching pro Vern Ayres of Northwood Golf Club in Monte Rio. “In fact, we recommend against it until you really get hooked on the game.”
Discovering golf is best done with a buddy or a girlfriend, Ayers also suggests. Find a fellow beginner or a very patient golfer, willing to join your duffer journey. Going it alone can quickly become discouraging and many a would-be golfer has quit too early after only one or two embarrassing episodes.
Here are a few other tips
on how to get started:
1) Find suitable clubs and equipment. Any clubs will do so long as they fit your physique. Don’t rush out and buy new clubs, shoes, gloves, towels or a pull-cart. Almost all golf courses offer rental clubs and teaching pros will provide clubs with paid lessons.
2) Take a lesson. Group lessons can be very affordable, with two or more golfers splitting the cost of about $100 for a series of five lessons. An individual lesson with a PGA teaching pro costs $30 to $40 for a 30-minute lesson and is cheaper as a series of lessons.
3) Don’t go out on the open course without lessons or some driving range sessions. It’s okay to play along with a more experienced friend but all courses — big and small — have rules about pace of play, safety and proper golf etiquette. When you’re ready to tee it up in front of other golfers, you’ll know.
4) For beginners, pick a beginner-friendly course. Don’t play on the weekends or when the course is too busy. It’s no fun feeling like you are holding up all the other golfers behind you. Good local beginner courses are Sebastopol, Santa Rosa Fairgrounds, Wikiup in Larkfield, Healdsburg’s Tayman Park and Northwood along the Russian River. The Sonoma County Golf Park, near Cotati, is a family-friendly “pitch and putt” layout.
5) Do not set foot on any golf course until you know some basic rules of the game. It’s okay to just practice and not keep a serious score, but all golfers must obey golf etiquette and course management. Cell phones and loud talking is not cool. Respect the course and help keep it in good playing condition. Replace divots and obey local rules about cart use and pace of play.
Windsor Golf Club, Foxtail in Rohnert Park and Bennett Valley in Santa Rosa have excellent driving ranges and practice putting greens and chipping areas.
“It’s great to take up golf as a family,” said Ayres. “I recently gave a series of lessons to a family visiting the River this summer and after two weeks they were out playing the course. That’s what we do: keep it simple, get ‘em hooked and get ‘em out on the course.”
When you think you’re ready to buy golf clubs, ask your golf teacher for suggestions. You can play golf on a modest budget and a standard set of golf clubs can last a lifetime. Used clubs are a good option. Budget clubs sold at Big Box stores can be a waste of money. Stick to the popular brands like TaylorMade, Callaway, Nike, Titleist, Ping and other familar names. Hint: last year’s discounted models are just as good as this year’s “hot item.” Stick to basics. Get a standard set of irons, a driver, a putter, a fairway wood and maybe a sand wedge. A mid-range price for a new set might cost $300 to $500. But it’s easy to spend a lot more if you want. Some drivers can cost $500 for a single club.
Northwood, Windsor, Rooster Run in Petaluma and a few other courses offer special lesson and playing rates for juniors, including donated equipment in some cases.
Remember, even Tiger Woods still takes regular golf lessons from a teacher. It helps to know that no one ever conquers the game of golf — it conquers you!
