One of the most intimidating parts of getting into golf is knowing what to do and what not to do. It’s easy to feel out of place as a beginner golfer because it can seem like everyone knows what to do, except you. Here are a few tips to follow as you arrive at the course for your first round or two until you get the hang of things.
When to arrive: Tee times are usually very specific and rarely in increments of 5 or 10. When courses say 10:52, they mean 10:52. Not 10:55 or 11:00. Your arrival time will depend on whether you want to warm up at the range beforehand or not, but a good rule of thumb is to be ready to tee off 5-10 minutes before your scheduled tee time. If you’re not warming up, plan to get there ~20 minutes before your tee time to check in, get your cart, go to the restroom if needed, grab snacks/drinks if you want, etc. If you have time left over you can always putt a couple on the practice green until your tee time. If you do want to warm up, arrive 30-40 minutes early to grab range balls and get a few reps in.
How to check in: First off - do not bring your bag in the club house. I don’t know why, but this is a big no no. When I started golfing, checking in was such an unnecessarily anxious thing for me (if you relate to this - it’s reminiscent of calling to order pizza when you were 5). But it’s easy. All you do is walk into the clubhouse and you can check in for your entire foursome, just yourself, or whoever you’re playing with. You’ll usually pay there, if not ahead of time, and they’ll tell you where the carts are, give you any info needed for the course that day (cart path only, what hole you’re starting on, etc.), ask if you want range balls for warming up, and give you any other important info. Don’t be afraid to ask questions either, especially if it’s your first time at the course - they’re usually just happy you're there!
Getting your cart: This was also something I hated doing at first. I didn’t want to take the wrong one or have all eyes on me when the reverse triggers that loud back-up-beep. But no one really cares what you’re doing, they’re focused on themselves. One thing to make sure to note is if carts are allowed in the parking lot or not. Sometimes you can drive carts to your car to load your bags, but if not, you’ll see a ‘bag drop’, usually right by the clubhouse, on your way in and you load/unload there.
Course or Club Layout: I’ve mentioned a few of these in this blog post, but you can expect courses to have a:
- Clubhouse (or pro shop): this is kind of your homebase. You’ll go here to check in, grab snacks, drinks, and/or range balls.
- Driving range: this is where you’ll warm up before your round. It’s common for players to take 3-4 clubs before a round rather than their whole bag, but you can do whatever you prefer.
- Putting green: this allows you to practice some putting - not a ton of rules here, just be wary of any signs that say “no chipping” and find a hole where other players’ aren’t putting towards.
- Starter (sometimes): some courses have a starter at the first hole to confirm your tee time and make sure you get started on time. They may have a few other pieces of information like if it’s slow out there, if the course is wet, etc. It’s their job to make sure there’s enough time between groups.
Hopefully this gives you a good idea of what to expect before your round! Stay tuned for round etiquette and other beginner friendly tips.