Golf Help!

As Firstdown has already iterated, swing mechanics is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can learn. When you have a good swing, the game is fun....allegedly. If you do not, it not nearly as much fun and can make for some very long rounds.
SEE A TEACHING PRO. If you do not, you will probably never have a good swing. Most of all have fun. As has already been mentioned, be courteous to the other guys.
There is way to much you need to know (but you will learn) to do it here. It is by far the greatest game and better yet, you can play til' you die.
Good Luck!

FD -- I definitely plan on taking lessons, but this outing is a bit last minute. Im just trying to get some basics. I will certainly take that advice though. My friend worked at a golf club and played a ton and gave me some pointers a while ago, but I was still pretty bad... Before I go much further, I will get lessons, definitely.

Angry, if I'm one thing, it's courteous. I know that's hard to believe here on TWP, but I'm often over concerned with trying to be polite and fair with others. So I have no issues picking up my ball and taking a 0. I think they've put a few of us on a team expected to do awful -- so we wont mess up any of the more competitive players. I don't mind picking up my ball and taking a 500, or whatever the absolute worst you can have.

Thanks for the advice, Ive been reading that keeping your head still and your body relaxed is important. I think Gman's advice about not trying to really drive the ball is important. I don't think Ill use my driver at all.

Are you playing in a FL Best Ball Tournament? Also at this point in your game your not suppose to take anything over a tripple boggy.

I might be the only person who chimes in here saying that my few experiences with golf were the worst times I've ever spent doing something supposedly fun.

I've played three times, taking a LOT of care to be courteous to other players, but each time I went and tried to learn, someone was screaming at me from three hundred yards away for hitting in the rough on THEIR course. Sure, I'm bad, but I can't learn if I don't try. It was a horrendous experience for me and each time was a different course and each time almost everyone there acted like they were better than me and were more concerned with bothering a rookie than caring about themselves.

I might be the only person who chimes in here saying that my few experiences with golf were the worst times I've ever spent doing something supposedly fun.

I've played three times, taking a LOT of care to be courteous to other players, but each time I went and tried to learn, someone was screaming at me from three hundred yards away for hitting in the rough on THEIR course. Sure, I'm bad, but I can't learn if I don't try. It was a horrendous experience for me and each time was a different course and each time almost everyone there acted like they were better than me and were more concerned with bothering a rookie than caring about themselves.

Some people can be an ass on the course but it is also hard as a new golfer to know all the rules and how to be courteous. This summer I have played several times with a new golfer and I tell them I'm not trying to tell them what to do just explaining to them what to and not to do on the course. It helps to play with someone to show you around the course. For example if you hit your ball over on their hole you have three things you can do. 1 If your too far out for them to hit you proceed to your ball and hit your shot and get out of the way. 2) go to the edge of the fairway area and look back to see if they will wave you out to hit your shot. 3) If they are hitting wait out of the way and when they are done go take your shot. Don't let a few a$$ holes keep you from a great sport that you can play for pretty much the rest of your life.

I think a lot of that will be minimized by the size of our particular group. We are playing best ball tourny, mind explaining what that is for me?

I think a lot of that will be minimized by the size of our particular group. We are playing best ball tourny, mind explaining what that is for me?
Essentially each player plays his own ball through the hole and the "best" of the group is used on the card.

Essentially each player plays his own ball through the hole and the "best" of the group is used on the card.

Eh...I'd think it's probably more of a scramble format. That's become the new "best ball."

It's probably going to be that you all hit a shot and then you all play your next shot from the best out of that.

For example:
4 players hit their drive and only Player B hit a decent shot. All 4 players will then hit their next shot from where Player B's ball ended up.

It will either be that format or what Hog1 described, but in my experience recently, "best ball" has replaced the term "scramble."

Eh...I'd think it's probably more of a scramble format. That's become the new "best ball."

It's probably going to be that you all hit a shot and then you all play your next shot from the best out of that.

For example:
4 players hit their drive and only Player B hit a decent shot. All 4 players will then hit their next shot from where Player B's ball ended up.

It will either be that format or what Hog1 described, but in my experience recently, "best ball" has replaced the term "scramble."
I hear you. Actually if it is a "scramble", it is a lot of fun to play, plays fast, and will SERIOUSLY MINIMIZE your......newbie challenges. You will have a much better time with much of the pressure to perform removed. AND, your team may well use some of your shots during the round.
It may also have a "shotgun start" where each group spreads out over the entire course with each team starting on a different hole simultaneously. It will be fun......

Eh...I'd think it's probably more of a scramble format. That's become the new "best ball."

It's probably going to be that you all hit a shot and then you all play your next shot from the best out of that.

For example:
4 players hit their drive and only Player B hit a decent shot. All 4 players will then hit their next shot from where Player B's ball ended up.

It will either be that format or what Hog1 described, but in my experience recently, "best ball" has replaced the term "scramble."

I'd say it your first example with all players hitting their next shot from players B shot. This format will make it much easier for you to play if you have a few decent golfers in your group. When putting you may want to offer to putt first if the other golfers are better. Sense all of you will be putting from the same spot this will allow the better golfers to watch your putt and get a feel for how the ball will break. When we play we always go from the worse golfer to the best on every shot.

I think a lot of that will be minimized by the size of our particular group. We are playing best ball tourny, mind explaining what that is for me?


Everybody hits one from the tee. Then everybody plays one shot from where the best ball landed. This process continues until the team has put the ball in the hole. You only count the best ball strokes not the number of strokes that you took alltogether.

Example:

Tim hit the best drive. Everybody goes and hits from where Tims ball landed. Ted hit the best second shot and landed on the green; everbody putts from where Ted's ball landed. Mark sinks the put on his first try. The score for this hole is a 3.