Gorse, heather and October leaves: six beginner habits that lose golf balls in Britain
A beginner can get through half a dozen balls in a round, and on a British course in October, with gorse, heather and falling…
Section
Getting started
Where to start when you have never held a club: green fees, first lessons, the kit you actually need, and how to get a handicap. No jargon, and no assumptions.
Family golf in Britain: Texas scramble, foursomes or a capped score, and where to start as a family
Four players, a ball each and every stroke counted is the wrong game for a family whose drives range from 50 to 200 yards.…
Shaking over the opening drive: calming first-tee nerves in front of the clubhouse window
The first tee is the one shot with an audience, and adrenaline shortens and speeds up the swing in a predictable way. Warm up,…
Medal, Stableford, honour and burn: a British golf glossary for newcomers
Golf's vocabulary can make a newcomer feel shut out before the first tee shot. Learn the scoring words, the formats British clubs actually play…
Hosting a newcomer’s first round: a short course on a summer evening
Whether a newcomer plays a second round is usually settled by how the first one was organised, not by how they swung. Pick a…
Golf lessons in the UK: choosing a PGA pro and making the money count
Lessons fail less often because of the coach than because of what surrounds the hour. Pick a qualified professional, bring your scorecards, book a…
Setup basics for British golfers: hands, stance and aim in all weathers
Most persistent ball flights start before the club moves, in how you hold it, stand to it and aim it. Fixing the setup costs…
Joining a golf club or paying green fees: a British worked example in pounds
Whether a subscription pays is a sum, not a feeling. Count the rounds you really played, divide the full annual cost by the green…
Handicap certificate, haar and hire trolleys: playing a British course as a visitor
Almost anyone can play almost anywhere in Britain, provided they have read the small print. Visitors are remembered for arriving prepared, keeping up and…