Beginning Golf for Women

By Dee Dee Smith
Many golf courses offer clinics or private lessons for beginning female golfers.
Many golf courses offer clinics or private lessons for beginning female golfers.

Golf enthusiasts consider the game to be addictive. In addition to being loads of fun and good physical activity, the course is a common place for both social and business gatherings. Over the years, more and more women have come to appreciate the game. With some basic equipment, a few lessons and practice, you too can begin to enjoy this popular sport.

Clubs

To begin playing the game, you need some basic equipment. For clubs, you'll need a driver, one or two fairway woods, a few irons, a pitching wedge and putter. Purchase clubs designed specifically for women; clubs are also made for right-handers and left-handers. Although you can purchase clubs separately, buying them in a set may be the most economical.

Other Equipment

If you didn't purchase a set, you'll need a golf bag. Some other necessary items are a glove, balls and tees. Starting out, you might want to try a ball created with women in mind--they are designed for golfers with a slower swing speed and will aid you in getting more ball height and distance.

Learning the Game

Nothing can replace sessions on the driving range and putting green. Attending a golf clinic or having a few lessons from a professional instructor can aid you in getting acclimated. A professional will help you develop good habits that will continue as you grow and improve.

Things like a good grip, posture, body position and swing will be covered in your lessons. After learning the basics, you should spend some time practicing and perfecting these techniques.

Attire

Once you're really ready to play, you'll need a few clothing items. The most important will be quality golf shoes.

Your selection is crucial, because an uncomfortable pair of shoes can ruin your game.

Next, you'll need a couple of pairs of pants and tops. Stick with the dress code that is widely accepted by golf courses: slacks (Docker style), long shorts, skorts or ankle-length pants paired with a golf or sports shirt (such as a polo-style shirt).

Etiquette

If you want to be liked on the course, familiarize yourself with golf etiquette. As a new player, there are a few points you'll want to remember. First, early on, you'll be somewhat slow.

If you find that you are holding up others, let them play ahead or pick up and proceed to the next hole. Be careful not to play too close to or interrupt others while they are playing. Finally, everyone playing a golf course agrees to take care of it. This means repairing divots (holes in the fairway made when you hit a shot) and ball marks (dents from when your ball lands on the green) and raking the bunker after you play out of the sand.

Home ×