starting golf?

[anhuynh16]

Well since I've been bored lately and have nothing to do when I'm not playing tennis, I've been thinking about starting golf. I have a bunch of friends who play golf.

I've been reading around and everything is pretty much straightfoward.

I ran into one problem though- Since I wear crew socks I have a really bad tan line haha, and it is not possible to wear ankle socks,

I was wondering if you were allowed to wear crew socks in golf - with shorts (its in the 100s in TX)

If there are any golfers here, how many months did it take you to start playing with your friends etc..

[HellBunni]

Originally Posted by anhuynh16

Well since I've been bored lately and have nothing to do when I'm not playing tennis, I've been thinking about starting golf. I have a bunch of friends who play golf.

I've been reading around and everything is pretty much straightfoward.

I ran into one problem though- Since I wear crew socks I have a really bad tan line haha, and it is not possible to wear ankle socks,

I was wondering if you were allowed to wear crew socks in golf - with shorts (its in the 100s in TX)

If there are any golfers here, how many months did it take you to start playing with your friends etc..

what you are allowed or not allowed to wear varies from course to course. So you'll have to check in with the course. Most courses don't care about what socks you wear.

usually it's more like collared shirt vs t-shirt, jeans or no jeans.

you should def hit the driving range first, and don't use the driver!
make sure you can at least make contact with the ball with your irons.

then you can either rent, borrow, a set of clubs and go out there and play a round or 2 of 9 holes. I would start with 9.
bring plenty of balls and have fun =).

just remember 2 important things, and you should be okay
1.) yell "FORE" if your ball starts to go in a direction where there could be ppl
2.) don't spend too much time looking for your lost balls

[stringertom]

Originally Posted by anhuynh16

Well since I've been bored lately and have nothing to do when I'm not playing tennis, I've been thinking about starting golf. I have a bunch of friends who play golf.

I've been reading around and everything is pretty much straightfoward.

I ran into one problem though- Since I wear crew socks I have a really bad tan line haha, and it is not possible to wear ankle socks,

I was wondering if you were allowed to wear crew socks in golf - with shorts (its in the 100s in TX)

If there are any golfers here, how many months did it take you to start playing with your friends etc..

Good luck! Wear your crews...ankle socks are not manly. Also, prepare for frustration unless you have many hours to devote to the learning curve...there are a lot more shots to learn in golf and you're not always playing on a level surface so once you learn a shot, it may not work from the lie you play from.

[r2473]

Originally Posted by stringertom

the lie you play from.

this is the most important thing about golf.

i'm a scratch golfer myself

[pabletion]

Originally Posted by anhuynh16

Well since I've been bored lately and have nothing to do when I'm not playing tennis, I've been thinking about starting golf. I have a bunch of friends who play golf.

I've been reading around and everything is pretty much straightfoward.

I ran into one problem though- Since I wear crew socks I have a really bad tan line haha, and it is not possible to wear ankle socks,

I was wondering if you were allowed to wear crew socks in golf - with shorts (its in the 100s in TX)

If there are any golfers here, how many months did it take you to start playing with your friends etc..

dont worry about socks............... start playing, you'll be so pi$$ed about not being able to hit that damn little white ball you'll never think about socks again....

[West Coast Ace]

@AH, don't do it! Golf is a tremendous time and money waster. Aren't you fairly successful in junior tennis? If so, take this 'free time' and work out to get in better shape to improve your tennis.

I dropped tennis and was obsessed with Golf for about 4 yrs (got down to a 6; shot 84 at Pebble Beach) - the courses are beautiful and there are social benefits. But you spend so much time and money - driving to to course, playing (stuck behind hackers who take forever - and play from the back tees), driving home, practicing (got carpal tunnel from hitting off the mats on top of concrete).

[stringertom]

Also, if this is a "social thing" to do with your friends, do NOT get in their way if the skill-level gap is severe. One way you can get around that problem is to play "best ball"...you will always start a hole in the same place...the tee; the second and subsequent shots, not so much. So, say you lose your tee shot in the woods, play maybe one more before just tagging along with your buddy and playing from his landing spot. Chances are it's gonna be in better position to execute a "more standard" type of shot plus you can watch your skilled friend up-close for swingtips. It really speeds up play too so everyone is happier.

[r2473]

Originally Posted by West Coast Ace

I dropped tennis and was obsessed with Golf for about 4 yrs (got down to a 6; shot 84 at Pebble Beach)

you got down to a 6 handicap in 4 years

Originally Posted by stringertom

the lie you play from.

oh ya

i'm a scratch golfer myself

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by r2473

this is the most important thing about golf.

i'm a scratch golfer myself

Everyone is a scratch golfer on the interwebs. When the money is on the line, it's a different story.

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by r2473

you got down to a 6 handicap in 4 years



oh ya

i'm a scratch golfer myself

Haha! A 6 handicraper is like being a 5.5 level tennis player in 4 years.

[stapletonj]

if you are gonna play golf and tennis in the same day, always play tennis first. playing tennis before golf never hurt my golf, but playing golf before tennis ALWAYS hurt my tennis.

I think the mindset is just too different.
Golf is all about dont hurry (but dont dawdle)
realxed and smooth on the swing.

tennis is all about hurry, prep quick,
read and eact in an instant
start early and spring to the ball,
etc etc etc

I just think psychologically it is
easier to "slow down" than to
"speed up"

[dak95_00]

I started as a tennis player at age 13. When I went to high school, the #2 player on the tennis team was a golfer and went on to play D1 at Ohio State. He would take a beating from me in tennis and take me out and give it back to me in golf. The good thing was that I became his project and his first student and he taught me everything he learned from Jack Grout.

I went off to college and wasn't good enough to play tennis at the D1 school I attended but was too good for nearly anyone else to make playing fun. I still say I could've beaten the 9-12 guys on the team but wasn't anywhere near good enough to beat the top few; another story for another day.

Golf is a sport you can play by yourself. It can be fun and exciting; especially, if you are improving or having firsts; birdies, eagles, pars, best scores, etc. It is tough to learn but in the end I believe it to be an easier game than tennis because the ball doesn't move and you have no opponent hitting the ball at or away from you. It is all you. Go out and just have fun. Only take advice from those that really know what they are doing i.e really good golfers. I learned from my friend, playing experience and some books; Ben Hogan: Five Fundamentals, Jack Nicklaus: Golf My Way, & Bobby Jones: On Golf are the only three I read.

To be good, you have to put in the practice. If you learn the fundamentals, you'll have them for a lifetime and can play or not play and do just fine. My dislikes of the game are as the others have said; money, time, money, time, etc.

I barely have enough time to play tennis. I'm still trying to play better tennis.

I have met players who were pretty good who taught themselves to play by watching youtube videos. They were impressively good. Back in the day, I was told you were in the top 10% of the world if you could score in the 80s.

An ex-girlfriend of mine had a brother who has never shot above 88 in his life. That was his first ever score. 5-6 years later he shot in the low 60s when he was playing college golf. The kid is/was a natural. Besides him, most new players shoot around 120 +/- 10 their first time playing 18 holes or 60 +/- for 9 holes.

Since others are boasting/lying about their golf scores, I'll not bother. Here is a link to a video of me playing the other day in a scramble in my walking cast/boot. Oddly enough, I think it could be modified to be a nice teaching device for a new golfer. This was not my best shot or swing of the day. I was a little too fast going back and I didn't start the downswing as smoothly as I should've as a result. It still turned out to be a good shot and was very playable. That's the best part of golf; all good shots don't go in and all bad shots don't miss and each shot is the end and the beginning of a different challenge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qecF_MkhNXw&feature=plcp

[r2473]

Originally Posted by Limpinhitter

Haha! A 6 handicraper is like being a 5.5 level tennis player in 4 years.

I played with a 7 handicapper for a while. the holes played out basically the same everytime. he'd be tapping in for par. i'd have a long par putt and tap in for bogey.

i was "so close" to him..........like about 10-15 strokes

BUT...i could outdrive him, which is all that really matters anyway. (it actually pissed him off quite a lot)

[Fearsome Forehand]

Originally Posted by anhuynh16

Well since I've been bored lately and have nothing to do when I'm not playing tennis, I've been thinking about starting golf. I have a bunch of friends who play golf.

I've been reading around and everything is pretty much straightfoward.

I ran into one problem though- Since I wear crew socks I have a really bad tan line haha, and it is not possible to wear ankle socks,

I was wondering if you were allowed to wear crew socks in golf - with shorts (its in the 100s in TX)

If there are any golfers here, how many months did it take you to start playing with your friends etc..

On most courses, you can wear any socks you wish.

If you don't want to be trapped in perpetual ugly swing hackerdom (aka the 7th level of Hell), find a good teaching pro (ask around) and take lessons. Otherwise, you will build bad habits that you will never break. Go to any driving range and you will see what I mean.

Tennis is far superior to golf but golf has its role. It was developed as a means for men to have an excuse to get away from their wives on the weekend for 6 to 8 hours at a time.

A really good teaching device (for understanding swing plane and tempo) is a club called Medicus.

And Dak95 failed to mention that he hurt his foot kicking a tree after yet another errant golf shot. Nice swing BTW.

[West Coast Ace]

Originally Posted by r2473

you got down to a 6 handicap in 4 years

Reading Comprehension is a beautiful thing. I said 'dropped tennis' - as in stopped playing tennis and ONLY played golf. I didn't say I started playing golf at that point. I had been golfing since I was 8 or 9 - played all sports. When I started the golf obsession I was probably a 14 handicap.

Are you an LA Unified School District graduate?

[r2473]

Originally Posted by West Coast Ace

@AH, don't do it! Golf is a tremendous time and money waster. Aren't you fairly successful in junior tennis? If so, take this 'free time' and work out to get in better shape to improve your tennis.

I dropped tennis and was obsessed with Golf for about 4 yrs (got down to a 6; shot 84 at Pebble Beach) - the courses are beautiful and there are social benefits. But you spend so much time and money - driving to to course, playing (stuck behind hackers who take forever - and play from the back tees), driving home, practicing (got carpal tunnel from hitting off the mats on top of concrete).

Originally Posted by West Coast Ace

Reading Comprehension is a beautiful thing. I said 'dropped tennis' - as in stopped playing tennis and ONLY played golf. I didn't say I started playing golf at that point. I had been golfing since I was 8 or 9 - played all sports. When I started the golf obsession I was probably a 14 handicap.

Are you an LA Unified School District graduate?

sorry. all this was crystal clear to everyone but me

[LeeD]

Golf good.
Makes you rid the distractions, focus on within, and play YOUR game when all around you is in disarray, helterskelter, or in harmony.

[Fearsome Forehand]

^ Be the ball.

[dak95_00]

Originally Posted by Fearsome Forehand

And Dak95 failed to mention that he hurt his foot kicking a tree after yet another errant golf shot. Nice swing BTW.

Unfortunately, I broke my foot playing tennis. I was in a doubles league and was charging the net, split step to go down to my left when the ball hits the let cord, flips up high and hard to my right, I jump and my foot catches the court and a nasty, nasty turn of the ankle later results in a broken foot. Ugh!!! It's been six weeks now and I am dying to get out and play. I think I'll be able to hit a little next week.....I hope.

After severe boredom kicked in, I decided to play golf. The first time out in 14 months playing my own ball (played in a scramble 12 months ago), I shot 2 over par for 18. The next day on a different course, I shot 3 over par. My back 9s were 1 under and even. On the even par 9, I only had one par! Now, I am bragging.

The courses were both easy and probably only had course ratings of 66 or 67 with par being 70 and 71 and were under 7000 yards long. The boot really made me concentrate on my tempo and weight shift through contact and kept me from swaying backward which is a real power & control leak.

[LeeD]

That's the concentration we all need to play match tennis.
Unfortunately, my golf involves 3-6 boogies, then a blowup 13, a couple of pars, and then another blowup 10.
Imagine my tennis game.