It may sound obvious: That in order to turn beginning golfers into lifetime golfers, they should enjoy themselves. But how often does that really happen? Think about it – the very fundamentals of golf can be extremely frustrating – especially to a golf newbie.
Take the golf swing for instance. Have you ever tried teaching someone how to swing a club? You’re at the driving range with someone who has never played – you show them the basics (grip, stance and swing), hand them the club and let them have at it. That can be pretty frustrating to both the golf newbie and to you.
Stinky Golfer Chris summed it up the best when he wrote in a post:
“Handing [my wife] a club was like handing a cell phone to my grandmother. Some things are better left in the hands of others…[Have] you ever see a baby just learning how to walk? It’s walking into things and falling down and you can’t help but to laugh. Picture that baby with a golf club in one hand, completely throwing off it’s balance even further, and a glass of Jack Daniels in the other. It was like that. But less graceful.“
What about golf etiquette? Remember going out to the course with a first timer? “Don’t step there; You can’t put your bag there; It’s not your turn yet; You can’t touch it until the green; Let this other group play through.” It’s (what must seem to them) an endless list of don’ts and can’ts.
And what about slow play? A new golfer will inevitably be slow – they are still learning how to get the ball in the air; still learning the rules; still learning the etiquette; but yet they are constantly being pushed through the course – golf newbie or not, no one forgives slow play.
I haven’t even mentioned the cost factor (equipment, apparel, greens fees) yet! It’s no wonder there are so many people out there that claim: “I tried golf, but it just wasn’t for me.”
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Sure, golf isn’t for everybody, but I believe we can retain more golfers if the introduction to the game wasn’t so abrasive. Perhaps most importantly if you have a friend that wants to try golf, the best gift to give them is a lesson from a pro. Yes, you pay for the lesson – whenever something is free, people tend to appreciate it more.
And don’t stop there – the second most important thing is to make the game enjoyable. This means point out the rules and etiquette of the game but don’t always enforce them. In fact, their entire first season playing should be very informal. And prepare them upfront that as a newbie, it’s OK to pick up and move on sometimes.
Some other ideas: Allow Mulligans (multiple Mulligans if necessary); Tell them 95% of golfers can’t shoot anywhere near par so they should just have fun; Get them hand-me-down clubs; Don’t just talk golf – catch up on things in general – let them see the camaraderie this game offers.
So the next time you have an opportunity to introduce someone to golf, do right by them – make it an enjoyable experience and you might just end up with a golfing buddy for life.