So how do you become a golfer?

(April 2008)

So how do you become a golfer?

I was not a member of a course and I knew that membership cost money. None of my friends played golf, I came from an climbing/biking background golf was alien to that. The only golfer I knew well was my brother so I sought his advice.

'Just get a cheap set of clubs, knock it around on the driving range and get a lesson or two and then I'll take you out on the course'

I also turned as I always do to the internet for knowledge, specifically internet forums, that where I found the Golf Magic forum which I was to lurk on for many hours in the beginning.

'just get a cheap set of clubs'

That seamed the obvious start as without clubs your not really a golfer are you!

So into research mode I went and quickly drowned in a sea of new information that made little sense. New brands about which I knew nothing of their relative market position, names and numbers for clubs that meant nothing to me, beginner irons, improver irons, blades, cavity backs, etc, etc. which numbers and names are for beginners clubs? Second hand, custom fit.

The learning curve was just too steep for my impatience, I needed guidance.

The next day saw me quite nervously approach the pro shop at our local golf course. A young assistant pro was behind the counter.

We had a chat, the pro was on vacation, he may be able to find me a second hand set of irons when he was back, in the mean time the assistant could give me a lesson using a demo 6 iron.

Result! the journey was on the move.