My first bats

(April 2008)

The week following my lesson saw me back at the local club pro shop and meeting with Peter the head pro for the first time. I have now known him since that day and can honestly say that a nicer more considerate and helpful pro is unlikely to be found within a hundred miles, in short he is a real gent.

He did not have clubs that day but told me to return in a few days when he would have a set of second hand beginners irons by Callaway for me to try out.

I duly returned a few days later and he gave me the choice of two second hand sets. The first was 3i-sw Callaway Big Bertha irons, regular flex, vintage year 2002 ish. In good condition with new grips. The second set was Yonex with graphite shafts. He leant me the 6 irons from each set so I could hit then at the driving range. So off I went with the two sticks to do my stuff.

I remember in those days a well struck six iron for me reached the 100 yard flag at the range. I distinctly remember being chuffed that I hit the flag with one shot from the yonex 6 iron. But in truth I could not tell any difference between them but I preferred the Yonex for some reason, probably because of the hit flag.

A call to my brother for advice and he came back with a definitive answer.

'Your 35 not 55, your a big bloke as you get better the graphite will be too soft for you, go with the Callaway's'

Not knowing better I took his advice which in hindsight was correct.

Back to the Pro shop and after say goodbye to £150 and arranging a lesson, I was finally a golfer, well finally a hacker anyway!

That weekend my Bro took me to a huge range and shop in a city close to where we live and after testing out the Callaway's on the range I went shopping and added a putter, some balls, tee's, shoes, a bag, pitch mark repairer and a glove to my collection of equipment. Not a cheap shopping trip, in fact golf is not a cheap sport to get start but I already knew that this was no passing fancy so the cost was coughed up without resentment.

Later in the day I got my first experience on the course as my brother smuggled me onto his home track for three holes in the rain. I hacked it around keeping my left arm straight and loved it despite hitting it half the distance of my brother. It also showed me that the game on a course is a lot more interesting than the game of whack it at the driving range.

It finally made up my mind that I would join my local club when I got past the embarrassing noob phase.

What I did not realise at the time is how long that phase would last!

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.