Golf 101: The Basics
By Nick Teodosio, PGA, Senior Coordinator of Public Golf Growth and Engagement for the MGA
Golf is one of the oldest sports in the world, and yet one of the most misunderstood. Historically, it has a reputation for being slow, expensive, elitist, and impossibly hard to learn. Some of that reputation is valid, most of it isn’t, and almost none of it should stop you from giving the game a try.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what golf actually is: your goal is to try and get a tiny ball into a small hole in the ground very far away, using a club (sounds insane when described this way). The game is typically played across 18 holes – each hole hasits own unique challenge with a different distance, layout, and personality. You count how many times you hit the ball across all 18, add them up, and that’s your score. The lower the number, the better. That’s the whole game.
Where It Came From
Golf originated in 15th century Scotland and made its way to America in the late 1800s. Some of the first golf courses in the country were built right here in the Metropolitan Area. Clubs like St. Andrew’s in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. and Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y. (still thriving today) helped establish the game in this country, and our region has been at the center of the game ever since. The United States Golf Association was established in 1894, and the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) was established shortly after in 1897 with the purpose of hosting competitions and TKTKT – our mission has evolved over the past 125 years.
Common Misconceptions
It is too expensive. It definitely can be, but it doesn’t always have to be Public courses and programs like those run by the Metropolitan Golf Association exist specifically to make the game more accessible.
-add in about eClubs / getting a handicap online
-youth on course opportunities.
It takes forever to learn. The basics can be picked up in an afternoon and you certainly do not need to score well to enjoy it.
You need to be athletic. Golf rewards coordination and feel over raw athleticism. Golfers of all ages and physical abilities can enjoy and compete in this sport together.
Why It’s Worth Your Time
Golf is one of the few games you can play your entire life; alone or with others; competitively or casually. It takes you outdoors, demands your focus, and has a way of humbling even the most confident people in the most instructive ways. Ask anyone who plays, once the game gets its hooks in you, it is nearly impossible to put down.
How to Play Golf
Golf looks extremely complicated from the outside. Once you understand the basic structure of a round, it’s not. Here is what actually happens out on the course.
Breakdown of a Round
A standard round of golf is 18 holes (some courses will allow you to play only 9 holes). Each hole is its own mini-game with a defined starting point and a defined finish. You start at the tee box, hit the ball toward the green, and keep hitting until the ball goes in the hole. Then you get to do it again 17 more times.
Your score is simply the total number of hits, or strokes, it took you to finish the round. Every swing counts as one stroke, whether it travels 300 yards or 3 feet.
Most rounds take about four hours. There is a lot of walking, a lot of fresh air, and a lot of time between shots to think, talk, and enjoy where you are.
Some Words Worth Knowing
Par – the number of strokes an accomplished golfer is expected to take on a given hole:3, 4, or 5. Par is the benchmark, but not something a new golfer should expect achieve right away.
Bogey – one stroke over par. For a new golfer, bogey is an excellent score. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise!
Birdie – one stroke under par. Difficult to achieve and is celebrated when you do.
Eagle – two under par. Quite rare and something you’ll remember!
Handicap Index – a number that reflects your skill level relative to par. The lower the number, the better the player. It exists so golfers of different abilities can compete fairly, and it tracks your improvement over time. Get one as soon as you can. Watching that number go down is one of the quiet satisfactions of the game.
Tee Box – where each hole begins. You get to use a tee and prop up the ball on a small peg for your first shot.
Fairway – the short-cut grass corridor between the tee box and the green. Helps you see the path towards the hole.
Rough – the longer grass on either side of the fairway. Harder to hit from, but not the end of the world.
Green – the closely mowed area surrounding the hole. This is where the hole lives and where you putt (roll) to try get it in the cup.
Think of each hole as a short journey with a beginning, a middle, and an end. The terrain, the distance, and the obstacles are different every time. That variety is a big part of what makes the game endlessly interesting.
The Fears Worth Ignoring
I will embarrass myself. Everyone feels that way at first, but then they stop caring, because golf has a way of making humility feel comfortable. Nobody on the course is watching you as closely as you think.
I do not know the etiquette. The basics are simple: keep pace with your foursome and the group in front of you, be quiet when others are hitting, and take care of the course. That covers 90% of it.
I am not good enough to go yet. You will never feel ready if you wait until you feel ready. The course is where the game actually teaches you. Get out there.
I do not have the right equipment. You need clubs to play. Everything else is optional. Rent (at the course) or borrow clubs (from a friend) your first few times out – it costs less than you think and tells you a lot about what you actually want before you go out and buy your own.
Just Get Out There
The only real barrier to playing golf is deciding to give it a try. The MGA exists to help make that easier – connecting players to courses, programs, and communities across our region.
