The origins of golf date at least as far back as 14th century Scotland where it was banned by King James II because those who should have been defending the Scottish throne were wasting too much time on the links. In 1888, John Reid brought golf to America and it has thrived here ever since. In recent years, the game has grown in popularity and today, an estimated 20 million Americans call themselves golfers.

What was once the exclusive domain of old, white males has blossomed into a sport with little regard for age, gender, race, or religion. Step onto a golf course today and you re likely to meet a diverse mix of players: young & old, black

& white, men & women. Whether it s the influence of exciting young competitors like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, or the aging baby-boomers trading in their tennis rackets for golf clubs, the game has never been more popular.

Part of the appeal may lie in the fact that golf can be played, and played well, by just about anyone. It is an exacting game that relies more on accuracy and control than athletic prowess. While good health and physical fitness are invaluable on the course, one needn t be a prime athlete to enjoy the game. That s not to say that it s easy. Golf is demanding, and often-times frustrating. But, with a little preparation, some good instruction,

and the proper equipment, you will have everything you need to begin enjoying this age-old sport.

Selecting an instructor

Far and away the most important step for a new golfer is finding a good instructor. Many people start learning the game from a friend or relative who is kind enough to go to the driving range and offer tips and instructions. But if the instructions you get at first are incomplete or incorrect, you will form bad habits and they will be very hard to break. The best way to start learning the game is by using a qualified golf instructor from the very beginning.

Most public and private golf courses employ full-time instructors. These individuals are highly trained in

the art of teaching golf and they re waiting for you to call. As in all professions, golf teachers vary in quality and you should seek out the best you can find. Ask for recommendations from people you know who have taken lessons. And keep in mind that a good player isn t necessarily a good instructor. Jeff Niejadlik, a teaching pro at Pease Golf Course in Portsmouth, New Hampshire says Sit down and talk to the instructor one-on-one. If he or she is personable and readily answers your questions, chances are you ve found a good teacher. And don t get hung up if you re a man and the instructor is a woman, or vice-versa. Also, look for someone who is certified by a recognized organization such as the Professional Golfers Association (PGA). To receive PGA certification, an instructor must complete a comprehensive course of study and prove his or her ability along the way. Certification insures that the person who is teaching you is qualified to do so.

Many golf teachers offer group lessons which are less expensive than individual classes and some universities have night courses in golf. But, Niejadlik warns, Don t take indoor lessons. You can never tell where the ball really goes and you could wind up forming bad habits that you don t recognize until you get out on the course.

Clubs - To buy or not

o buy

Many people who take up the game don t think that the clubs they start out with are important. The reasoning goes something like I couldn t tell an 8-iron from an andiron. A good set of clubs won t matter to me. The truth is, starting off with good clubs can make the game easier to learn. Today s oversized irons and woods have larger hitting surfaces than clubs made even ten years ago. Much like an oversized tennis racket, the larger surface makes it easier to hit the ball.

Chances are, you won t want to go out and buy the latest and greatest clubs before you know whether or not you even like

the game. If you have friends or family members who own clubs, see if you can use theirs for your first lesson. Different clubs are sized, shaped and balanced appropriately for the intended player so be sure to borrow a men s set if you re a man, a women s set for women, and youngsters should use junior sets. Starting out with clubs that don t fit will only make learning the game harder.

If no one will lend you a set (some of us get protective about our babies), the instructor should have the clubs you need for the lesson. And if you decide to get your own, he or she can help you select a set that

fits your swing, your size, and your budget.

Practice, practice, practice

While the game of golf is usually played on 9- and 18-hole courses, it is learned, in large part, on the practice range. Here you will find men, women and children lined up on weekends, hitting little white balls at yardage markers that taunt them with numbers like 250. (Most folks only dream about hitting the 250- marker.) This is where you get to know your clubs, practice the techniques that you learn from your instructor, and develop the sense of timing and balance that you will need on the course.

A typical set of golf clubs includes a driver or 1-wood, a 3-wood and a 5-wood, a 3-iron

through 9-iron, a pitching wedge and a putter. (Junior sets usually have fewer irons.) Each club is designed to hit the ball a different length. The driver, when hit well, provides the longest shot, the 3-wood is next in distance, then the 5-wood. The 3-iron is next, followed by the 4-iron, with each higher numbered iron providing less distance. The pitching wedge is used for short shots, usually near the green. And the putter is for, well, putting.

Everyone loves to hit the driver at the practice range. A good drive will fly farther than any other shot, but when you practice, it s important to use every club in your bag. That way you get to know how far

you hit the ball with each club. Niejadlik tells beginners not to spend much time with the driver on the range. It is the hardest club to hit and accuracy is more important than distance. A ball that s winds up in the fairway, even if it is relatively short, is much better than a long ball that s lost in the woods. Use your irons and tee the ball up for the first few practice shots. Also, if possible, practice at a range that offers grass rather than synthetic turf. There s no astro-turf on the golf course, and hitting off of grass is much different hitting from a plastic mat.

Get out and play

Many beginners

are intimidated by the prospect of going out and teeing up on a real course. People will be watching and for some reason, hitting the ball down the fairway while others watch frightens most of us. But after taking a couple of lessons and practicing at the local range, you should be ready to get out on the course. Remember that everyone who is out there has had to go through these same struggles. We ve all sliced balls so far into the woods that Lewis and Clark couldn t find them. Or reared back for that mighty drive only to hit the ball poorly and have it dribble off the tee and stop a few feet away. (When that happens to you, and it will, you re more likely to hear sighs of sympathy than giggles or jeers.)

A few guidelines

Before you go out, though, be advised that over the past 600 years, golf has evolved into a game of tradition, rules, and etiquette. Many new comers aren t aware of some of these rules and as a result, they make the game harder on themselves and those around them. If you follow these guidelines, you (and those on the course with you) will be able to enjoy the game to its fullest.

House Rules - Every golf course has its own set of standards that you must adhere to while on the grounds. Some have dress-codes, such

as no cut-offs, while others don t care what you wear. On some courses you are allowed to drive the cart anywhere (but never near or on the greens) and some have strict rules about staying on the cart path. Some allow alcohol, others will eject you immediately if you re seen with a beer. Try to find out what the course expects from players before you arrive for your tee-time. It could save you some trouble and embarrassment.

Teeing-Up - If there is a group already at the tee when you get to there, wait quietly to the side while they hit. Making a good golf shot takes concentration, so try not to do anything that would distract the

person who is teeing off. Wait until the entire group has left the tee box before you approach it.

If a group of players catches up from behind you at a tee box, you may want to offer to let them go ahead of you (to play through). Chances are they are more experienced and as a result they play faster than you do. This courtesy will be greatly appreciated and show that you know the rules of the road. You will also feel more relaxed without a group of faster players breathing down your back.

You ll notice three sets of markers on most tees: a red set (lady s), a white set (men s), and a blue set

(pro s). Some players feel they have to hit off of the pro s tees as a matter of principal. But most men should hit from the white s, and all women should hit from the reds. This will not only help improve your score, but it speeds the pace of the game.

Never hit the ball, either from the tee or in the fairway, when the group ahead of you is within your range. A golf ball can inflict permanent damage and can even kill a person. If you re not sure whether you could reach the players ahead of you, wait until they are well out of range before you take your shot. If your ball is headed

in the direction of other golfers, yell Fore! loud and clear in their direction. In the golf world, fore means duck and cover. You ll see everyone within earshot put their arms over there heads and bend at the waist. You may be embarrassed about having hit towards someone, but they will sincerely appreciate the warning. If you don t yell Fore! , you can expect the unintended target of your ball to be (rightfully) upset.

In Play - Once you ve hit from the tee, you will have to locate your ball wherever it landed. Sometimes this is easy and sometimes it s not, but it s important to know exactly the brand and

model of ball you re using so you can identify yours when you find it. From time-to-time, you may hit a ball into the deep rough, woods, bushes, a neighboring swimming pool, or any number of places where it s difficult to locate. Players hate to lose a ball because it costs a penalty stroke, not to mention at least one dollar. But don t spend too much time looking for lost balls. If you can t find yours within a couple of minutes, drop a new one in the vicinity of the one you lost and continue playing.

This brings up the next point: pace of play . A good golf game depends on rhythm. The rhythm of

your swing, the rhythm of your putting stroke, and the rhythm of the game itself. A good pace might go something like:

1 - Hit off of the tee.

2 - Walk to your ball and select the proper club.

3 - Hit the ball when it s your turn. (The person farthest from the green hits first.)

4 - Repeat steps 2 and 3 until your on the green.

5 - Putt.

A poor pace might resemble:

1 - Hit off of the tee.

2 - Walk to your ball and select the proper club.

3 - Wait for your partner to come out of the woods, drop a ball, select a club, take 5 practice swings, and hit.

4 - Hit the ball when it s your turn.

5 - Repeat steps 2 through 4 until your on the green.

6 - Wait for your partner while he measures his putt from every possible angle, studies the slope of the green, cleans his putter, takes 8 practice strokes, and shoots.

5 - Putt.

Having to stop and wait for long periods between shots makes it difficult to establish any rhythm to your game. This is also true for the people who are playing behind you, and the people playing behind them, etc. You don t want to be the one holding up everyone on the course. That doesn t mean you should run to the ball and hit

it as soon as you reach it. It simply means that you should take no more time than you need for each shot. As we said earlier, don t spend too much time looking for lost balls. When it s your turn to hit, be ready at the ball with the club in-hand so others won t have to wait while you choose one. Take no more than two practice swings before you hit. You should not feel rushed, just feel ready.

When you take a shot from the fairway or rough, don t be surprised if a piece of the earth (called a divot) leaves the ground going in the same direction as your ball. Sometimes the divot will

actually travel further than the ball, but this is rarely the intended result. Divots are part of the game and to be expected, but you should always find the errant piece of sod and put it back into its original location. This helps keep the golf course playable. Similarly, after you hit out of a sand trap, you should use the rake that s always nearby to smooth out your foot prints and the indentation made where you hit the ball.

On the Green - You will eventually find yourself on the green, that hallowed ground which all golfers strive to attain. The green is where the most subtle change in conditions can radically alter the path of the ball;

where games are won with finesse and lost within a fraction of an inch. Hallowed ground indeed.

The only things that should come in contact with the green are golf balls, putters and the bottoms of golf shoes. (It s also okay to gently lay the flag stick on the green while you and your teammates putt.) Never drive a golf cart close to the green. It could cause severe damage to the playing surface. And if you re walking, be sure to leave your golf bag off to the side.

If your ball hit the green on-the-fly, chances are that it left a ball mark in the putting surface. You can repair the indentation with a small tool that

is very cheap or free at the pro-shop. Also, when walking across the green, you shouldn t step directly between a player s ball and the cup. Your shoes can make marks in the grass that could impair the player s putt. Finally, when your group is finished putting, replace the flag stick, leave the green quickly and proceed to the next tee so the people playing behind you can hit.

If this all seems like a lot to remember, keep in mind that the sport has evolved over centuries. As you play and get familiar with the game, these habits will become second-nature. As Niejadlik says, Golf takes dedication and patience. It is not played at a fast

pace like basketball or hockey and it s not learned at a fast pace. But the game will last you a lifetime, so don t get discouraged if you are not Tiger Woods right away. Relax and enjoy it.

Joe Pescatello is an author, a golfer and a commercial software developer. Visit http://UncleBobsAttic.com for a sample of his work. You can reach him at [mailto:joe-p@unclebobsattic.com]joe-p@unclebobsattic.com.