Your Ultimate Cheat Sheet To Golf 101

If you’re going on your first golf trip and feel nervous because you don’t know jack about golf, chillax!

All you need is a little golf lingo and a little swag, and no one will know you’re a beginner. Everyone starts somewhere and you don’t need to be a pro to play golf. We got you! Here’s your ultimate cheat sheet to golf (shhh—don’t tell anyone).

• Dress

  In order to look like a pro, you have to dress the part. Think conservative dress code! If you show up wearing a tucked in collared shirt, dress pants or a golf skirt with golf shoes (preferably with spikes) or comfortable sneakers, you’ll definitely *look* the part.

  Many private golf courses have a dress code, so it’s best to call ahead of time or look on their website for what their rules are before you roll on into their golf course! And if you’re unsure if you should wear something, ask! For example, many golf clubs will let you wear comfortable athletic shoes, but some may have a policy against wearing comfortable sneakers. When in doubt, ask!

  Other golf swag to consider: golf socks, baseball cap/visor, and pleated shorts.

• Lingo

  Now that you look the part, it’s time to catch up on your vocab! You literally just need to know a few key phrases to get through your game. A few obvious terms are course, club, hole-in-one, putter, driver, caddy and clubhouse. There are a few terms that may sound unfamiliar such as choke down, which basically means when a golfer makes a bad shot or is unable to hold the golf club correctly.

  You honestly don’t need to know what everything means. Just learn as you play and if you really want to know what something means, ask someone or make a mental note and Google it later (we’re big fans of Google). You can absolutely read up on golf terminology but you’re not going to be tested. So learn as much lingo as you can before your golf game, but don’t stress. You got this!

• Equipment

  OK, you got your swag and your vocab, now you need the right tools (golf clubs).

  As a beginner, you’ll want to start out with a driver, a putter, irons and a wedge (maybe two!). This is basic. There’s no need to buy golf equipment if you’ve never played the game before! Most golf facilities will provide rental clubs for a fee, so we recommend renting before buying. Then if you find yourself LOVING the game, invest in a decent set of golf clubs. And LugLess will always help to ship your golf equipment on a golf destination trip!

• Confidence

  Now that you have the perfect golf outfit (tag us on the gram, BTW — we’d love to see it!), brushed up on your golf vocab, and have all of the right tools, you need one last thing that’ll pull you through and that’s confidence!

  You can’t fake confidence in your golf game. You’ll have to find that within and show up on the course ready to slay the game. You must think like a golfer before you even step into the golf clubhouse. With the right positive attitude, it won’t matter what you wear or what you say. Confidence comes from within and you won’t need validation from anyone during your golf game!

Drop us a comment and let us know how your first golf game went! We love hearing from our readers. Remember, you don’t need to know everything about golf. And it’s all about having fun and learning. Who knows? Maybe you’re really good at the game and want to go pro 😉