5 essential golf tips for the absolute beginner

Although golf is a challenging sport that can be intimidating at first, anyone can learn to play the game well with a little practice and instruction. If you're an absolute golf novice, check out these five essential tips to help you get started.

Whether you want to compete in golf tournaments or simply go out for a round or two with friends, you're going to want to take at least a few lessons.

• Taking golf lessons before you ever hit the links on your own will help you avoid developing bad habits and allow an expert to use their techniques to get you to hit the ball properly.
• Friends and family members can help you with pointers, but a golf lesson with a trained pro is the best way to go if you want to pick up solid golf fundamentals.

When you're starting out, don't invest in a full, expensive set of golf clubs. Instead, focus on the clubs that you will need to play a round of golf as a beginner.

• As a golf beginner, use a three-wood to hit a ball off the tee, five- through nine-irons to hit the ball on the course, a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a putter.
• There's no need to buy a driver or a three- or four-iron when first starting out because they make hitting the ball difficult.

You've seen beautiful foot pivots from the pros on television when they swing. When you're first learning, however, you're going to want to be sure that you keep your feet planted during your golf swing in order to execute the best take away and impact.

• Keeping your feet planted on the ground allows you to keep your eyes on the ball, focus on your swing form and shift your weight from foot to foot without any excess fancy footwork to distract you.

In addition to the things you need to learn about playing the game, there are lots of etiquette rules that are necessary on the golf course.

• Be sure to brush up on these rules to ensure that you're a polite player and good sportsman.
• One of the most essential rules: stick to the course's dress code.

If you're an absolute beginner of golf, don't be afraid to take it slow when you're learning the basics. Even the masters of the game had to start out with no idea how to play, how to stand, or how to swing - they all gained their skills through practice and dedication.

So take lessons, get the right clubs, work on a basic stance, learn the points of golf etiquette and keep practising. That's the surest way to become the best golfer you can.