Hello to all! I just started golfing a year ago. I fell in love with the game right away, even though im not that good. i would love to take lesson's but im in college (That means im on a tight budget and can hardly afford to golf in the first place) but i wanna get better, any Advice? also i have a T-mobile G1 smartphone, is there any range finders or gps for that, that im not aware of? thanks...


Chad

Welcome to the game.

Considering your parameters of being new and on a tight budget I would highly recommend you find some par 3/executive coures in your area and play those late morning/early afternoon. These type of courses tend to be pretty cheap (sometimes less than $10 to walk 9 holes on weekdays) and if you play at times when there aren't very many other golfers out there you can really use it for great practice. Most of these will not allow you to pull driver much (if ever), but the most important things to work on immediately are putting, short game and approach shots into greens anyway. This might also be a good place to get some free 'lessons' in the way of playing with some older golfers. A lot of times these older players enjoy playing with younger golfers and enjoy sharing their experience and tips. You'll get some bad tips here and there, but you'll also pick up some good stuff, especially on short game typically.

Welcome Chad! That usually is the case with addictions... You want it all the time but cant afford it all the time.

I highly recommend Ben Hogan's book "Five Lessons". Also...be wary of free golf lessons. Even some low to mid handicappers tend to give some bad advice from time to time.

you all have been helpful, thanks. still wondering about the gps/range finder for the g1, if anyone knows that would be helpful also. thank you

Hi, Chad: don't know if there are any GPS apps for the G1, but I think you'd find that the accuracy is suspect, say +/- 5 - 10 meters because virtually every phone on the market doesn't have the accuracy needed for golf.

Here's some more info: http://www.oobgolf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1143

p.s. I recently golfed with a buddy who had a Skycaddie (the company that manually walks every course). We came up to the 10th hole and both drives finished about 2 yards apart. The pin was in the middle, and I lasered it at 178 yds. He had 193 to the center on his Skycaddie. We both said, "Whoa!" and wondered what was up.

I hit my shot and then 30 seconds later his Skycaddie reading changed from 193 to 175. We then noticed that we were standing under a big oak tree. We're guessing that the Skycaddie didn't have a fix on enough satellites initially, but after 2 minutes it was able to pinpoint the location.

So if you do get a GPS it might be good to get one that shows on the screen the # of satellites it has locked in. That will give you a better sense of your level of accuracy (and also letting the GPS settle down after you stop moving can also help).

p.s. since you're on a tight budget, here are some more cheap ways to improve your game...

a. most golf courses have a putting green that you can use for free. Practice your putting & chipping a lot. It will be one of the best ways to improve your game. I agree on the advice to practice 1/3 long game (driver & irons), 1/3 chipping & pitching & sand, 1/3 putting.

b. don't spend $300 or more on a GPS. Learn to use the course yardage markers (and walk off the distances). That way if you do get a GPS down the road you won't panic if you run out batteries mid-round -- you'll be able to fall back on your own two eyes. Also, a distance measuring device helps most once your irons start going consistent distances.

c. When you're ready to buy your next set of clubs, you'll find great deals on clubs that were launched two seasons ago. Great technology at usually half the price.