How long does it take to progress from beginner golfer to playing with clients? It turns out, there are a few steps you can take to shorten the process.
How Do You Get Ready to Play Golf With Clients?
I’m responding to this question, which I originally found on reddit. You can watch my full video response, or just read the transcript of it below. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Here’s the short answer:
- Learn golf etiquette first. You want to impress your clients, the best way to do that is by understanding what to do (and what not to do) on the course.
- Practice with your irons. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with all of your irons because you’ll spend the most time using them when you’re out with clients.
- Practice your approach. You’ll save time and agony if you can approach well.
- Practice putting. After you practice your chip shots, you’ll want to make sure you can finish the hole well. Learn to better your putting stroke.
While it might seem like you should focus your time at the driving range on your drivers, these four steps will make a much bigger impact on getting you ready to play with coworkers and clients.
Video Response: How Do I Get Ready for Playing Golf with Clients?
Video Transcript
I’ve had many students ask me this before, so when I saw this post on Reddit last week, it inspired me to address this topic once and for all. This is kind of a big task, as it can take years for golfers to fully come into their own, but for the purpose of this situation, here’s what I would address to expedite the learning process and go from beginner to comfortably golfing with clients within a year.
The first aspect to address is etiquette.
Knowing the proper etiquette of the game will trump any skill level. Any avid golfer would gladly play with an educated beginner rather than an ignorant skilled golfer.
You can learn etiquette by watching PGA events on TV, researching online through free websites like Golfspan.com or by playing at your local municipal course. Just because the fairways are shaggy and prices are low, doesn’t mean there’s a lack of golf etiquette.
The second aspect you need to address is getting the ball airborne with your irons.
Related: Read Our Review of Callaway Rogue X Irons
You’re going to hit at least one iron shot on every hole you play, and being able to advance the ball 100-plus yards will make your day so much more enjoyable. Sure, you want to hit driver, and you will, but it’s off the tee, so there’s some room for error, that makes it easier to pick up on.
Spend the majority of your time at the range, hitting all your irons from the turf, no tee. This will advance your game much quicker than pounding a bunch of drivers.
The last aspect to work on is the short game, specifically chipping from within 30 yards of the edge of the green.
Similar to irons, if you can chip it on from this distance instead of hitting chunks and blades, your skill level will progress much faster than the average golfer. Throw in 10 to 15 minutes of putting at the end of each of your chipping practice sessions, and you’ll be all set to join any and all clients on the golf course.
Thanks for watching. I’m Clint McCormick, resident golf professional at Golfspan.com.
Clint is PGA-certified and was a Head Teaching Professional at one of Toronto's busiest golf academies. He was also featured on Canada's National Golf TV program, "Score Golf Canada," twice. He graduated with a degree in Golf Management from the College of the Desert in California and studied under Callaway's co-founder, Tony Manzoni. He has a handicap index of 6.2 and spends the winters near Oaxaca, Mexico, where he plays twice a month at the Club de Golf Vista Hermosa. He's written over 100 articles at GolfSpan since 2021. You can connect with Clint at LinkedIn, FB, his website, or Clintcpga@gmail.com.
