After a Pro Tip, Do You Tip the Pro? #golf

Golf beginners have so many unanswered questions, not only about how to play the game but concerns that are taken for granted by amateurs who have already been "around the turn". Golf for Beginners answers several of these questions in this blog with the hopes of making newbies feel more comfortable around the course, not just on it.

Question 1 - The Bag Drop Dilemma
Have you driven up to the bag drop area and felt uncomfortable with someone reaching into your trunk to pull out your golf clubs? You can screech to a stop and try to outrun the greeter but, chances are, he or she will be waiting with a smile.

Let's start by saying that these ambassadors work for the golf course and get paid to help you. My suggestion? Don't fight it, always have a few small bills at the ready - it's just one of the courtesies extended by the course. Instead, focus on the game ahead and let these "friendlies" work for you. Ask them where to check in, where the putting green is located and any other uncomfortable questions you have so that you can relax and ready yourself to play your best game ever.

Question 2 - What to Do at the Front Desk
Queasy at the thought of calling a golf course for a tee time? Not sure what to do when at the desk?

There are several ways to make a tee time - you can call the course or find an online booking company who will reserve your tee time for you. Start by planning ahead and knowing the date and approximate time you (and your foursome) wish to play. Have several dates/times at the ready and a credit card although you can pay for your tee time at the front desk of many courses.

Call the course and set up your golf game. Once you know your tee time, get to the course at least a half an hour in advance so that you are on time for your tee-off!

When at the front desk, the associate will give you a receipt. Give that piece of paper to the starter - the starter has a list of all of the golfers playing golf that day. He or she will take the ticket and let you know which group you will follow...and will give you helpful tips about the course such as where the bathrooms are, where you can find drinking water on-course, where the pins are located for the day and whether or not it's a "cart-path-only" day.


Question 3 - A Teaching Pro Tip
After a lesson (or a group of lessons), are you supposed to tip the pro?

You already paid for lessons and the instructor isn't offering you a service like cleaning your cleats so I would say there are better ways to show your appreciation to your teaching pro.

A few suggestions... leave a great review on his or her website (or Facebook page). If you really like the results, and your game is improving, you may want to take more lessons - this, more than anything, will probably make your pro feel like a million bucks!


Read next: Can Online Tips Hurt Your Golf Game?

What concerns do you have around the golf course? Write them down in the comments section of this golf blog and tag us with your questions on Twitter @Golf4Beginners. We will answer questions here and on social media.

Can Online #Golf Tips Do More Harm than Good to Your Game?

I am a proponent of professional golf instruction - meeting with a teacher and getting help with your game works for golfers from beginners through to the best in the world (even Tiger Woods needs an instructor).

But, what differences does a face-to-face experience offer vs a magazine article ....or, can we essentially learn proper technique either way?

With more and more posting golf blogs, articles from renowned players and teachers, and videos, it would seem that an online tutorial can also help your game, however...

A teaching pro is right in front of you, showing you how to execute a shot. In stark contrast, golf tips we receive from PGA Tour pros who tell us via magazine article or show us what to do via youtube video cannot give us any feedback.

Justin Rose in a recent blog, offers how to pull off certain shots as well as recovery techniques for an amateur who has been playing the game for a while and who understands course management and shot making but may confuse the beginner.

In other words, not all learning methods are best for every student.

Tips such as golf etiquette and understanding overall swing concepts are fine to learn from an established online source but, after you have gotten to the next level, it might be better to incorporate lessons if you are to improve in this game.

Two-way communication is essential in golf training - an instructor will watch your swing, talk to you to determine the source of the problem and may add the latest technology to the mix in order to show you where you need help. It's like when you are sick - if it's just the sniffles you may choose to take basic cold medicine but, at that point do you choose to visit the doctor?

My golf blog tip of the week? Take tips from magazines and videos with a grain of salt - you have to know when to take advice and when to get advice in person.

Do you take online golf tips with a grain of salt? Let us know which pro rely on for advice in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

What Type of #Golf Do YOU Play When Score Matters?

How do you think you would play golf if your PGA Tour card was on the line? Would you calmly navigate the golf course or would your grip tighten on every club and suddenly come down with a case of "the yips"?

Some familiar names on the Web.com Tour, like Sam Saunders and Peter Uihlein, rose to the occasion this past week and snagged a spot for the 2018 season. Other golfers, like Matt Harmon, could not muster up the skills needed to deal with the situation at hand, missing short putts when they mattered most.

With only two holes left to play, Matt Harmon unraveled.

It wasn't necessarily his putting that let him down, although he missed several short putts on 17 and 18 - it was his mental game which collapsed and, to wit, Harmon snapped his putter in two further allowing his emotions to get the better of him.

Even more upsetting to this competitor is that, according to Golf Digest, Harmon is number one in driving distance on the Web.com Tour which means he had no troubles in getting to the green in regulation, just holing out.

What was the difference between Harmon's journey to claim his Web.com tour card and Sam Saunders' triumphant 59 with his PGA Tour card at stake? In my opinion, attitude under pressure.

You can either give in to nerves or take a deep breath, assess the situation and not let pressure take control of you. Ok, easier said than done.

Golf for Beginners has compiled a short list of ways to combat nerves on the course.

1. Divide and Conquer: You wouldn't eat an entire cherry pie, would you? Ok, maybe some of you would... Instead of looking at the golf course as a whole, try separating the entire eighteen holes into individual slices, making each into its own journey.

2. Breathe: Sounds simple, doesn't it? Try taking a deep breath right before you take your next shot. Stand up to the golf ball and, just before you are ready to take that swing, slowly inhale and exhale. You will be amazed at how this simple fix gives you better tempo and ease of mind.

3. Opportunity Awaits: You made a bad shot, or the hole is lost. Time for positive self-talk instead of drowning your sorrows. Stay in the moment, tell yourself that the shot is over and you can't get it back and look forward to the next shot or the next adventure. Dr. Bob Winters says to create a "now" mentality. "It is far better to accept what is than to pout and become irate over something that is history and now entirely out of your control."


What do you do to combat nerves on the golf course? Post your golf tips in the comments section of Golf for Beginners and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.