Golf For Beginners

By Dan Yoder (Head Golf Professional)

The Best Way to Learn Golf

If you’re thinking about learning to play golf, now is a great time to start. But it can get overwhelming with so much information out there. This article will give you all the information you need to figure out where to practice golf and how to get better.

Where to Practice Golf

You don’t need to worry about rocking up to a fancy country club. All you need to get started is a few spare dollars, an hour of your time and a nearby golf facility like any of the ones below.

The Driving Range

The driving range is the perfect environment to try your hand at golf. You don’t need to know the rules and you don’t need a full set of clubs. Just a few clubs and a basket of balls and you’re ready to go.

Driving ranges often operate around regular working hours, The driving range at Coyote Run is open from sunup to sundown. Be sure you stop in the shop between 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. to get your range tokens.

Par 3 Courses (Heron Lakes)

Par 3 courses sometimes called “pitch and putt courses” are a great way to make the transition from the driving range to a real golf course.

Par 3 courses usually consist of short holes between 50 and 200 yards. Plenty of these courses also offer club rentals, making them perfect if you’re not ready to commit to buying clubs yet.

These courses will give you a taste of what it’s like playing on a real golf course. It’s a great way to learn the rules of the game and get exposure to golf course etiquette. Leisure World has a league specifically designed for beginners. The Rookie league is at Heron Lakes every Weds at 2:30. You may stop in or call either Golf shop for more information.

Learn From Home Golf net sales exploded in 2021, golf ball tracking technology is getting more affordable, and phones now do a great job of recording golf swings in slow motion. A stand for your phone, golf mat and a net is all you need to have a complete practice station at home.

If you want to get better at golf, you need to make it easier and more convenient to practice regularly. Practicing at home is one of the best ways to do this.

How To Improve At Golf

Once you know where you can go to practice golf, the next step is committing to improving your game. The challenge of getting better at golf is all part of the fun and as you improve, you’ll find yourself enjoying the game more. Below we’ve detailed some of the best ways to improve at golf.

Golf Lessons

People often think “golf lessons are too expensive” or “I’ll get golf lessons when I’m better.” But if you build bad habits early on, it can take years to recover. Many beginners spend (and sometimes waste) a bunch of time trying to figure things out themselves.

This is fine if you want to gradually improve but if you want to get out of the beginner phase as quickly as possible, golf lessons are the way to go. Lessons can help you fast-track the initial learning phase and go from a beginner golfer to an accomplished one in no time.

Group Golf Lessons

Group lessons offer a different route for getting into golf. Rather than learning on your own, you’ll meet up with a group of beginner golfers for regular practice sessions. These are usually cheaper than individual lessons because the coach’s hourly fee is divided between the entire group. Group lessons are a fun way to learn the fundamentals of the game and get the chance to make friends with other beginner golfers.

Online Golf Lessons

Online lessons are the modern way to learn golf. Instead of paying for a full hour of your instructor’s time each time you meet, you can do shorter lessons when you need them. This makes online golf lessons more affordable than inperson lessons.

One benefit of online lessons is that you don’t need to schedule them in advance. When you’re ready, you send your golf swing, and your coach will send you back detailed feedback for you to work on. You can learn at your own pace.

In addition, you will have a history of every golf lesson you’ve taken online so you can refer back to them whenever you are struggling.

Most importantly, with an online golf lesson, you have a coach on demand ready to answer your questions. If you are struggling after a round of golf, you don’t need to wait until your next scheduled lesson to talk to your coach.

Online Videos

Another common way people try to learn golf is by searching for videos online, for example on YouTube. The benefit of YouTube is that there is an endless amount of content to learn from. If you know exactly what you need to fix, YouTube can be a great way to search for that one issue and find videos that address it. But because there is an endless amount of content and most golfers are unable to self-diagnose what they need to work on, YouTube can often send golfers down the wrong path.

There is one tried and true way to improve quickly at golf and that is to get frequent feedback from a coach. This helps you work on the most important thing that you need to get better. This is what works for the pros and the most serious golfers.

Benefits of Golf Lessons for Beginners

• Learn proper technique before bad habits are ingrained in your swing.

• The quickest way to progress as a new player.

• Pros can identify which areas of your game to focus on for the fastest gains.

• You have a dedicated professional that can answer any questions you have.

• Pros can give you advice on equipment to help you save money in the long run.

Where Can Beginners Get Golf Lessons?

Beginner golfers should seek out lessons from a qualified professional. You can utilize your club pro for in-person lessons.

The benefit of online lessons for beginners is that you can get access to some of the top coaches in the world no matter where you are.

If you have questions or concerns, you don’t have to worry about waiting for your next lesson – you get access to a dedicated professional for tips and advice 7 days a week.

Practice Drills

Drills involve repeating the same task over and over to build familiarity and confidence in your game.

A famous drill would be Phil Mickelson’s putting drill, where he aims to hole 100 putts in a row moving around a 3-foot circle of the hole. If he misses a putt, he has to start all over again.

This might sound tedious but becoming robotic from this sort of range improves your game massively. When Phil is chipping or lag putting, he can aim for a 3-foot radius of the hole because he knows that once the ball gets there, he’s making the next putt.

Starting out your drills won’t be as extreme as this. However, this is a good example of how repetition and commitment to improvement directly translate to confidence and improving your golf.

If you’re not sure which type of drills can benefit your game it’s worth asking your golf coach, they will have hundreds of tried and tested drills to help you improve.

Training Aids

Training aids are a great tool for learning movement patterns and making them part of your golf swing. They offer direct feedback making them perfect for practicing when you’re alone.

A great example of a training aid for beginners are golf grips clubs, which teach you how to hold a club correctly. These are often just like a regular club but have slots that make sure your fingers are in the right position around the grip and they are also shorter so you can swing them indoors.

It’s worth taking a cautious approach as a beginner when you’re buying training aids. There are plenty of great ones out there, but many are a waste of money. Again, if you’re unsure about which training aids to use, ask your coach for a recommendation. If you don’t have a coach at least read the product reviews before committing to a purchase.

By: Lisa Cornelius (Assistant Golf Professional)

As the New Year approaches, we may find ourselves reassessing the current year and possibly thinking about our goals in the New Year. Goals can be overwhelming, to say the least, especially when trying to do them all at once or as a whole.

If making improvements in your golf game is on your “goals list” in the new year, try breaking down your goals into smaller ones. Pick an area of difficulty in your game and start small. For example, if your short game is struggling, narrow it down to chipping, putting, sand, etc … If putting consistency is lacking, start small and try to eliminate maybe a 3 putt per nine holes. Gradually work your way up to double that over the course of 9 or 18 holes. By breaking down your goals, you are saving yourself a lot of frustration and focusing on one area of difficulty. If you were to eliminate just one or two strokes from your score, that is huge, it really is! We tend to look too far ahead and try to fix everything all at once which leads to a lot of frustration and often, giving up. I know we have all said this a time or two, “If only I didn’t 3 putt those two holes, if only I didn’t scull that chip or take 3 shots to get out of the bunker”! How much better would our score be if “we only didn’t do …”

So, start small, work through your goals one by one, and be patient. Your scores will be much better because of it!

My weekly Ladies’ Clinic on Fridays might be a good starting point for you to gain knowledge and more importantly just know where to start in setting your goals. I cover a lot of these same things and provide easy and simple solutions!

We also have a Rookie League at Heron Lakes that meets every Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. It is another good starting point to help develop and learn how to play golf!

Coyote Run Ladies Golf League

Submitted by Lori Elliott

November was a busy month for the Coyote Run Ladies Golf League. The Member/Member tournament was held on November 29 and December 2, 2022.

Results of the tournament:

• Overall winners were Judy Dunitz and Lynda Longpre

Flight 1:

• First Place: Sara Levenstein and Diane Coole

• Second Place: Kay Taylor and Lynn Kemp

Flight 2:

• First Place: Beverly Shoaf and Jackie Dewar

• Second Place: Sue Palmer and Laurie Brinkman

Flight 3:

• First Place: Debbie Ledesma and Jane Vogel

• Second Place: Gaylene Lindbloom and Anna Schuler

The next tournament will be the Even Holes/Medallion/CAGD on December 20th followed by the Growing Girls tournament on January 10th and the President’s Cup tournament on January 17 and January 24, 2023.

Coyote Run Men’s Golf Club

Submitted by Phil Johnson

Happy New Year 2023!

Thanks to Jim Brinkman for all his efforts as 2022 President and his years of service to our club!

Congratulations to all the winners and participants in our match play President’s Cup tournament. We also want to thank the Coyote Run Women for organizing a great Christmas Party! It was a huge success!

December was our Home & Home with Cottonwood and an ABCD.

We start the new year with the MemberMember Monday, January 9. We end January with the Home & Home with Apache Wells.

Check out all the details (winners and losers, future events, details on the Men’s League) on our website!

Event signups in the Golfers Lounge.

Coyote Run has about 250 players every M-W-F between December and March. About 48,000 rounds each year. Players are required by the Rules of Golf 1.2 to repair their damage: Thanks to the Green Stewards for their volunteer hours to repair ball marks on our greens.

USGA video on proper ball mark repair yours + 2 on every green: https:// youtu.be/myOTf1wuZoA USGA video on proper sand rake: https://youtu.be/ sBQwc8RjzFA

Heron Lakes Donut League Golf

Submitted by Gwen Johnson

We have been having a really good turnout for donut league golf. Welcome to all our winter guests.

November 16 results:

Front Nine:

• 1st place: at 86 - Zane and Bonnie Anderson, Kent and Cheryl Wenck.

• 2nd place: at 92 - Carla Wizniak, Mario LaChance, Doug and Ruth Atnip.

• 3rd place: at 95 - Wayne and Penny Dixon, Gary Thomas and Arlene Rexine.

Back Nine:

• 1st place: at 86 - Roger and Bev Dillon, Harold Jensen and Punk Salberg.

• 2nd place: at 90 - Dav and Peg Babb, Cal and Lisa Steward.

• 3rd place: at 93 - Mike and Kay Anderson, Bob and Maria Young.

November 23 results:

Front Nine:

• 1st place: at 21.75 - Jack and Lois Stockton, Wayne an Penny Dixon.

• 2nd place: at 22.50 - Zane and Bonnie Anderson, Bob and Kay Richey.

• 3rd place: at 22.67 - Sue Ford, Dennis McKay, Arlene Rexine.

Back Nine:

• 1st place: at 17.25 - Jim and Terri Goade, George and Sheri Chrouser.

• 2nd place: at 17.25 - Dave and Peg Babb, Lynn Peters, Mary Bell.

• 3rd place: at 17.75 - Kent and Cheryl Wenck, Harold Jensen and Punk Salberg.

November 30 results:

Front Nine:

• 1st place: at 53 - Mario LaChance, Carla Wizniak, Wayne and Penny Dixon.

• 2nd place: at 60 - Bob and Kay Richey, Lois Stockton BD, Duane Dehne BD.

• 3rd place: at 61 - Cal and Lisa Steward, Bob and Maria Young.

December 7 results:

Front Nine:

• 1st place: at 64 - Bob and Maria Young, Dennis McKay, Arlene Rexine.

• 2nd place: at 64 - Dave and Peg Babb, Ruth Pechmann. Donna Bailey.

• 3rd place: at 66 - Dan Dehne, Judy Dubois, Jack and Lois Stockton.

Back Nine:

• 1st place: at 60 - Doug and Ruth Atnip, Vince and Betty Horner.

• 2nd place: at 61 - Wayne and Connie Richert, Barr Connelly BD , Sue Ford.

• 3rd place: at 61 - Barr and Pat Connelly, Wayne and Penny Dixon.

On December 7, we had our Christmas Party with Ed catering a delicious meal after golf.

Heron Lakes Ladies 9 Hole League

Submitted by: Mary Paulson

On November 1, our league resumed golfing on Tuesdays. League play will continue every week through April 2023. Following golf, we had our annual Welcome Back Lunch, followed by our General Meeting for members.

Golf Results

November 1, 2022 (Scramble)

• 1st place at 15.50 - Carol Silver, Marcia Steele, Mary Haas, Carole Foley

• 2nd place at 17.75 - Betty Horner, Peggy Babb, Donna Bailey, Jill Freedman

• 3rd place at 18.00 - Jan Wahl, Jane Cox, Sharon Cziok, Lorna Cunningham

• 4th place at 18.75 - Janice Funke,

Bev Dillon, Judy Warinner, Sue Paitel

November 8, 2022 (1 Net Even, 2 Net Odd)

• 1st place at 43 - Jan Wahl, Debi Budvarson, Karen Jacoby, Susan Paitel

• 2nd place at 44 - Julie Bowles, Debbie Beardsworth, Patty Kohoutek, Pat Cummings Ivy

• 3rd place at 46 - Carol Silver, Lois Stockton, Xenia Johnston, Pam Gass

• 4th place a 49 – Betty Horner, Marcia Steele, Peggy Babb, Jill Freedman

November 15, 2022 (1 Net Per Cart)

• 1st place at 51 – Bev Budvarson, Debbie Beardsworth, Patty Kohoutek, Pam Gass (blind draw)

• 2nd place at 53 (scorecard playoff) - Judy Dubois, Ginger Kuemmerle, Kay Richery, Denise Hala

• 3rd place at 53 - Betty Horner, Gwen Johnson, Susan Eisgrau, Jill Freedman

• 4th place at 54 (scorecard playoff –Carla Wizniak, Punk Salberg, Kris French, Pam Gass

• 5th place at 54 – Carol Silver, Pam Moore, Terri Goade, Mary Paulson

November 22, 2022 (1 Low Net)

• 1st place at 22 (scorecard playoff)Bev Budvarson, Jan Wahl, Mary Bell, Xenia Johnston

• 2nd place at 22 - Carol Silver, Debi Budvarson, Karen Jacoby, Jill Freedman

• 3rd place at 23 - Janice Rydalch, Debbie Beardsworth, Kay Anderson, Pat Connelly

• 4th place at 24 – Betty Horner, Janet Robinson, Lynn Peters, Pam Gas

November 22, 2022 (Roll the Dice)

• 1st place at 28 - Cheryle Wenck, Lois Stockton, Trudy Artz, Patty Kohoutek

• 2nd place at 29 (scorecard playoff)Carol Silver, Janet McMaster, Lynn Peters, Denise Haala

• 3rd place at 29 (scorecard playoff) - Gayle Johnston, Bev Dillon, Kay Richey, Susan Paitel

• 4th place at 29 (scorecard playoff) –Janice Funke, Marcia Steele, Punk Salberg, Terri Goade

Heron Lakes Men’s Club9 Hole League

Submitted by: Don Paulson

The Heron Lakes Men’s 9 Hole League (Thursday):

November 3, 2022 (Scramble Front 9)

• 1st Place at 28 – Ted Jackson, Bob Richey, John Erickson

• 2nd Place at 30 – Dan Dehne, Terry Morgan, Herb Fish, Dean Gray

• 3rd Place at 31(Playoff)- Greg Holl, Dennis McKay, Mario Lachance

November 10, 2022 (2 Net Front 9)

• 1st Place at 58 (Playoff) – Dan Dehne, George Chrouser, Ken Meidl, Harold Jensen

• 2nd Place at 58 – Rich Blum, Terry Morgan, Roger Dillon, Dean Gray

• 3rd Place at 61- Barry Budvarson, Gino Vitetta, Bill Klepacki, Earl Hanson

November 17, 2022 (2 Net Front 9)

• 1st Place at 58 – Dave Babb, Duane Dehne, Mario Lachance, Don Paulson

• 2nd Place at 59 – Barry Budverson, Terry Morgan, Lee Nixon, Dean Gray

• 3rd Place at 61- Dan Dehne, Dennis McKay, Herb Fish, Rich Gamble

November 24, 2022 – No Play (Thanksgiving)

Heron

Lakes Men’s Club18 Hole League

Submitted by: Don Paulson

We welcome back all league members who left for the summer months. It’s great to see everyone back.

The Heron Lakes Men’s 18 Hole League (Monday):

Play Results:

November 7, 2022 (Scramble)

• 1st Place at 58 – Bob VanScoy, Douglas Atnip, Roger Dillon, Bob Richey

• 2nd Place at 59 (Playoff) – Dan Dehne, Ken Steele, Mario La Chance, Don Paulson

• 3rd Place at 59 (Playoff) – Ted Jackson, Bill Kemp, Randy Manikel, Lee Nixon

• 4th Place at 59 (Playoff) – Shane Budvarson, Don Steffan, Virgil Knapke, Earl Hanson

November 14, 2022 (2 Net)

• 1st Place at 103 – Dale Smith, Dan Dehne, Brian Gottselig, Dean Gray

• 2nd Place at 107– Bob Vanscoy,

Dennis McKay, Larry Bowers, Cliff Draper

• 3rd Place at 109 (Playoff) – Ken Dryden, Ken Steele, Frank Strainis, Ken Meidl

• 4th Place at 109 (Playoff) – Shane Budvarson, Don Steffan, Randy Manikel, Ron Maclean

• 5th Place at 110 (Playoff) – Ted Jackson, Jeff Sanders, Virgil Knapke, Lee Nixon

November 21, 2022 (1 Net/1 Gross)

• 1st Place at 120 – Shane Budvarson, Terry Morgan, Bob Richey, Bruce Rodabaugh

• 2nd Place at 121– Jack Stockton, Jeff Sanders, Bill Klepacki, Bruce Rodabaugh

• 3rd Place at 123– Ken Dryden, Dave Babb, Herb Fish, Dean Gray

• 4th Place at 124 – Bob Vanscoy, Don Steffan, Frank Strainis, Joe Miola

• 5th Place at 125 – Barry Budvarson, Bill Kemp, Randy Manikel, Tomy Mitchell

• 6th Place (tie) at 126 – Greg Holl, Den Steele, Larry Bowers, Don Paulson

• 6th Place (tie) at 126 – Andrew Kolankowski, Dennis McKay, Wayne Dixon, Ken Meidl

November 28, 2022 (6-6-6)

• 1st Place at 108 – Bob VanScoy, Virgil Knapke, Jim Gardin, Ken Meidl

• 2nd Place at 110– Greg Holl, Jeff Sanders, Herb Fish, John Erickson

• 3rd Place at 113– Shane Budvarson, Don Steffan, Brian Gottselig, Bruce Rodabaugh

• 4th Place at 115 – Dale Smith, Roger Dillon, Jem Nell, Dean Gray

• 5th Place at 116 – Dan Dehne, John Mullen, Cliff Draper, Don Paulson

Heron Lakes Women’s 18-Hole Golf Club

Submitted by Nita Calow

Finally got the year going. We welcome returning members and all new members. May your drives be long and straight.

November 10, Step Aside Scramble

• 1st Place: Diane Gaudet, Darlene Baran, Ruth Ann Atnip, Linda Anhorn

• 2nd Place: Cathy Dalhed, Penny Dixon, Sandy Stearns, Maria Young

• 3rd Place: Anita Neustadt, Juanita McGrath, Bev Dillon, Penny Parsons

November 17, 2 Net

• 1st Place: Judy Dunitz, Carla Wisniak, Trish Bowers, Jane Vogel

• 2nd Place: Anita Neustadt, Sandy Stearns, Dianne Decker, Trish Bowers (BD)

• 3rd Place: Joanne Weiss, Dorothy Kemp, Ruth Anne Atnip, Vonna Thomas (BD)

• 4th Place: Mary Hayes, Rita Folk, Kathie Renpenning, Lynn Peters (BD)

December, 1, Net Divided by 4

• 1st Place: Judy Dunitz, Debra DeVault, Kathie Renpenning, Cleo Peterson

• 2nd Place: Diane Gaudet, Darlene Baren, Debbie Beardsworth, Ruth Anne Atnip

• 3rd Place: Penny Dixon, Maria Young, Teddi Olson, Darlene Baran (BD)

• 4th Place: Jackie Spencer, Rita Folk, Peggy Hurd, Mary Hayes (BD)

December 8, Total Team Putts

• 1st Place: Judy Dunitz, Sandy Stearns, Bev Dillon, Anita Neustadt

• 2nd Place: Janice Rydatch, Margie Caves, Susan Sorenson, Teddi Olson

• 3rd Place (Tie) Darlene Baran, Carla Wizniak, Maria Young, Cleo Peterson, Joanne Weiss, Debbie Beardsworth, Nita Calow, Ruth Anne Atnip

Congratulations to all the winners. Hope you had a very happy holiday.