Trying Golf for the First Time

I’ve been to a driving range twice before, so naturally, I thought I was somewhat ready to play golf for real. Spoiler: I was not.

My work friends and I decided to play at Kinloch Village Golf Club, which turned out to be the perfect spot for beginners like me—no membership, no pressure, and plenty of space for all the “practice” swings (a.k.a. misses). The Green Fee was only $25, and you can choose between 10 or 18 holes. We went for 10, and it still took us about four hours to finish! Not because we were slow (ok, maybe a wee bit!), but mostly because we spent half the time laughing, chatting, and trying to remember whose turn it was.

My friends were great teachers—they explained the difference between clubs, showed me how to use a driver, and taught me which number to grab depending on how far you need to hit. I nodded confidently while secretly thinking, I’ll just grab whatever looks lucky.

There were a few accidental “fore!” moments, and some shots that went… well, everywhere except where I wanted them to. But honestly, that was half the fun. I now understand why golfers wear caps—it’s to hide the shame of completely missing the ball.

After we finally wrapped up our “10-hole marathon,” we headed to the Kinloch General Store for some much-needed recovery food—burgers and fish and chips. We took our takeaway to the lake and ate in front of the water, basking in the satisfaction of surviving our first real golf game.

All in all, 10/10 day. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Maybe next time I’ll even hit the ball on purpose!