Golf Tips and Coaching Guides

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How to keep score when you are new—and when not to

A beginner’s first useful score is a trustworthy hole score—not necessarily an 18-hole total. Here is what to count, what to write, and when to put the pencil away.

Featured Coaches

Larry Zhou’s numbers game: less guesswork, more golf

At Alameda Precision Golf, Larry Zhou brings an athlete’s enthusiasm and a data professional’s curiosity to the swing. The goal: give golfers something they can see, understand, and take back to the range.

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Where should a new golfer practice? Range, simulator, short course, or practice green

A practical comparison of four places to practice, built around the feedback you need, the friction you can tolerate, and what you want to learn next.

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Coming back to golf after time away: how to ease back into the game

Your old clubs, old handicap, and old routine need different kinds of attention. Make a first outing fit your life now without trying to restore your entire game at once.

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A post-round debrief that does not become a list of swing fixes

A three-line note can save the useful parts of a round without turning every miss into a new diagnosis, drill, or swing thought.

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When score starts stealing the fun: other ways to make a round matter

A scorecard can measure a round without owning it. Choose what the day is for, keep handicap rounds honest, and give casual golf another way to matter.

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Why a good range session can disappear on the course

A pure 7-iron at the range and a poor one from the fairway are not the same test. Learn how repetition, decisions, lies, and one-ball golf create the transfer gap.

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Golf dress codes without the panic: what to wear your first time

A calm way to choose first-round clothes: confirm the venue’s policy, dress for movement and weather, and leave the golf-costume anxiety at home.

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How many golf lessons should a beginner take?

There is no magic package size. Start with one useful lesson or a clearly structured beginner series, then let practice, questions, budget, and coach fit decide what comes next.

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How much do golf lessons cost? A guide to price and value

Plan on roughly $60 to $150 for many private hours, then compare the coach, setting, lesson length, technology, included fees, and commitment.

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What golfers actually mean when they say “keep pace”

Pace of play is less about rushing a swing than keeping your group moving, staying ready, and knowing when a local policy sets the clock.

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More from The Practice

How to keep score when you are new—and when not to

Larry Zhou’s numbers game: less guesswork, more golf

Where should a new golfer practice? Range, simulator, short course, or practice green

Coming back to golf after time away: how to ease back into the game

A post-round debrief that does not become a list of swing fixes

When score starts stealing the fun: other ways to make a round matter

Why a good range session can disappear on the course

Golf dress codes without the panic: what to wear your first time

How many golf lessons should a beginner take?

How much do golf lessons cost? A guide to price and value

What golfers actually mean when they say “keep pace”