Five Tips To Get You Ready For Your First Round of Golf

Diehard golfers will play whatever the weather, come rain, wind or shine all year round. These dedicated souls are the ones you see out on the course in the middle of December, still cheerful and enjoying the game.

Yet there is also a significant number of golfers who put their clubs away for the winter, especially for those of us in New England. The cold and snowy winters can prevent us from enjoying the game, so we pack away our clubs, balls, hats and tees into storage until the spring arrives.

Well, the spring weather is finally here, which means it’s time to drag our clubs back out and head out onto the course. However, dragging the clubs out of your garage and driving to the first tee of your local course isn’t a great idea if you have four months of rust to blow off.

So, to get yourself ready for this golf season, here are some tips to help you get back into the game as quickly as possible.

1. Check Your Gear. If it’s been a few months since you last used your clubs, now is the perfect time to give them a once over. Check your grips and your shafts. Give your clubs a good cleaning, especially if they have been sitting in the back of your garage for a while. A little time invested now ensuring all your gear is in tip top shape will mean you won’t be on the course when you figure out your pitching wedge grooves are worn down or you don’t have any tees or ball markers on you.
2. Change Your Grips. The least you should do before each season is clean your grips. Grab a wet, soapy towel and rub them down. Better yet, replace them. It won’t cost you more than $70, and you’ll feel like you’re playing with an entirely new set.
3. Grab A New Pair of Shoes. The longest waterproof guarantee on new shoes is generally two years or less. So if you didn’t buy new shoes last season, you should probably invest in a pair now. If you don’t feel like spending the money, at least try to purchase some new spikes to replace on the shoes you already own.
4. Get a Fitting. Have your lie and loft angles checked, especially if you’ve been pounding balls off indoor driving range mats all winter long. If you haven’t played since last summer, it’s even more of a reason to get fitted because you’re swing might feel a little quirky after 6 months of no practice.
5. Restock Your Bag. The first thing that I do as I prepare my golf bag for the season is restocking my bag with little things like lip balm, sunblock, Band Aids, athletic tape, aspirin and safety pins. You never know what you’re going to need in the middle of a round. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Following these simple yet essential tips might just help your golf game this 2017 season. Happy golfing!