I want to start golfing (1 Viewer)

[Peyton Marino]

Thread title pretty much self explanatory. Lot's of people at my job golf and I want to get into it. I'm going to the driving range with a buddy tonight and borrowing my roommate's clubs. If things go OK tonight, might try to get out and play a full round this weekend. Weather isn't looking great though so who knows.

What I'm looking for is advice. What clubs do I buy, how much is reasonable to drop on them for a beginner who wants solid clubs. How do I go about working on my shot (someone here at work recommended getting prof. lessons at first because it's hard to change once you develop bad habits). Are there golfer specific shoes? How much should I expect to drop on rounds of golf? Should I look into joining a club eventually? Any other advice a beginner should take into account?

TIA

 

[Quez]

I would try and hit the driving range a few more times before going to the course. Once you can consistently hit the ball in the air you are ready for the course.

Start out with the irons and don't even bother with the driver until you can consistently hit the ball with the irons.

Don't try and kill it. Just try and make smooth contact. Keep head down

 

[Apple Jack]

Get lessons. Then let the pro tell you when you're ready for the course.

 

[Ned]

I certainly wouldn't be going to play a full round after 1 session at the driving range.

Spend some time at the range, get properly fit for clubs, and take lessons sooner rather than later. Unless you're a complete natural, I'd cut my teeth on some smaller par 3 courses to get used to playing the game. Jumping right into a full course is just going to frustrate the living hell out of you.

Get comfortable swinging 7i-PW first since they'll be easier to control. Resist the urge to pick up a driver and try to bomb away.

The majority of your distance is going to come from hand speed. There's no need to get all wound up and try to crush it with the rest of your body. I'll take a short hit over a long miss any day.

 

[Annyong]

I agree, get a lesson or 2. At least get a firm understanding of the basics

 

[Peyton Marino]

looking into some lessons in the area. $325 for 6 1 hour lessons. not bad, i'll probably book that.

 

[jamny]

I've only played 3 times but that was after a half dozen times at the driving range. Definitely go a few times before hitting the course.

 

[Peyton Marino]

I certainly wouldn't be going to play a full round after 1 session at the driving range.

Spend some time at the range, get properly fit for clubs, and take lessons sooner rather than later. Unless you're a complete natural, I'd cut my teeth on some smaller par 3 courses to get used to playing the game. Jumping right into a full course is just going to frustrate the living hell out of you.

Get comfortable swinging 7i-PW first since they'll be easier to control. Resist the urge to pick up a driver and try to bomb away.

The majority of your distance is going to come from hand speed. There's no need to get all wound up and try to crush it with the rest of your body. I'll take a short hit over a long miss any day.

what is a 7i-PW?

 

[Ray Karpis]

Agree with Quez - don't go play a full round with only one trip to the range under your belt. Learn to make solid contact and hit the ball in the general vicinity of where you're lined up before you go play 18.

I would personally buy a used set of clubs off ebay if you're just starting out. There are good sets of irons from 5-10 years ago that are on ebay for under $100. Perfect place to start before dropping $600 on a brand new set.

I would take a few lessons if just starting out. Your progress will move a lot quicker.

Learn to swing the club, not hit at the ball.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I certainly wouldn't be going to play a full round after 1 session at the driving range.

Spend some time at the range, get properly fit for clubs, and take lessons sooner rather than later. Unless you're a complete natural, I'd cut my teeth on some smaller par 3 courses to get used to playing the game. Jumping right into a full course is just going to frustrate the living hell out of you.

Get comfortable swinging 7i-PW first since they'll be easier to control. Resist the urge to pick up a driver and try to bomb away.

The majority of your distance is going to come from hand speed. There's no need to get all wound up and try to crush it with the rest of your body. I'll take a short hit over a long miss any day.

what is a 7i-PW?

7-iron

8-iron

9-iron

Pitching Wedge

 

[Ned]

I certainly wouldn't be going to play a full round after 1 session at the driving range.

Spend some time at the range, get properly fit for clubs, and take lessons sooner rather than later. Unless you're a complete natural, I'd cut my teeth on some smaller par 3 courses to get used to playing the game. Jumping right into a full course is just going to frustrate the living hell out of you.

Get comfortable swinging 7i-PW first since they'll be easier to control. Resist the urge to pick up a driver and try to bomb away.

The majority of your distance is going to come from hand speed. There's no need to get all wound up and try to crush it with the rest of your body. I'll take a short hit over a long miss any day.

what is a 7i-PW?

Woops, sorry. 7 iron thru pitching wedge. So 7i, 8i, 9i, and PW. The club shaft gets shorter as the iron number goes up, which makes them easier to swing/control. The angle of the club face also increase - combine the two and you get shorter distance shots for each iron. So a PW might go 100yds, whereas your 7i would go 150yds.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Listen to these guys.

I certainly wouldn't be going to play a full round after 1 session at the driving range.

Spend some time at the range, get properly fit for clubs, and take lessons sooner rather than later. Unless you're a complete natural, I'd cut my teeth on some smaller par 3 courses to get used to playing the game. Jumping right into a full course is just going to frustrate the living hell out of you.

Get comfortable swinging 7i-PW first since they'll be easier to control. Resist the urge to pick up a driver and try to bomb away.

The majority of your distance is going to come from hand speed. There's no need to get all wound up and try to crush it with the rest of your body. I'll take a short hit over a long miss any day.

I would try and hit the driving range a few more times before going to the course. Once you can consistently hit the ball in the air you are ready for the course.

Start out with the irons and don't even bother with the driver until you can consistently hit the ball with the irons.

Don't try and kill it. Just try and make smooth contact. Keep head down

 

[Ned]

Learn to swing the club, not hit at the ball.

Excellent way to put it.

It's incredible what goes into hitting a little ball that's sitting right at your feet.

 

[Zow]

I was in your position about 2.5 years ago where I had played golf before but had no idea what I was doing and decided to get into it. I'd recommend the following.

1. Don't buy nice clubs right away. As odd as it sounds, the nicest clubs don't make it any easier to hit the ball (in fact, the nicest do the opposite b/c they're designed for control and feel and therefore have a much smaller sweet spot). For irons, you want something with a large cavity back and face. When I started I found a set of snake eyes irons at golf smith, that has hybrids as well (hybrids are hard to control but very easy to hit) for 100 bucks. Was the perfect starter set for me. You should be only to find something totally workable for a beginner for less than 400. It may be worth it to get a nice driver and woods, but if you're at all athletic it makes no sense to buy new wins b/c your swing speed will increase and you may need to upgrade the shaft pretty quickly. Just buy used.

2. Get lessons, especially if you played a lot of baseball. I didn't and regret it. I did, however, have the benefit of a brother in law who is a low single digit who helped me a ton. I didn't come close to shooting good scores until I fixed my swing.

3. Don't worry about good courses now or joining anywhere. You should be on the range mostly anywhere and, right now, unless you appreciate the aesthetics and art of grass growing, playing nice courses and paying 100 plus dollars to shoot 100+ isn't going to feel worth it. Play different courses but no need t break the bank yet. That time will come.

 

[Insein]

Meh. Get out there and play. No better way than to learn by doing. Driver is actually the easiest club to get air with. Irons are the hardest part of the game. Knowing which to use for what distance takes time and the more you're out there the better feel you'll get on what club you can hit. Putting, well its pretty much the same as mini golf only the obstacles are hills and gravity instead of a windmill.

 

[Peyton Marino]

so i'll forget about playing an actual round this weekend. another question, the gym i go to has a net to practice shots, kind of like a batting cage type thing. coworkers told me that's helpful if you've got some experience, but as a beginner you want to be able to see the actual trajectory of the shot. agree? would it be useful to hit this to practice after a workout or should I stick to the full range for now?

 

[Zow]

looking into some lessons in the area. $325 for 6 1 hour lessons. not bad, i'll probably book that.

Sounds like a reasonable price to me. 6 lessons will allow the coach to work on different things too.

 

[Zow]

so i'll forget about playing an actual round this weekend. another question, the gym i go to has a net to practice shots, kind of like a batting cage type thing. coworkers told me that's helpful

if you've got some experience, but as a beginner you want to be able to see the actual trajectory of the shot. agree? would it be useful to hit this to practice after a workout or should I stick to

the full range for now?

If you're just beginning just hitting the ball a ton is going to be worth it to develop those muscles. And, as mentioned above, you're just worrying about making solid contact and hitting the ball in the air at this point. If you have access to a free net id whack away.

 

[Quint]

good info here already.

hold off on hitting the course until you've logged some more time/swings on the range.

if you have a "Play It Again Sports" in your area, look there for a set of used clubs. i wouldn't spend more than $100 to $150.

don't worry about buying "golf shoes" - tennis shoes/sneakers are fine.

7i - W means 7 Iron through Pitching Wedge - these are the clubs beginners will find easier to hit in the air (due to the higher lofts). actually, most beginners will usually hit these clubs (i.e. short irons) consistently better than long irons when starting out. don't worry about hitting the driver or other woods yet.

if you're hell-bent on getting out on the course, play the local Par 3 track (all short holes) or the local municipal track. look to get out on weekdays later in the afternoon (less traffic, probably lower prices).

lessons + dedicated time on the range = better results

don't forget to work on your putting: you'll be hitting more shots with that club than any other in a given round.

finally, remember that it's just a game. a four to five hour walk outside. just hit the little ball and chase it.

good luck.

 

[Peyton Marino]

I was in your position about 2.5 years ago where I had played golf before but had no idea what I was doing and decided to get into it. I'd recommend the following.

1. Don't buy nice clubs right away. As odd as it sounds, the nicest clubs don't make it any easier to hit the ball (in fact, the nicest do the opposite b/c they're designed for control and feel and therefore have a much smaller sweet spot). For irons, you want something with a large cavity back and face. When I started I found a set of snake eyes irons at golf smith, that has hybrids as well (hybrids are hard to control but very easy to hit) for 100 bucks. Was the perfect starter set for me. You should be only to find something totally workable for a beginner for less than 400. It may be worth it to get a nice driver and woods, but if you're at all athletic it makes no sense to buy new wins b/c your swing speed will increase and you may need to upgrade the shaft pretty quickly. Just buy used.

2. Get lessons, especially if you played a lot of baseball. I didn't and regret it. I did, however, have the benefit of a brother in law who is a low single digit who helped me a ton. I didn't come close to shooting good scores until I fixed my swing.

3. Don't worry about good courses now or joining anywhere. You should be on the range mostly anywhere and, right now, unless you appreciate the aesthetics and art of grass growing, playing nice courses and paying 100 plus dollars to shoot 100+ isn't going to feel worth it. Play different courses but no need t break the bank yet. That time will come.

I played a lot of baseball. Considered myself a pretty good natural hitter, rarely struck out, though not really a power hitter. Always thought I had great hand eye coordination, which makes me think I can pick this up fairly quickly. Is the baseball stuff going to be a hindrance?

 

[Quez]

Driving ranges also have clubs to use. You don't even need to worry about getting or borrowing clubs.

If you have a big yard you can get some of those practice plastic balls to hit around.

 

[WampusCat43]

Definitely get lessons at first if possible. I didn't do this and have been working to correct bad habits ever since. Ask around about good teachers - the quality varies greatly.

Start out playing 9 holes. 18, even with a cart, is tiring as hell in mid-summer, particularly since you'll be using muscles you don't normally exercise.

 

[Guest]

looking into some lessons in the area. $325 for 6 1 hour lessons. not bad, i'll probably book that.

That would be a great start along with range time.

I've never taken a lesson, but wish I would have when I was younger.

 

[saintfool]

FFA thread on this.

 

[Quez]

Just go watch a few YouTube videos on how to hit, then go to the range. You will likely get the hang of it yourself.

 

[MattFancy]

I was in your position about 2.5 years ago where I had played golf before but had no idea what I was doing and decided to get into it. I'd recommend the following.

1. Don't buy nice clubs right away. As odd as it sounds, the nicest clubs don't make it any easier to hit the ball (in fact, the nicest do the opposite b/c they're designed for control and feel and therefore have a much smaller sweet spot). For irons, you want something with a large cavity back and face. When I started I found a set of snake eyes irons at golf smith, that has hybrids as well (hybrids are hard to control but very easy to hit) for 100 bucks. Was the perfect starter set for me. You should be only to find something totally workable for a beginner for less than 400. It may be worth it to get a nice driver and woods, but if you're at all athletic it makes no sense to buy new wins b/c your swing speed will increase and you may need to upgrade the shaft pretty quickly. Just buy used.

2. Get lessons, especially if you played a lot of baseball. I didn't and regret it. I did, however, have the benefit of a brother in law who is a low single digit who helped me a ton. I didn't come close to shooting good scores until I fixed my swing.

3. Don't worry about good courses now or joining anywhere. You should be on the range mostly anywhere and, right now, unless you appreciate the aesthetics and art of grass growing, playing nice courses and paying 100 plus dollars to shoot 100+ isn't going to feel worth it. Play different courses but no need t break the bank yet. That time will come.

I played a lot of baseball. Considered myself a pretty good natural hitter, rarely struck out, though not really a power hitter. Always thought I had great hand eye coordination, which makes me think I can pick this up fairly quickly. Is the baseball stuff going to be a hindrance?

I know as a golf novice myself, I swing my clubs like a baseball bat. I've so used to that swinging motion that I can't hit a golf ball for crap. Think having some experienced in golf watching your swing and helping you will go a long way. I'm still terrible, but a tad better than when I first started.

 

[dino259]

Maybe just play 9 holes instead of a full 18. Give exposure in small bursts without getting tired and frustrated 4 hours later.

 

[Annyong]

Don't forget to drink copious amounts of alcohol during each round.

 

[Johnny Bing]

Definitely get lessons at first if possible. I didn't do this and have been working to correct bad habits ever since. Ask around about good teachers - the quality varies greatly.

Start out playing 9 holes. 18, even with a cart, is tiring as hell in mid-summer, particularly since you'll be using muscles you don't normally exercise.

Agree. I can't stress it enough is get lessons before your bad habits get ingrained in your game. I have been trying to correct habits for the past 5 years because I just kept playing and playing knowing my game wasn't right.

Spend a lot of time on the range. Hard to correct a driver when you only hit it once on a hole and then don't use it again for 15 - 20 minutes. And even longer if there is a par 3 in there.

Spend time on irons and chipping. There is so much more to golf than "gripping and ripping" a driver. I don't have a long driver, but my chipping is solid and the guys that drive it 30 yards further than me on the tee box usually end up with the same score because they don't spend any time around the greens.

Most importantly, have patience.

 

[Peyton Marino]

Don't forget to drink copious amounts of alcohol during each round.

On that note, is sneaking beers into the course in your bag bush league or pretty much standard op procedure? My buddy said that's the way to do it.

 

[John Bender]

At least for me, lessons only worked when I found an actual former PGA Tour Player as opposed to a "Club Professional" or a "PGA Professional"

A lot of the club guys are great at playing, but terrible teachers and it's tough to pick up what they are putting down.

I started lessons with an actual PGA Tour Player (former) within the past few months and 1 lesson with him was worth 50 lessons with a club pro because he not only knew how to swing a golf club, but he knew how to simplify it enough to explain it to others.

Good luck.

Agreed on who said by clubs with wide faces and large cavities in them. They give you a nice controlled feel that you won't get from a set of blades.

 

[John Bender]

Don't forget to drink copious amounts of alcohol during each round.

On that note, is sneaking beers into the course in your bag bush league or pretty much standard op procedure? My buddy said that's the way to do it.

S.O.P.

That and a flask.

 

[BassNBrew]

Grip it and rip it!

That's all you need to know.

 

[Apple Jack]

At least for me, lessons only worked when I found an actual former PGA Tour Player as opposed to a "Club Professional" or a "PGA Professional"

A lot of the club guys are great at playing, but terrible teachers and it's tough to pick up what they are putting down.

I started lessons with an actual PGA Tour Player (former) within the past few months and 1 lesson with him was worth 50 lessons with a club pro because he not only knew how to swing a golf club, but he knew how to simplify it enough to explain it to others.

Good luck.

Agreed on who said by clubs with wide faces and large cavities in them. They give you a nice controlled feel that you won't get from a set of blades.

This is absurd. Though it's always a good idea to do some research locally to see who are the more reputable teachers.

 

[John Bender]

At least for me, lessons only worked when I found an actual former PGA Tour Player as opposed to a "Club Professional" or a "PGA Professional"

A lot of the club guys are great at playing, but terrible teachers and it's tough to pick up what they are putting down.

I started lessons with an actual PGA Tour Player (former) within the past few months and 1 lesson with him was worth 50 lessons with a club pro because he not only knew how to swing a golf club, but he knew how to simplify it enough to explain it to others.

Good luck.

Agreed on who said by clubs with wide faces and large cavities in them. They give you a nice controlled feel that you won't get from a set of blades.

This is absurd.

This was my experience.

So it wasn't absurd for me.

 

[Guest]

Don't forget to drink copious amounts of alcohol during each round.

On that note, is sneaking beers into the course in your bag bush league or pretty much standard op procedure? My buddy said that's the way to do it.

SOP, but I would at least buy a few from the club and replace out of your bag. Plus, you then have a cooler with ice.

 

[jamny]

Meh. Get out there and play. No better way than to learn by doing. Driver is actually the easiest club to get air with. Irons are the hardest part of the game. Knowing which to use for what distance takes time and the more you're out there the better feel you'll get on what club you can hit. Putting, well its pretty much the same as mini golf only the obstacles are hills and gravity instead of a windmill.

I think this is fine if you're playing on an empty course and with other beginners. That would be fun. But if you're playing with experienced people, the humor of your horrible play will wear thin very quickly and it's not right to hold up people behind you for most of the day.

 

[Apple Jack]

Don't forget to drink copious amounts of alcohol during each round.

On that note, is sneaking beers into the course in your bag bush league or pretty much standard op procedure? My buddy said that's the way to do it.

SOP, but I would at least buy a few from the club and replace out of your bag. Plus, you then have a cooler with ice.

Expert, not beginner. Though sneaking beer in is dicier than just drinking from a flask.

 

[hagmania]

Funny folks bring up baseball.

I think a *proper* baseball and golf swing are very similar.

 

[Hooper31]

I won't bother giving you advice on how to hit a golf ball. That's nearly impossible via the InterGoogle.

I will give you advice on your first round. Play with a friend that has some experience and patience. Its important to find someone that's willing to talk to you about all the etiquette and unwritten rules. Probably best to find a casual hacker that doesn't get stressed out playing.

Prepare yourself to suck at this. Playing this game "well" is all about perspective. I've played with people that were excited to break 100 and people that were pissed off after breaking 80. When things go poorly (and they will) Its a good idea to ask yourself why you're playing this game.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Hit the range as much as possible with only your 8 iron down. Don't even bring or look at the woods and fairway irons.

Practice putting as much as is humanly possible. Unless you are a scratch golfer or a decent handicap, you are going to hit awful shots that go into the woods or worse. Getting to the green is going to be an adventure until you start playing a lot and then it is still going to be an adventure but you will have an idea of your strengths by then. But if you are a good to very good putter you will save yourself 2-4 strokes a hole. If you play in enough scrambles and suck at everything but can putt, you will be invaluable to the team.

 

[Apple Jack]

http://www.pga.com/play-golf-america/get-golf-ready

 

[John Bender]

Hit the range as much as possible with only your 8 iron down. Don't even bring or look at the woods and fairway irons.

Practice putting as much as is humanly possible. Unless you are a scratch golfer or a decent handicap, you are going to hit awful shots that go into the woods or worse. Getting to the green is going to be an adventure until you start playing a lot and then it is still going to be an adventure but you will have an idea of your strengths by then. But if you are a good to very good putter you will save yourself 2-4 strokes a hole. If you play in enough scrambles and suck at everything but can putt, you will be invaluable to the team.

Good point.

I wanted to mention NOT to ignore chipping/pitching and putting. A big mistake for many beginners would be just trying to hit the ball from 100 - 300 yards and never working on stuff around and on the green. You'll save yourself plenty of strokes per round if you are only average with your irons but better than everyone else in your party at chipping and putting.

Don't ignore those things

 

[Ray Karpis]

I won't bother giving you advice on how to hit a golf ball. That's nearly impossible via the InterGoogle.

I will give you advice on your first round. Play with a friend that has some experience and patience. Its important to find someone that's willing to talk to you about all the etiquette and unwritten rules. Probably best to find a casual hacker that doesn't get stressed out playing.

Prepare yourself to suck at this. Playing this game "well" is all about perspective. I've played with people that were excited to break 100 and people that were pissed off after breaking 80. When things go poorly (and they will) Its a good idea to ask yourself why you're playing this game.

This is funny but good advice. I took my two boys to the range for the first time last week. They are 9 and 7, both really good athletes, great baseball players, etc. First time at the range, they were beside themselves that they couldn't hit the ball up in the air down the range...kept hearing them mumble, "I stink at this" I'm terrible at this."

I had to pull them aside and give them a "lower your expectations...golf is a hard game" speech.

 

[Peyton Marino]

I played putt putt here and there when I was younger, and I was pretty bad. My combination of impatience (don't put enough thought and concentration into lining up shots) and competitiveness over virtually anything made for some pretty frustrating games (I realize putt putt isn't the same as putting on an actual course). I think Hooper's advice is pretty good, initially I'm just going to look at it as an excuse to get out and drink in the sun with friends.

So I'm planning to go to the range tonight. They sell a jumbo bucket for $11 (110 balls). Is this going to be a lot? Will I get tired pretty quickly?

 

[Ditka Butkus]

Depends on what you want....If you are serious about it, then lessons are a good start...If you want to just join a few buddies for fun occasionally then go to the range and work out your swing. I never had lessons and hold my own, but that is as far as my expectations go.....I drink the entire round, usually lose interest around the 12th hole and my score reflects it....but man do I have a blast when I'm out there.

 

[Peyton Marino]

Hit the range as much as possible with only your 8 iron down. Don't even bring or look at the woods and fairway irons.

Practice putting as much as is humanly possible. Unless you are a scratch golfer or a decent handicap, you are going to hit awful shots that go into the woods or worse. Getting to the green is going to be an adventure until you start playing a lot and then it is still going to be an adventure but you will have an idea of your strengths by then. But if you are a good to very good putter you will save yourself 2-4 strokes a hole. If you play in enough scrambles and suck at everything but can putt, you will be invaluable to the team.

Good point.

I wanted to mention NOT to ignore chipping/pitching and putting. A big mistake for many beginners would be just trying to hit the ball from 100 - 300 yards and never working on stuff around and on the green. You'll save yourself plenty of strokes per round if you are only average with your irons but better than everyone else in your party at chipping and putting.

Don't ignore those things

Is there a place to practice putting at most driving ranges?

 

[hagmania]

Hit the range as much as possible with only your 8 iron down. Don't even bring or look at the woods and fairway irons.

Practice putting as much as is humanly possible. Unless you are a scratch golfer or a decent handicap, you are going to hit awful shots that go into the woods or worse. Getting to the green is going to be an adventure until you start playing a lot and then it is still going to be an adventure but you will have an idea of your strengths by then. But if you are a good to very good putter you will save yourself 2-4 strokes a hole. If you play in enough scrambles and suck at everything but can putt, you will be invaluable to the team.

Good point.

I wanted to mention NOT to ignore chipping/pitching and putting. A big mistake for many beginners would be just trying to hit the ball from 100 - 300 yards and never working on stuff around and on the green. You'll save yourself plenty of strokes per round if you are only average with your irons but better than everyone else in your party at chipping and putting.

Don't ignore those things

Is there a place to practice putting at most driving ranges?

Not around here at least. Might find a public course and use their practice green.

 

[John Bender]

Hit the range as much as possible with only your 8 iron down. Don't even bring or look at the woods and fairway irons.

Practice putting as much as is humanly possible. Unless you are a scratch golfer or a decent handicap, you are going to hit awful shots that go into the woods or worse. Getting to the green is going to be an adventure until you start playing a lot and then it is still going to be an adventure but you will have an idea of your strengths by then. But if you are a good to very good putter you will save yourself 2-4 strokes a hole. If you play in enough scrambles and suck at everything but can putt, you will be invaluable to the team.

Good point.

I wanted to mention NOT to ignore chipping/pitching and putting. A big mistake for many beginners would be just trying to hit the ball from 100 - 300 yards and never working on stuff around and on the green. You'll save yourself plenty of strokes per round if you are only average with your irons but better than everyone else in your party at chipping and putting.

Don't ignore those things

Is there a place to practice putting at most driving ranges?

It's catch as catch can on this. Check around online or call and ask and I'm sure you have a place close by.

The driving range near me even has a sand trap to practice out of. They're around for sure.

 

[Apple Jack]

Hit the range as much as possible with only your 8 iron down. Don't even bring or look at the woods and fairway irons.

Practice putting as much as is humanly possible. Unless you are a scratch golfer or a decent handicap, you are going to hit awful shots that go into the woods or worse. Getting to the green is going to be an adventure until you start playing a lot and then it is still going to be an adventure but you will have an idea of your strengths by then. But if you are a good to very good putter you will save yourself 2-4 strokes a hole. If you play in enough scrambles and suck at everything but can putt, you will be invaluable to the team.

Good point.

I wanted to mention NOT to ignore chipping/pitching and putting. A big mistake for many beginners would be just trying to hit the ball from 100 - 300 yards and never working on stuff around and on the green. You'll save yourself plenty of strokes per round if you are only average with your irons but better than everyone else in your party at chipping and putting.

Don't ignore those things

Is there a place to practice putting at most driving ranges?

Depends on the place, but a new trend at stand-alone ranges is to have a premium area with a practice green and grass tee to hit off into the range for an annual or per-use fee. But any half-decent public course is going to have a putting green you can use for free.