When you are first venturing out to the course and playing with others with similar ability, an excellent format to play is Ambrose. Ambrose is a format whereby all of you will hit a golf shot and then choose the best ball to play from for your next shot. Therefore all of you will play from the same spot each time. This is a format that I use for most of my course lessons particularly in group programs.
This format is great because it builds comradery and it takes the pressure off your shot. It can also give you an opportunity to utilise swing changes that you may be working on. Also in ambrose your score will be typically quite low as you will obviously have more chances for each shot. The rules in ambrose state that once you have chosen the ball you want to use for the group, you can all take a club length drop away from that ball no nearer the hole. On the green it would be roughly a handspan length.
Also Ambrose events typically occur in Corporate days. If you dont have a handicap, they will typically give the men an 18 and women between 27 and 36. To work out the group handicap with 4 people it simply means add all the handicaps and divide by 8. For eg. 18 + 27 + 10 + 14 = 69. Then divide by 8 which is 8.625. What this means is that if the team scores 72 off 18 holes they would then subtract their handicap of 8.625 giving them a score of 63.375.
Also when playing in competitions or socially you can be very strategic. For example their might be shot that is quite risky to play. You could have the less experienced players layup to a safe area while the lower handicap players play the riskier shot.
Therefore when venturing out to one of your first ever games, Ambrose can be a very good choice to ease your way into the game while enjoying the process. Also as mentioned previously, using a tee for the majority of your shots at the beginning is a great way to build up your confidence in your swing. Try and not be in a rush to get better at golf, instead go through the steps and you will find long term success and far greater enjoyment as a result.
If you'd like any further advice on what to do when firstly venturing out to the course please don't hesitate to contact me.
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