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Golf Starter Pack: Part 1

Many golfers, including myself, have been patiently waiting for the weather to break so we can get back onto the course and into the swing of the 2021 golf season.  The weather has been pretty terrible this month, and the cold temperatures, rain, and snow we have seen here in Delaware have not been optimal for golf.  Wednesday’s 55-degree day proved to be a bright spot on a pretty horrible month weather-wise and provided us with optimism and hope that the golf season is not too far away.  I certainly saw the enthusiasm from our golfers here at the American Classic Golf Club that Wednesday as the tee sheet quickly filled up with golfers excited to finally get out and play again.  

While many beginner and experienced golfers are starting to get ready for the 2021 season, many others have interest in playing but do not know how to start or what they need to get into the game.  Understanding the basic golf essentials needed to get into the game can seem overwhelming for those who have never played, but it is a lot easier to get started than it seems.  Hopefully this blog will help get you one step closer to hitting the course!

If you are sure you want to get into golf, having a set of golf clubs is definitely needed.  A few weeks ago, I wrote an in-depth blog on all things golf clubs, so I will just cover the important details here. The main golf clubs include irons, woods, hybrids, and wedges. While club manufacturers sell these clubs individually, I recommend purchasing a full set to start out.  There are many affordable full sets available for men and women that will have all the clubs you need to get started. There is absolutely no need to spend a ton of money on your first set of clubs and purchasing a full set can be an affordable way to get started. I would also like to mention that many golf courses have clubs available to rent, so if you wanted to play a few rounds before investing in your own set it could be worth it to rent first.

The next things you will need are golf balls and tees.  Golf balls are not included with your round, so you will have to purchase your own.  Brands like Top Flite, Spalding, and Wilson are inexpensive golf balls that are perfect to start out with.  You can get 15 of these golf balls for 10-15 dollars, while other balls like Titleist Pro V1s and TaylorMade Tp5s can be up to 56 dollars per dozen.  In my opinion, there is no reason to spend a lot on golf balls when you are starting out, as you are unlikely to notice any difference between a 5-dollar Titleist ball and a 1-dollar Top Flite ball in the beginning of your golf journey.  In the beginning, you will also lose more balls in water hazards and other out of bounds areas on the course, so it makes sense to start with a cheaper ball.  When I play a Titleist or another expensive golf ball and lose it in the water or elsewhere, I always think “welp, there goes 5 dollars.” As you begin to improve and start playing more often, upgrading to a premium golf ball can certainly have its advantages and is worth it, but I would recommend starting with cheaper balls.

Golf tees are also essential items when starting out and are inexpensive. You can purchase a package of 50-100 tees for 5-10 dollars, and they are also easy to come by on the course.  Tees come in sizes ranging from 1-4 inches and starting with a 2-3.5-inch tee is totally fine.  Any package of tees you can find at your courses pro shop or online will be fine and work well for you on the course. 

Once you have clubs, balls, and tees, you have just about all of the essential items needed to hit the course!  One thing I recommend before taking on the course for the first time is considering hitting a few buckets at a driving range or hitting net.  It is best to avoid hitting your first ever golf ball on the 1st tee of a golf course, so hitting at the range or net can be beneficial.  

These are the basic and general items needed to get started, and in another blog going forward (Part 2), we will cover the basic etiquette rules and other items that will help you get out onto the course. 

Hope to see you all out on the course soon!

-Sam Cresta, Assistant Golf Professional at American Classic Golf Club

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LEVEL UP Your Golf Lessons

Have you been excited about and looking forward to the upcoming golf season? How about dreaming of those perfect shots and how to replicate them round after round? If so, we have exciting news for you on how you can visibly see your swing and improvements this year! We would like to introduce to you in 2021, here at American Classic, the Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor.

In select lessons with Sam or I (haha . . . I said “Samurai”) you will now be able to see your swing in action. This device has the ability to give you instant feedback with its real-time video analysis; which is very beneficial for those who learn better by seeing what to do instead of just hearing what to do. In your lessons, you will now be able to see how far you go back in your backswing as well as where you are stopping in your follow through. For anyone who has worked with me before, you know how much I can harp on finishing your swing properly to get the results you are looking for. 

The mobile launch monitor (MLM) comes with several perks though! Other than the obviously cool instant video feedback, you will know your average distance for each club, your club and ball speeds, the launch angle of each shot, and even the smash factor! For those who don’t know, smash factor is the ratio between your swing speed and the ball speed as it leaves your club. All of this information can be used to help you understand your swing more, and where you can improve to strengthen your ball striking. Another great feature with this device is that you can use it at a range or even into a net with its shot tracing abilities. Just wait until you see how awesome this device truly is!

It’s important to know that the MLM will not always be used in your lessons as it won’t always be needed, but it will be available to help your game progress in certain areas. If you are looking for professional video analysis of your golf swing, please reach out to us to schedule your next lesson. We will take care of improving your smash factor, so you can go out and smash the course!

-Austin Ebersole, Head Golf Professional at American Classic Golf Club

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Golf Clubs 101

The game of golf is continuing to grow and the industry as a whole is booming. According to golf.com, 441 million rounds of golf were played in 2019.  In 2020, golf has continued to grow despite the pandemic.  Golf courses feature an outdoor, open area which allows for social distancing, making golf a safe activity.  Golf proved to be a great way to safely get outside and enjoy some fresh air.  In general, golf is also a fantastic source of exercise and has many health benefits.  The last few weeks in our blogs, we talked about how golf is a great social activity enjoyed amongst friends and family.  While many new players began playing in 2020, many others wanted to, but did not know where to start.  It can be overwhelming getting into golf for those who have never played before, and it can be especially difficult knowing what clubs to purchase and what is all needed to play.  In this blog, we will discuss golf club basics, and talk about what clubs you will need to get started.   Hopefully, you will have a better understanding of golf clubs after reading this, and will be one step closer to getting out to the course!

 Golf clubs include: woods/hybrids, irons/wedges and putters. While the rules of golf allow you to carry up to 14 clubs in your bag, you do not necessarily need to have that many clubs to start. I recommend getting a driver and some other woods, a few irons, and a putter when you are first starting out.  The driver is considered a wood, and woods feature a large head and less loft.  The less loft on a club, the further the ball will go, so woods are more effective on longer shots.  Drivers feature the biggest head and the least amount of loft. They should only be used on your first shot of the hole with the ball on a tee.  The other woods, including a 3-wood or a 5-wood, can be effectively used off the fairway when longer shots are needed to reach the green. The irons are numbered, and a good starting set of clubs can include a 6iron, 7iron, 8iron, and 9iron.  In general, a 9iron features about 41 degrees of loft, while a 6iron features 30 degrees of loft.  The less loft on a club will make the ball travel further, so hypothetically a 6iron will go further than a 9iron. In addition to that, it can be good to get an iron that has a “P” or an “S” on it instead of a number.  These clubs are called wedges and feature even more loft than the other irons. The Pitching and Sand wedges can be effective for shorter and higher shots, and are very beneficial around the greens.

You certainly do not need to spend hundreds of dollars (or even thousands) to get started.  Golf companies sell individual clubs, but many golf club makers also sell very affordable clubs in full sets. I recommend buying a new or used full set of golf clubs.  There are many full starter sets available online that are affordable and perfect to start out with. Full sets will typically include a driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, 6-9irons, a pitching wedge, and a putter.  This starter set only features 9 clubs, and since you can carry 14 clubs in your bag this can also give you the option to purchase additional wedges or hybrids if you are enjoying the game and want to expand your bag.  These starter sets can cost anywhere from $75-$500, so this is an affordable and easy way to get started.  

-Sam Cresta, Assistant Golf Professional at American Classic Golf Club

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