Golf isn’t one of those sports where you can just grab a ball, walk to a park, and find a pickup game. Hitting the links can take some time and research before you pick up your club.

There are many considerations when looking for a golf course near you.

Do you want to practice or play a full game?

If you only want to practice your swing or some of your skills, you may be looking for a driving range or putting green near you. A driving range lets you practice your swing, while a putting green lets you work on your “close” game. 

A driving range will usually be a large piece of land with a line of golfers at one end and flags or other markers showing where various distances in the field are. You’ll be able to get a bucket of balls so you can practice for a specific amount of time.

A putting green is just what its name implies – a green, like you find on a course, set up so you can practice your chipping and putting.

You can also find an indoor golf simulator that can be programmed to help you work on whatever part of your game you want.

If you want to play a full game, you should consider how long you want to play. Do you want to play nine holes or 18 holes of golf? At some courses, you can only play 18 holes by playing nine holes twice, but at other courses, you’ll have both a front nine and a back nine, and you can play one or both of them. Some courses will have specific rules about walking the course versus taking a golf cart, so you’ll want to investigate that, too.

You may have driven by a beautiful golf course dozens of times on your way home, but if that golf course is part of a private club, you may never be able to play it. If you’re not a member of a private club, you’ll want to look for a public golf course near you, where you can sign up for a tee time and make your plans to play.

You'll also want to determine the difficulty of the golf courses near you before you set up a time to play. The par on each hole indicates the difficulty of a golf course. Some courses will be designated par 3 courses, meaning a pro should be able to finish each hole in three swings (one drive and two putts). Other courses will have a variety of pars, most commonly par 3, par 4 and par 5.

Most courses, whether private or public, will also have a golf pro on site who can provide golf lessons.

And don’t forget your last option – miniature golf! There is no driving in mini-golf, just putting around pirate ships or other obstacles, like windmills. You may also be able to find an entire putt-putt golf course inside, versus being out in the hot sun. Find mini golf courses near you.

 

For more information

Check out BBB's travel HQ and consumer HQ for more tips and resources.