I've been wanting to get back in to golfing, admittedly mostly for business reasons, but haven't been able to motivitate myself to get started.
If you want to play golf to increase the time you can spend with clients and business associates, be sure to be respective of them and be respective of the game. Don't worry about your score, whether or not you win or lose, just that it's an environment in which you can share something in common while occasionally talking business. I've heard it said that business chat during golf should be limited to the the middle 12 holes. The first three holes should be an introduction to each other, or a catch-up if you already know the other person(s). The last three holes should be about setting goals to finish the game. Either concentrate on posting a good score if you're playing well, or finishing on a good note if you're having a bad golf day. Most good business people will not care about your score, but they WILL notice how you conduct yourself on the course. They will notice your honesty, your attitude toward others (including the beer cart girl), your ability to concentrate and your ability to loosen up when necessary.
I took golf lessons as a kid and was pretty decent, but haven't played in almost a decade.
The game hasn't changed that much, honestly. If you have a good swing and can putt, you can still score well. If you hit the ball erratically, today's clubs simply allow you to hit further, off line. I would concentrate on finding a teacher that takes time to understand you, and that will teach you the game from the green outwards. In other words, don't start with the driver - it's the hardest club to hit. Start with the putter, then work on chipping from off the green, then with short game, then full swing. I promise that you will like the results more in the long run.
Any good golf forums out there? I wanted to find out what clubs to start out with, best way to practice while intertwhining lessons, how much to budget for it, etc.
I can't speak for forums, but don't get too hung up on having the latest brand-name clubs. There have been few major breakthroughs in the last five years. For irons, look for "game improvement" clubs that feature perimeter weighting - which helps you on off-center hits, and helps to keep your bad shots from being terrible. Instead of 2-, 3-, 4-, and even 5-irons, look for hybrid clubs that are easier to hit well. (Hybrids are like traditional woods on slimfast) Oversized driver heads have gotten a lot of media play, and have changed much lately, but they haven't truly lowered scores. You can get perfectly fine drivers, as well as all your other clubs, from auctions on eBay. Expensive clubs from 3 years ago get bought and sold for nearly nothing now.
Anyway, call a club pro near you, tell him your intent, and see if he can help you get back into the game. He can give you solid advice on club selection on a budget, maximizing your practice time, and good courses on which to practice. Don't forget that a low-pressure way of mixing golf with business is to play in charity golf scrambles, where each player in the foursome can contribute their good shots, and it usually doesn't matter if you hit a bad one.
The great thing about golf (and tennis) is that it's a lifetime sport - you can play it into your old age and still enjoy it.
