Driving ranges and short courses

You do not need a tee time or a partner to play golf. Most of the useful hours happen off the course.

Driving ranges

A bucket of balls and a mat. Grass-tee ranges give truer feedback than mats. Many ranges now have ball-tracking bays, which are excellent for measuring distance and dreadful if you start chasing numbers. Clubs are usually available to hire, so a first visit costs very little.

Short game areas

Chipping and putting greens are often free to club visitors and are where scores actually come down. An hour here is worth three at the range.

Short courses

Par three and nine-hole courses let you play real golf in ninety minutes. They are the right first course for children, beginners and anyone short of time.

Indoor simulators

Increasingly common, weatherproof, and useful for winter practice or a lesson. They are not a substitute for hitting off turf, but they keep a swing alive through a cold season.

A simple practice plan

Half your time on shots inside a hundred yards, a quarter putting, a quarter on full swings. Most golfers do exactly the opposite.