How to start golfing with a short putting session

What you need to know

Practice-green access

Ask whether first-timers may use the green, whether booking is needed and what the local fee is. Follow any weather closure.

One putter and ball

Borrow them if available. Ask staff to check that the putter suits your handedness and height; you do not need a full set.

Suitable footwear

Check the facility's footwear rules and wear shoes with grip. Confirm any equipment-loan charge before visiting.

Golf uses clubs to play a ball into a hole. Putting rolls it across a green. Make twenty short practice putts; this tally is not a round of golf.

Choose a clear line

Ask staff where to practise. Pick an available hole and a fairly level approach; wait if someone else is using that line. Keep one ball and leave room for other players. If the green is closed or crowded, arrange another time.

Look from behind the ball toward the hole. Choose a starting line, then set the putter behind the ball with its flat face at a right angle to that line. Stand balanced, knees relaxed and hips hinged so your arms hang naturally. Hold the grip lightly with both hands close together. The older PGA First Swing guide explains setup and aim on printed page 30; use it for technique, not current rules.

Make twenty starting putts

Check that people and balls are clear. Move the putter back and through with your arms and shoulders, keeping wrists and lower body quiet. Strike gently so the ball rolls; do not scoop or push it. Let it stop, retrieve it by hand without damaging the cup, and reset. Do not chip or take full swings here. Stop if it hurts.

Take ten putts from about one metre, then ten from about two metres. Each attempt is one stroke, even if it misses. Retrieve and reset at the same spot rather than putting out. Record how many of each ten go in and whether misses stop short, run long or start off line. If most stop short, lengthen your smooth stroke slightly; if they run long, shorten it. For off-line starts, check face aim and centred contact. Slope can curve a sound putt.

Ask a coach before trying other clubs or a course. The R&A’s current Rule 13 covers putting-green rules for course play, not this practice tally. In the UK or Ireland, PGA Play lists coaches. Confirm beginner sessions, fees and equipment.