Have you considered all your other options?

I mean, REALLY considered all your options ~ like daredeviling, raising killer bees, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, sky diving, snake hunting, ultimate cage fighting, bear wrestling, etc. Any of the "milder and safer" sports or games.

I guess you're aware that "the game" can cause loss of pride, sleep, money, self-confidence, loved ones, businesses, intelligence, etc.

Since you've already made up your mind, your going to need all the help you can get. The first thing to do is to get a copy of the rules of golf. They are available at most golf shops and some sporting goods stores.

Read the "rules of etiquette" section first. This helps a beginner quite a bit because it tells you things to do and NOT to do. Like where to sit or stand to avoid being hit by the ball, the club or your opponent. Keep in mind these places also give you a "head start" in case of a chase.

The next thing you need to read is the Golfer's Dictionary a "glossary" of golf terms. Yeah, I know it sounds like something bad --- but it's just a list of special words and terms they use in the game. It can save you a lot of fights. Some of the words golfers use aren't really bad or fighting words at all. It's just that the names for certain things in golf often sound like insults to a beginner.

For example: If someone tells you, "you made a bogey" it's not insulting or a reference to Bogart the actor --- nor did you break or step in something. In fact it's a very good thing for a beginner.

When someone yells "FOUR" they are NOT telling you their score, they are warning you to take cover because you are under attack. The word they are shouting at you is actually "FORE" and I have absolutely no reason why they chose that word. Having been raised in Kansas I always thought a better word would have been "TORNADO."

All kidding aside golf is a very dangerous game. The majority of people killed by lightning in the United States were playing golf at the time. Golfers have been killed and maimed by being hit with golf clubs and golf balls. Both objects can be extremely lethal weapons.

The truth is most golfers play a lifetime of golf without injury because they observe "the rules of etiquette."

So PLEASE read "the rules of etiquette" first and the glossary next. Make those your first steps and you and your fellow golfers can "all" enjoy playing the GREAT game of golf.

The truth is GOLF is something you can enjoy for the rest of your life "IF" you always treat it as only "a game".