Golfing near Macon, Geogria
 

A second cousin invited me to visit for a weekend in Macon, GA. He is an avid golfer, yet I know nothing of the sport.

Is anyone aware of any golf courses in or near the Macon area that would accept golfer like myself who know nothing of how to play, or even what the basic rules are to play a proper game?

Thank you!

Abby

If you are visiting your second cousin, and he/she is an avid golfer, and lives in Macon, who do you think would be better to ask that question to?

Don't worry.

Let him choose the course.

Besides. . .

Your cousin, an avid golfer, will not let you embarrass yourself -- or him.

Your cousin will not let you keep on swinging. You can take only so many swings before you pick up your ball and move on. Also, your cousin will not let you take forever to look for your ball if it goes awry -- and it will.

Nobody behind you will be worrying about your inexperience as a player. The only thing they will care about, or even notice at all, is whether you know to keep the game moving.

I assume you are aware that there probably will be a dress code, especially for a better course. And then there are the shoes you will need.

You should be able to find information about golf etiquette to look through before you go.

Enjoy your day. Your game will no doubt be followed by a lovely lunch or dinner afterward. That is the best part.

And, who knows -- you might get hooked on the game.

Boomer

I would just add, let your relative know you are a very novice golfer. You may well decide to ride along and just enjoy the scenery.

Just let him know now that you've never played golf and he may decide to play tour guide in the area for a couple of days and not even plan on golfing (or maybe plan on just visiting a driving range) while you're there. After all, it's just a weekend and you will both probably enjoy catching up and comparing sides of the family more than golfing - especially if you are a complete beginner.

There is a driving range that is visible from I-75 as you approach Macon. It is on the right(east) side just south of the I-475 bypass.

If you live in TV and have clubs, you might want to hit the driving ranges here before going. Main thing is to have fun, enjoy the company and as others have said, Try to keep moving along.
:bigbow::bigbow:

The very best course in the macon area is the River Forest. Course in Forsyth, 25 miles north of macon off i75. The course in macon is Healy Point and it’s a dump compared to RF. We lived in River Forest for years and the course is beautiful, kept up and clean.

I would do a couple things f you are a complete newbie:

1. Take a handful of lessons from an instructor, preferably at a driving range. Get the basics. Trust me, You'll work on eprfecting those 'Basics' for the rest of your life. lol

2. Go out with a friend. The rules of golf & golf etiquette are fairly easy to learn. One or two rounds with a friend will give you most of what you need to know. Playing golf is easy...playing good golf is hard. lol

3. Don't sweat the small stuff and always congratulate your partner on a good hit.

4. And what skills to work on? There is an old saying among the Pro's: 'Drive for show & Putt for dough. It is better to hit short straight drives than one huge hit which curls way off to the side. I hit about 150 yards on my best day but it goes straight. My friends are all long ball hitters but seldom straight. Slow and steady gets you to the green. Start with nice easy swings on your shots and start to add 'ummph' once you are hitting straight. I found that worked best for me.

Bowden golf course is a public course on the east side of Macon. There is also The Brickyard in North Macon, but I'm not sure if you can go there without a membership. Idle Your is also in North Macon, but I would imagine it is members only.
We didn't play golf when we lived there, so I'm not real sure about any of them.

The driving range on I 75 has been abandoned for years, unless someone has redone it in the last 2 years.

Enjoy your trip!
QUOTE=AbbyPye;1993748]A second cousin invited me to visit for a weekend in Macon, GA. He is an avid golfer, yet I know nothing of the sport.

Is anyone aware of any golf courses in or near the Macon area that would accept golfer like myself who know nothing of how to play, or even what the basic rules are to play a proper game?

Thank you!

Abby[/QUOTE]