First step take lessons after acquiring some skills and kmow the rules El Santiago a good exec course to start, short drives and large cups beginners training ground.

If you’re open to other sports/activities, consider pickleball. Easier to learn, more social, takes less time, less cost, no reservations needed…plus many other pluses. 😌

Please dont just go to a course. You need to take some kind of lessons, either group at Palmer or individual and I suggest George at the range behind Wall Mart off of 466.Then go to a range and keep going until you can get the ball in the air.

I had a great experience with Billy at the Oxford Golf Academy on 466. He is an amazing instructor better than any Villages instructors I worked with. They also have TopTracer simulators that help track your learning process.

Excellent advice. Please take lessons first and use the driving range to practice what you learn. After 6 weeks of lessons and practice you’ll be at the bare minimum stage of going out to play. Lessons out of the gate will help you not pick up bad habits you have to break. You also don’t want to slow down the entire golf course because you are having to take too many shots to get to the green. The ambassador will ask you to move ahead if you are moving too slow and the two strangers playing with you (always play in groups of four unless course isn’t busy) will be frustrated. Invest in lessons.

Where in UPSTATE NY are you from? I’m from Clifton Park.

Start out on El Santiago, with the pie-plate sized holes, then go to El Diablo, and progress from there. You have 14 courses within a 20 minute cart ride, all but three are north of Highway466.

Welcome to The Villages! And welcome to a fun frustrating game. Remember if golf was easy it would be so fun. Lessons and driving range practice is a great place to start. You’re gonna love it here.

New to Golf
 

Palmer used to have a "New to Golf School". Not sure if it is still available. it was the best. They do have plenty of pros for instruction. Please don't play until you can hit the ball and keep up with other players. Start on the easiest courses.
Then join the rest of us pathetic golfers.
:gc:

Oxford Golf Academy. The best, and cheapest, by far.

I once read that golf is “a game where you try to hit a little round ball into a little round hole, with tools singularly unsuited to the purpose”. If you’ve never played before, you will definitely get that impression. Don’t let that deter you though. There’ve been folks who never golfed before in their lives, who have come to TV, taken up the game, and really enjoy it.

Good advice so far in this thread. Take lessons, practice on the driving range, and once you feel ready play the easier courses first. El Santiago is a great starting course: No hole longer than 150 yards from the black tees (much shorter from the gold and green) nice wide fairways with only a few sand traps and no water, and large greens that slant towards the tees. Also saucer-sized holes.

I’d also strongly recommend reading up on the ETIQUETTE of the game. We are all beginners once, and not-so-great play is part of the learning process. Other golfers on the executive courses for the most part recognize that fact so less than proficient play will not create any hard feelings, What does though is when golfers show poor etiquette on the course. Things like playing more than one ball if there is a group behind you, pulling (or even worse) driving your cart onto the greens, not fixing ball marks on the greens, failure to rake sand traps if you happen to hit into one, taking an inordinate amount of time trying to find a lost ball (I think you’re allowed five minutes), not clearing the area near the green after you’ve finished with a hole, talking loudly when a member of your group is teeing off, etc. etc. can and will raise the ire of other golfers.

Anyway—welcome! And enjoy golf as well as the other numerous recreational opportunities that TV offers.

I’ve read several of the comments- I moved here 14 years ago and never played golf before…my suggestion take a course on basics of the game and how to play. I did villages new to golf and it was fine. Compare price of other places that have similar programs then decide. Also new to golf went over the tee time system.
Welcome and enjoy retirement.

We are not retired but moved here 3 weeks ago. So far, everything has been great. The people have been very nice and inviting. As far as golf, they have so many pitch n putt courses and just putting courses that are awesome.

We played an executive course and no one complained about our play. We do play ready golf and because it's free, we just pick up after triple bogey and move on. Good luck.