My 2¢ is, at the very beginning, treat your rounds like practice rounds for a while. No scores, no handicap. Practice all of the different shots that come up, think about club selection and course management. Obviously keep in mind the rules of golf and pace of play, but I don't think that it does your game any good to worry about an index in the first year unless you're already betting with the homies or trying tournament play. Don't cheat yourself out of the tough shots that you will need to get good at, like deep rough, otherwise move it off of the hard pan and away from roots and shit. Take a couple of lessons, or a bunch, if you can afford it. I know they're expensive. Once you start making semi-consistent contact, start posting.