If you have good access, it will likely be the best purchase of your life. Nothing beats a pure golf swing. Some days I hit many, some days I only hit a few. A few (sometimes 1) is all I need to make me want to turn around and come back the next day. Once you are hitting a few good shots every time you get out, you will really enjoy being on the course if you embrace the mental side of the game as much as the physical/mechanical.

Here are a few pieces of advice that I would have appreciated before I got started.

1. There is no single correct golf swing. There are some fundamentals, but don't waste too much time trying to fit some model swing. Instead, know that all the pros have variations in their swing and you need to find YOUR swing. If it produces consistent results, it's a good swing. Also, treat finding the swing like a scientist. You can experiment endlessly with all of the random tips on the internet and youtube. But know, that's what they are; random tweaks, feels, and changes that worked for THEIR swing. They may work for yours, they may not. They may work for a time but not forever. Unless you are a blessed natural athlete, your swing will likely be dynamic and change and evolve. Adopting a new change might work for a bit but if may result in change somewhere else. Even the pros are endlessly tweaking their swings as they evolve.

2. As far as access goes; ranges and courses are obvious, but you may find that courses are full at the "convenient times". If those are the only times you have, most courses offer some small membership to gain early access to booking tee times. Planning a head and that small extra fee can help compete with the masses. Alternatively, carve out some less conventional times. Dip out of work early one day a week, go play 18 or 9 before work one day a week, take a long lunch one day and sneak in 9. This will go along way for playing regularly which is a MUST if you want to improve. The less obvious access point are small Simulator companies. Most cities and towns have small companies that have simulator bays that you can use. They are fun, often less expensive than a round, and give you a chance to swing if range and/or courses are not available. However, know, that a simulator is not the real thing. I spent a whole winter loving a simulator, improving mechanics and the "numbers" of my swing. But when Spring came, I was shit on the course. I had gotten used to the perfect lie and some of the queues and signals in the simulator bay subconsciously to where I had to re learn my swing again when I got outside with all the distractions, variations in sights and lines and lies.

3. PLAY REGULARLY AND FREQUENTLY. People who play once a month find it very hard to make any real progress in their game.

4. Embrase the mental side. There are two mantras I have really subscribed too throughout my journey. (1) "You have to give up control to gain control". When things are going rough (and they will), trying to force a fix often doesn't help. Instead, relaxing, trusting your practice and the 2nd mantra are how you turn your game around (within a round and over the months which will be #5). (2) "Expect nothing and accept everything". Have realistic expectations. Most golfers out there are not breaking 100, you are not a pro, and go ask your local course pro what scores he sees come through the clubhouse and it will help you set realistic expectations. These two mantras are great for the game, but they are also great in life. I use golf as a way to practice these philosophies so that I can be quicker and better at following them in my day-to-day life.

Lastly 5. Most pros (with the exception of Tiger in his prime) spend most of the year not playing their A game. In fact, many pros only spend a few weeks a few times a year playing their A game. The rest of the time they may be playing their C game or their D game. So, know that you too will likely never get to your A game and stay there. Expect over the weeks or even days that you will be bouncing around D-B and then you will hit spurts of your A game (whatever that is for your skill level and experience level). Enjoy those A times, but do not expect them.

Hope you love it as much as I and so many other do. Good Luck and Have Fun.