The (even more modern) fundamentals of golf

[Green4Spinach]

I know this may seem presumptuous  to be following a chap named Ben who came up with five lessons on the modern fundamentals of golf. But - and this is a big but for me - Ben's lessons were modern in the 1950s, and were so good that they did not need to be changed even for the 50th Anniversary edition. But people, this is 2024, and in the interests of sharing what I have learned since getting on the course for the first time in Nov 2023, here are my lessons in golf. Ben came up with five, but I am listing six here. 

For the sake of the integrity of this august site, allow me to state that the lessons that follow were not compiled by me. They were assembled by my kids, after watching me get to grips with the game. 

Lesson #1: Always compliment your partner's swing (for example, "that was just super!") - it seems I am easily impressed when somebody launches the ball and the outcome is not a daisy-cutter.

Lesson #2: A good technique is more important than a good score. [Okay, I get it, kids, my scores are pretty poor right now - you don't get a handicap in the region of 30 without having a bunch of poor scores, but it does seem a tad harsh to make this a fundamental rule...]

Lesson #3: No matter how many times you've played, always claim to be "new to the game." Ouch. 16 rounds since Nov 2023? I feel it is still quite reasonable to describe myself as new to the game. 

Lesson #4: It is recommended that your household buys a new golf club every two weeks. Since we have purchased about 30 clubs since starting out (full sets for my wife and I), I think we have out-performed on this metric. 

Lesson #5: Always remember, no matter how badly you play, it's always possible to get worse. This one is so true. 'Nuff said. 

Lesson #6: Remember the people playing behind you think it's very important that you enter every shot into your golfing app - make sure you do this. I confess that the recent acquisition of a Shot Scope X5 with its automatic shot tracking may make this lesson rather less valuable...

I know that in offering six lessons, I am already one past the expected norm in golfing fundamentals. But in for a penny... Here's my bonus seventh lesson:

Lesson #7: Never forget to call your partner "darling." It helps that most of the time I play with my wife, so this may not be a lesson with universal applicability. 

Do these lessons make sense? Might my golf make progress? Given that these lessons have helped me move from a handicap of around 33 to 28 in five months, I am expecting I could be scratch around Sept 2026, give or take a month...

Feel free to share your most significant lessons. As I hope you can tell, I am keen to learn. 

Edited April 7 by Green4Spinach