Golf has a reputation for being expensive, complicated and intimidating. It can be all three. It doesn't have to be any of them. Here's how members of Out on the Fairway actually started — and how we suggest you start too.
Step 1: Go to a driving range first
Forget courses. Forget clubs. Pay £6 for a bucket of balls at a range and hit them, badly, for an hour. The two best ranges in Tyneside are:
- Eden Golf Centre, Newcastle West End — sheltered bays, hire clubs, café.
- Gosforth Park Golf Centre — large floodlit range, par-3 course, lesson packages.
You don't need your own clubs. You don't need to know what a 7-iron is. You don't even need golf shoes. Trainers and a t-shirt are fine at a range.
Step 2: Take one lesson
Just one. A 30-minute lesson with a PGA pro is normally £25–£35 and will save you a year of bad habits. Both Eden and Gosforth Park have pros who teach beginners constantly and will not make you feel like an idiot. Tell them up front you're brand new — they'll pitch it right.
Step 3: Buy almost nothing
You really don't need expensive gear to start. A second-hand half-set (driver, a couple of irons, a wedge, a putter) from Facebook Marketplace or American Golf will get you through your first year. Add a cheap stand bag and a glove. Total cost: under £100 if you're patient.
Things you don't need yet: a rangefinder, a launch monitor, branded polos, a club membership.
Step 4: Play 9 holes somewhere kind
Your first round shouldn't be at a championship course on a Saturday morning. Try:
- Newcastle United Golf Club — pay-and-play on the Town Moor, welcoming, affordable.
- The 9-hole loops at Eden or Gosforth Park — short, forgiving, designed for learners.
Play during a quiet weekday evening if you can. Let any quicker group through. Tell the starter it's one of your first rounds — they'll be lovely.
Step 5: Find people to play with
The hardest bit. This is the bit that stops most people. It's also the bit Out on the Fairway exists to fix. Join the private Facebook group and post something like:
"Total beginner here, based in Gateshead. Anyone fancy 9 holes somewhere flat and forgiving over the next couple of weekends?"
Someone will. That's the whole pitch.
A few things nobody tells beginners
- Pace of play matters more than score. If you're playing slowly, wave the group behind through. Nobody minds a beginner; everyone minds a bottleneck.
- You don't have to finish every hole. Pick up after triple-bogey. The world keeps turning.
- Etiquette > skill. Fix your divots, rake your bunkers, repair pitch marks. Do that and a 36-handicapper is more welcome than a 4-handicap who doesn't.
- Sunday afternoon is golden hour for visitors. Most clubs have empty tee sheets and friendly starters from 3pm onwards.
Once you've started
Have a look at the courses we recommend in Newcastle, Durham and Northumberland. And come and tell the group how you're getting on. That's most of why this exists.