so, golf

[srivibhu]

ok,
so ive been bitten by the golf bug, and ive never held a club before.
I saw a couple of threads from earlier with reviews but looking for more basic help actually
1. I know this is a wrong time to start, so are there any practice ranges indoors to start learning ?
2. Anyone/any club take beginners courses to walk thro the basics?
3. im going to be here in helsinki for sometime so looking at taking a membership at some club . any recommendations? Nothing fancy, just somewhere I can go to take my frustrations out by whacking a few balls.

thanks folks

[emu]

I get uttery bored doing 9 or 18 holes, but whacking your balls on the driving range is as fun as hell. I never heard of 'Indoor facilities' but as far as I know you can go to golf clubs globally if you're not a member and ask to use theır range for a while and pay for a couple of baskets of balls.

[otyikondo]

ok,
so ive been bitten by the golf bug, and ive never held a club before.
I saw a couple of threads from earlier with reviews but looking for more basic help actually
1. I know this is a wrong time to start, so are there any practice ranges indoors to start learning ?
2. Anyone/any club take beginners courses to walk thro the basics?
3. im going to be here in helsinki for sometime so looking at taking a membership at some club . any recommendations? Nothing fancy, just somewhere I can go to take my frustrations out by whacking a few balls.

thanks folks

There are a couple of indoor ranges. Perhaps your best bet would be to check out David Brumpton's joint in Espoo. David or Nigel could explain the ins and outs to you. Actually I learnt with David (and occasionally with Nigel) many years ago at Kurk.

http://www.golfareena.fi/

Some golf clubs do take people through the greencard experience in groups - or you can get a pro to do it individually, though it will cost you for the lessons. As for clubs to join, rather depends on your location (and depth of pocket). mighht be easiest to try to get a rental membership (use someone's share) for a year. Most clubs hereabouts are limited companies and you buy a share - this can be quite pricey, though in good times of course it has a secondary market value that might go up. There ARE some clubs that have "membership", but they also usually have "long waiting list" and "dead men's shoes" policies.

I can't stand the range myself. Get bored to tears, and it nearly always screws up my game - much prefer to career into the car park on two wheels and run to the tee, waving frantically to the caddiemaster that I have arrived. Unless you are truly disciplined, on a range that is as wide as two or three airfields you will not get much idea of just how unstraight your shots are. The rough and the trees on a real course soon sorts that out. Equally, those who stand on the range all day often ignore the practice green and pitching area/greenside bunker and then wonder why it is they shoot 105...

[AlexandreB]

I am visting friends in the Lahti area in the SECOND HALF OF MAY. Is it worth to bring my clubs?
Don't get me wrong, I know you have great courses there (Linna, Kytäjä, Vierumäki, Pickala, Espoo and many oters), but will they be open? Or in other words, will all the snow be gone and the greens playable?

Thanks for any advice, Alex, Zurich