Taking out the phonebook and picking a course for its name is not a good idea for beginning golfers. Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions a golfer can make when they are first starting out. Golfers need to have confidence to continue to excel at their game, if they choose a course too hard this could ruin ones passion for the game. Conversely golfers won't want to play a course too easy because they must be challenged to play their best each time they step on the course.

The actual build or DNA of a course can be defined by its slopes, water, traps, rough, trees, and greens. Some courses are consistently hillier than other courses. Some courses are surrounded by water; others are dry as a desert. Many courses utilize trees as a natural barrier against the public, thus many courses are plentiful with trees. The physical landscape of a course can make a lot of difference in selecting a course for beginners. Typically you wan to choose a course that is less hilly, and doesn't have too much water attached to it. This will allow beginning golfers to hone their swings, and skills before trying to master a PGA level course. Also beginner courses should have limited brush, this makes finding your balls much easier assuming you hit a few into the rough.

Cost should be another factor in choosing a course for beginners. Courses that are too costly can be unrealistic to play on because of their cost. Unless the golfing budget is as big as a 6 figure salary, you want to be able to play on courses that will allow for an easy return at little cost. Golf, like any other sport requires a tremendous amount of practice, and patience. If you play less costly courses you will have more opportunity to play the same course often, because it's not going to put a dent in your bank account. So choosing a cost effective course for beginners is a great first step. Look for public courses, or find out where the local college tees off. Typically the college will have its team play on a course that isn't going to cost the school too much money.

Rules on the course are another important aspect in selecting a course. Find out what the dress code is, who is allowed to play, if they have golf carts, if they require a caddy, and if they have additional rules for guests. Many times golf clubs will have additional rules for guests that can be prohibitive towards your game. If you are playing on a course that requires you to do a bunch of tasks that will distract your game, don't play on such a course.

Tee time in golf is also important in choosing a course. Call the local clubs and ask about the tee times available for the day you want to play. If there is a large amount of players teeing up on certain day, it may be a good idea to wait for another day to play. Typically if there are many tee times booked the course will be full of players that might want to play through your hole because you are new and still learning, thus taking more time to get your shot off. Be sure to go to a course that doesn't have too many tee times scheduled for the day you select, if there is a bunch of times already booked simply ask for a less busy day.