Your first golf lesson is 45 to 60 minutes, and most of it is calmer than you think. You talk a little, you learn how to hold the club, you find your stance, and then you start to hit some balls with a short iron. No driver, no pressure, no need to already be good. That is the whole secret of lesson one: it is a beginning, and beginnings are the fun part.
Let me walk you through it, so you arrive relaxed and ready.
What actually happens, minute by minute?
The first 10 to 15 minutes are just talking. Your instructor wants to know you — have you played before, what do you want from golf, do you learn better by hearing, seeing, or feeling the movement? A good coach also asks quietly about your body: any old back or shoulder trouble, how flexible you feel. This is not small talk. It shapes everything we do next.
Then we build, in order: grip first, then stance and posture, then a simple swing motion. Only after that do you hit balls, usually with a 7-iron or a pitching wedge. Short clubs give faster feedback and cleaner contact, so you feel success sooner. The driver? That waits. Almost nobody touches a driver in the first lesson, and there is a good reason for it.
Somewhere in the hour, many instructors film your swing. Do not be shy about this. Nearly every beginner watches the video and thinks, “That is not what I felt at all.” One golfer wrote about his very first lesson — borrowed clubs, topped balls, one shot that flew sideways toward another player. His coach spent the whole hour on grip, stance, and posture before a single ball, and described the grip like holding a small bird: firm enough it can’t fly away, soft enough you don’t hurt it. When the video came up, he could not believe the gap between what he felt and what he did. This surprise is normal. It is also the moment learning really starts.
Do you need your own clubs?
No. Almost every golf school lends clubs for a first lesson, and balls are included too. You truly do not need to own anything to begin. At Golfschool Hoenderdaal in Driebergen and at Chi Chi Golf in Utrecht — the two places I teach — clubs, balls, and the range are ready for you on site.
If you are wondering whether to buy your own set later, I wrote more about that in do I need my own clubs . For lesson one, borrow. A good instructor will even check that the loaned club matches your height, because a club that is too long or too short quietly slows your progress.
What should you wear and bring?
Comfortable, loose clothes that let you turn. That is it. Golf shoes are not needed yet — clean sneakers with a stable, flat sole are perfectly fine. Bring water, and come 15 to 20 minutes early to stretch your shoulders, back, hips, and wrists. Golf asks more of your body than people expect, and warm muscles learn faster than cold, tight ones.
One more thing, and this one matters. Please do not arrive with a diagnosis of your own swing from a YouTube video or a friend’s tip. I see this often — a new golfer spends the hour defending a theory instead of trying something new. Come with a goal, not a theory. And forget the old “keep your head down” advice completely. It locks your body and ruins your turn. We fix that on day one.
Will you actually hit the ball? What if you miss?
Yes, you will hit balls. And yes, you will miss some, and that is completely fine. Everybody tops a shot or swings through air in the beginning. I promise you the coach has seen it ten thousand times and thinks nothing of it.
Here is something honest that many new golfers feel and few say out loud: they arrive a little guilty, almost apologising before they swing, sure they are “already bad” at this. A lot of beginners tell me the same thing on the first tee. So part of my job is simple — help you relax. Tense muscles make bad swings. Relaxed curiosity makes good ones. Small steps. Small steps win in golf.
Private lesson or group course — which is better?
For a complete beginner, I usually suggest starting with one or two private lessons, then joining a group. Private time lets me shape your grip and stance to you, fast. Then a group course keeps you playing, social, and moving toward real golf. Both paths are good; it depends on your budget and how you like to learn. If cost is on your mind, I break down the real numbers in cost to start golf in the Netherlands and on my pricing page .
How does lesson one connect to playing a real course here?
Your first lesson is the doorway, but in the Netherlands you need one more step before you play most courses on your own: the NGF Baanpermissie, what many still call the GVB. You earn it through the national NGF Golfstart programme — a set of lessons plus a short rules and etiquette exam. It can be done in one or two intensive days, or spread over about five weekly sessions. Hoenderdaal runs Golfstart in five sessions for €99, including clubs, balls, the NGF exam, membership to the end of the year, and a range card to practise between lessons.
Curious how long the whole journey takes? I answer that in how long it takes to learn golf , and if you are new to the country, learning golf as an expat in Utrecht is written for you. For the big picture, start with my guide on how to start golf in the Netherlands .
So come as you are. Borrow the clubs, wear your sneakers, leave the theories at home, and bring a little curiosity. I will meet you on the tee, and I think you are going to love this game as much as I do.