Golf was invented in Scotland, and dates back to at least the 17th century, possibly even earlier – the name is believed to come from an Old German word, ‘gowf’, meaning a club or bat. The oldest golf course in the world is Musselburgh Links, but there are many vary old golf courses in Scotland, most famously St. Andrews. The early golfers decided to play the course through twice each time, but it is believed that the reason golf courses today have 18 holes is that St. Andrews only had room for nine .

Golf’s Scottish origin is a matter of some controversy among the Dutch, the Chinese and the French, who all claim that they had much similar club-and-ball games much longer ago. However, it seems clear that there is more to golf than just the club and the ball, and that golf as it is played today was at least perfected, if not entirely invented out of thin air, in Scotland, while there is no doubting they did.

Since then, little has really changed about the game. The grass has got shorter and smoother, as lawnmower technology has improved, the wooden clubs have been replaced with metal one, and the balls have been improved by the addition of rubber, but that’s about it.

However, that golf really started to spread all over the world, it wasn’t until the 20th century. There were no golf course in China until 1985, but now there are more than 200. Golf has become insanely popular in Japan, even though they don’t really have the space to build the courses – they have become pioneers of indoor and virtual golf, since the Second World War . Although some countries obviously have far more courses than others, particularly in the English-speaking world, today, it is thought that there are over 30,000 golf courses in the world – that’s well over a hundred for every country.

If you are interested in improving your game or you are just contemplating starting to play the game of golf, you must have heard about golf lessons. So the question at the back of your mind is, are golf lessons really necessary?

Taking golf lessons is a good opportunity for people to learn not just how to play the game but how to be very good at it. They provide you with opportunity to learn without the frustration of stumbling through the necessary skills you need to be a good golfer.

They are different options available for you if you are considering taking golf lessons.
You  can take private golf lessons, go for group lessons organized by some golf clubs or you could go to a golf school.

Private golf lessons are really good if you prefer one-on-one coaching. you will receive lessons that are tailored to suit your individual needs. You won’t have to worry over other people seeing your mistakes as it will be between your golf instructor and you. There will also be time to concentrate on you and your needs. The instructor will go out of his or her way to make sure you perfect your game. If he or she meets with success it is your way of learning and mastering the game. The major downside to taking private lessons is the price, it is usually expensive.

Group lessons help you get it right at an affordable rate. Learning with a group will help you master your game well as there will be some sort of competition in the group. It’s human,  people will always try to outdo one another whenever they have something in common. This can be to your advantage as you will strive to be the best. The major problem with taking group lessons in learning golf is that there is not enough time for the instructor to attend to everybody’s individual needs, so success to the instructor is measured based on the percentage on people making progress not individual progress.

The decision to take golf lessons is up to you. But the truth is they will be of great help in mastering the game as you will have the opportunity to meet and interact with other golfers exchanging tips and advice on how to improve your game.

One thing that should really help you decide whether golf lessons are a necessity for you or not is identifying the reason why you want to play golf in the first case. 
A new hobby? You just want to be playing every now and then in your free time.
Business reasons? You just want to learn to be able to deal with your clients better. We all know that a lot of deals get sealed over golf games these days.
Professional reasons? You want to be a professional golf player.

If you have very important reasons like that of business, taking golf lessons will make you grasp the basics comfortably and fast so that you can start playing with your clients. If it is just for recreation, you may want to learn it yourself but if it’s professional, you need all the help you can get. Golf lessons should really come in handy, but then it’s up to you!