Quick Take
- Narration: Todd Eflin reads the material competently and clearly, though several reviewers note grammatical errors in the text that undermine the listening experience.
- Themes: Rules and etiquette, equipment basics, shot types and scoring terminology
- Mood: Introductory and accessible, though inconsistent in quality
- Verdict: A functional overview of golf fundamentals for absolute beginners, useful enough for someone with no prior knowledge, but with notable quality control issues.
There is a particular moment when someone decides they want to try golf, usually because a partner, parent, or group of friends plays, and they need a fast, comprehensive overview before they feel confident enough to show up at a course. How to Play Golf for Beginners exists for that moment. It is not a book that will deepen anyone’s knowledge of the game; it is an orientation document, and on those terms it delivers more than it fails.
Roger Banks’s stated goals are modest and honest: teach someone what a handicap is, explain the difference between a birdie and a double bogey, describe the types of clubs and when to use them, and give the new golfer enough vocabulary and etiquette awareness to get through a round without embarrassing themselves. At just over an hour, the runtime is calibrated to those goals rather than to a more ambitious agenda. Todd Eflin reads the material in a steady, accessible way that makes it easy to absorb the information without stopping to take notes.
Our Take on How to Play Golf for Beginners
The content itself covers more ground than the runtime might suggest. Banks addresses traditional links courses, parkland courses, desert courses, and mountain courses with enough specificity that a new golfer understands what they are walking into. The shot types section, covering distance shots from long to short, approach shots, putts, objective shots for calculated risks, and effect shots like slice and draw, is organized clearly and explained in terms a beginner can use. The practice schedule Banks provides at the end is a practical addition that elevates the book beyond pure theory.
Reviewer Roger Martinez calls it a great reference manual for refreshing golf knowledge or teaching someone to play, and that is likely the most accurate description of what this does well. It is reference material, the kind of thing you might listen to twice before your first lesson and then again before you step onto a public course for the first time.
Why Listen to How to Play Golf for Beginners
The golf-specific vocabulary coverage is genuinely useful. Terms like birdie, bogey, double bogey, eagle, and par get clear explanations alongside the scoring context that makes them meaningful. The handicap section is similarly helpful, handicap calculation confuses many people who are new to the game, and Banks explains it without overcomplicating it. The etiquette section covers the unwritten rules that new golfers frequently violate without knowing it: pace of play, divot repair, rake etiquette in bunkers, and behavior on the green. That material alone justifies the runtime for anyone about to play in a group with experienced golfers.
The audiobook format works for this content because none of it requires visual reference. Unlike a swing instruction book that would be severely limited by audio, a rules and etiquette guide translates cleanly to listening.
What to Watch For in How to Play Golf for Beginners
The review record is genuinely mixed and the criticism is worth taking seriously. A Kindle Customer review describes poor grammar, personal observations not backed by fact, outdated content, and no verifiable author credentials. Reviewer CJS notes numerous grammatical errors that are distracting even for what is otherwise useful content for the real beginner. Reviewer GMC found the information so basic it covered things a new golfer could learn without a book at all.
Banks’s credentials are not publicly verifiable, which is a legitimate concern for a book claiming to be a comprehensive guide. The outdated quality of some information is also noted, golf’s rules and equipment landscape have evolved, and a 2018 self-published guide may not reflect current standards in all areas. Several reviewers recommend it as a quick overview rather than a definitive resource, and that is the spirit in which it should be approached.
Who Should Listen to How to Play Golf for Beginners
Absolute newcomers, people who have never played and need a fast orientation before their first round or lesson. The book will not teach you to swing a club or develop a short game, but it will give you the vocabulary, rules framework, and etiquette awareness to participate in the game without being completely lost. Anyone who already plays at any level will find nothing here they don’t already know. If you’re looking for something more comprehensive for a beginner, pairing this with an actual lesson and a more detailed rules resource will produce better results than this book alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does How to Play Golf for Beginners cover the actual mechanics of the golf swing?
Not in any meaningful depth. The book covers shot types, distance shots, approach shots, putts, effect shots like slice and draw, but in conceptual terms rather than as swing instruction. If you want to learn how to physically swing a club, you need a lesson with a professional or a dedicated swing instruction resource.
How current is the information in this book given it was published in 2018?
Some reviewers flag outdated content as a concern. Golf’s rules underwent a significant revision in 2019, so any rules content from a 2018 book may not reflect the current rulebook. The etiquette and terminology sections age better, but the rules material specifically should be cross-referenced with the current USGA or R&A rules.
Is the 1 hour and 4 minute runtime long enough to actually learn the basics of golf?
For an absolute orientation, vocabulary, scoring, basic etiquette, equipment types, yes. For anything resembling a complete understanding of the game, no. Think of it as the minimum viable overview rather than a comprehensive education. Most reviewers who found it useful treated it as a quick-reference companion rather than a standalone learning resource.
Are the grammatical errors noted by multiple reviewers present in the audio version as well?
Grammatical errors in the source text would carry through to any narrated version, since the narrator reads what is written. Reviewer CJS specifically notes that the errors are distracting even in an otherwise useful beginner resource, suggesting they are noticeable enough to affect the listening experience.
