Your co-workers seize the opportunity to hit the golf course for the first time this year. They ask you to tag along. You tell them you've never played before and you don't have any good golf equipment to play with. They'll loan you a club or two while you're there. Like a fool, you take them up on their kind offer. Later you wonder if they were just being polite.

You go with them but you're nervous because even though you've never played before you don't want them to know how stupid your swing is. But you keep telling yourself that they're not expecting you to outperform them. In fact, if you do, your comment that you've never played before will be highly suspect.

You arrive for your 6:25 tee time. You've already met one of your foursome for coffee and he's reassured you that you'll pick up the game in no time at all. You're understandably nervous.

After a few nasty slices and numerous putts while on the 3rd, 4th and 7th holes, you begin to get the hang of things, well, sort of. Unfortunately, seven foursomes have already played through. You score 83, not bad for your first nine holes. You wonder when this nightmare of a Saturday morning will end.

But between the thirteenth and seventeenth hole, something has changed. You seem more relaxed. You're not hitting the ball any better but you're more at ease. Then to the surprise of your wearisome threesome, you say, "hey, I kind of like this game."

The bug has hit you. You will forever be changed. No one can explain it. No one can remove it (and why would you want them to)?

For your next go at it, you'll need the right equipment. You'll need drivers, irons, wedges, putters, balls, shoes, and instruction. But you also realize that you don't need to buy it all at once. Maybe you'll pick up one of each at the upcoming yard sales in town. But you really don't want to be caught buying a set of irons from a sale, do you? Why not? You're just learning so why not go cheap for now. You keep telling yourself that this bug could go away and if it does, you'd be down $1400 if you had gone out and bought new.

A trip to the local pro shop can be intimidating if you haven't quite figured it all out yet. If for whatever reason you have never been able to buy golf equipment in the past, here are many kinds of products and services on the market: golf tees, balls, golf clubs, shirts, shoes,drivers, training, putters, wedges, and woods. We can take it up a notch and try to decide which golf courses are the best for you (private or public) and how you should learn how to play.

Here's a common question you can answer to make your job a little easier: how often do you think you'll be playing the game? Daily, weekly, monthly, somewhere in between. What are your long term plans? A hobby? Just goofing around? Golf doesn't have to be expensive. Golf equipment, though, is expensive when you add it all up..

Of course if money is not a problem, then you'd already be at the nearest pro shop with the latest and greatest in links attire and quality golf equipment. But that's not why you came onto this site.

So now you've dcided that you want to play golf a couple times weekly when the weather's starting out. If you've never played before, buying the latest Tiger Woods or Ernie Els or Johnny Miller designer golf gear will cost you a lot. You could end up like Mark Twain who said, "Golf is just a long walk ruined." Twain was never shy about his words.

Play the game a few times to see if you have "the bug" or not. Ask those who play golf regularly exactly when (not if) they got the bug. When you catch that infamous bug, that's the time to look for solid (and more expensive) golf equipment. Then you can't have enough.

Our next piece of advice is to purchase a few items: golf tees, balls, a driver, and a putter. You don't need the fancy shoes, gloves, shirts, or fancy anything else. Get them all later after you get the bug.

Find the best instructor you can afford in your area.Take a few lessons before going on a n equipment smorgasborg. To play golf well, you need superior lessons on the course. Asking your pals to teach you can get obnoxious for all involved. That is, if you want to keep them as pals... Why not totally knock their socks off the next time you play a full round with them?

Next we will discuss how to find the best golf equipment (and cheap).

A standard set of clubs includes a total of three woods (1, 3, and 5), eight irons (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and a Pitching Wedge-PW), and last but not least, a faithful putter - twelve clubs in total.

The rules state that you can carry fourteen clubs in your bag, so many golfers add a specialty wood or another iron.

You use woods to slam the ball towards the tee. It's the muscle club. Zero finesse. No subtlety. All power. All distance.

Irons: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and Pitching Wedge. Use irons to get the ball closer after it's reached the fairway or a comfortable spot within 200 years of the green. Not much finesse with irons. Cross between power and control.

Your trusty putter. You use it when the ball is on the green. It's a subtle club. No distance. No reason to slam the ball. It's all about finesse.