So you decided to start playing golf, and be the next Tiger Woods? Well, you're mot alone. Golf's popularity is exploding, and not only in the US. This great game is one of the most challenging and rewarding ones around. It gives all of us the opportunity to see who we really are. If you play for a few years, you'll know what I mean by that.

If you are starting out with golf, after you get your clubs and balls, the next thing you should be looking at is getting a good pair of golf shoes. If you think you can stroll into the golf course with a pair of tennis or basketball shoes, you will soon find out that most of the golf clubs won't allow you to enter the course with anything other that a good pair of golf shoes. You should check with them even before you're first visit to make sure you show up properly equipped.

They do that to protect the grass from being harmed by inappropriate shoes. But beyond that, it's your best interest to get a pair of great golf shoes to begin with.

You see, the heart of the game is the swing, and in order to get a great golf swing you need to be standing properly. You simply can't get the best swing if you're shoes are sliding and don't have a proper grip in the ground. Take into account the fact that you'll be hitting the ball on all kinds of slopes and angles, as the golf course is "natural" and not necessarily a plain. Golf shoes are especially designed to provide you with a great ground grip while you swing.

You can find golf shoes with soft spikes as well as hard spikes. The soft spikes are in many cases the ones that are preferred by the golf club, as they don't hard the grass, and you can use them in the club area, too. The hard spikes shoes may provide better traction, but in mast cases they are less comfortable. These should be left for pro's (maybe you'll be one of them one day).

Choosing your golf shoes is as easy as going to a golf equipment store or even going online and ordering it via the Internet. Golf shoes used to have a very boring look, but in the last years golf shoes manufacturers have gone a long way to improve their look and make them much more appealing to the eye.

Before you choose your shoes, ask yourself - are you going to walk the course or are you going to use a cart? It you're going to walk, make sure your new pair of golf shoes are comfortable. You are going to walk a few hours with them, so make sure you won't need a stretcher at the end of the game. If you are going to use the cart, you can go for a pair that looks good, even if it's less comfortable.