Tee Time : More and More Beginning to Get Into the Swing . . .

This side of being swallowed whole by the fairway or becoming a temporary conductor for a lightning bolt, a golfer’s worst fear is the whiff.

Evelyn Cross of Anaheim Hills met the whiff one Saturday afternoon, her spikes firmly planted on the driving range of the Birch Hills Golf Course in Brea. Staring down at a striped ball that dared her to strike, she brought forward her 5-iron with enough force to slam the ball into the distant 250-yard marker.

A swing and a . . . whiff.

No dented 250-yard marker, just a tiny dimpled ball laughing at her from it’s tiny tee perch.

“It’s a humbling game,” said Steve Hookano, assistant teaching professional at Costa Mesa Golf Course. “But it also holds the promise of perfection with every swing. That’s what keeps people coming back for more.”

And so, Cross prepared to swing again.

Whiff.

Golf is a cruel excuse for a game, and yet it has never been more popular in Orange County. Area courses are loaded with players of both sexes, all sizes and varying talent. The game’s lure is rooted in the rugged individualism it demands. A player must rely on himself or herself--there is no one to pass the putter to.

“It’s you against the course, and the course usually wins, “ Hookano said. “But every now and then you do something that makes you feel like you’re the master.”

And so, Cross addressed the ball once more and swung. She hit the ball, which took a hard right off the tee and skidded about 25 yards before stopping near a gathering of its cousins.

And suddenly, as far as Evelyn Cross was concerned, everything was right with the world. The sun was shining and she was outdoors and active. Life was wonderful as were the people around her. She eagerly bent down to grab another ball.

Cross is one of that constantly growing flock known as golfing beginners. “When it comes to golf, we’re all beginners,” said Bob Hawlings, a 30-year rookie from Anaheim. That aside, there are basically two ways to start.

You can borrow some clubs, pay the greens fee and use the hit-and-whiff method, by which you try to figure out: How to hit? When to hit? Who should hit? And finally, what am I doing here? This is no way to get into the game.

The other method has you plunking down about $30 at your local public golf course for six, hourlong, weekly group lessons designed to teach you the basics. You’ll hit balls from a driving range tee. You’ll chip balls onto a practice green. You’ll pitch, you’ll putt and, most important, you’ll learn patience.

“It’s the key ingredient of golf. You can’t enjoy the game if you’re not patient,” said Bill Huss, head teaching professional at Anaheim’s Dad Miller Golf Course.

But weekly lessons aren’t enough. In between instruction, beginners should hit the driving range and they should practice their putting.

“No one learns the game overnight,” Huss said. “Like anything else, you’ve got to work at it. And more than other things, you’ve got to be willing to take your time.”

Which you should do on the practice tee, not the course. The most common complaint about beginning golfers is that they take too long. Practice swing follows practice swing on the fairway, putts are lined up from every possible direction on the green.

“I’ve got people screaming in my ear about beginners every day,” said Bill Gainey, afternoon manager at Willowick Golf Course in Santa Ana. “I think one of the big problems is the pros on television. The pros are the slowest players in the world. People see that and figure that’s the way they are supposed to play.

“You’ll see these guys with the putter up to their eyes, lining up a five-foot putt. They don’t know what they’re doing, but they saw Nicklaus do it.”

Apparently, though, people watch the pros’ swings but ignore their manner.

Etiquette. In most sports the word doesn’t exist.

Pardon me , Bill. I was wondering if I might get by here and maul your quarterback. By the way, how’s the family?

But so important is etiquette in golf that it receives top billing in the United States Golf Assn.’s, Rules of Golf. There it is, Section I: Etiquette.

It deals from behavior of the individual--when to leave the green, who should hit first--to the care of the course--replacing divots and placement of golf carts.

Recently, during a group lesson at Birch Hills, teaching pro Steve LaBarge told his pledges:

“Next week is a lesson that deals with etiquette. Now, most people think since this lesson doesn’t deal with the golf swing, it’s a week to take off. But as far as I’m concerned, it’s probably the most important lesson we’ll have.

“It will allow you to enjoy the game much more. I know I’d much rather know how to act and what to do on a golf course, than just how to swing a club.”

Speaking of which, where do you buy a set of decent clubs without divesting yourself of major property holdings? Some of the best places to look are swap meets and pawn shops.

“The swap meet usually has clubs that were top of the line a few years ago,” Gainey said. “They’re usually still very good clubs. If you go to the pawn shop, you sometimes stumble on a great set of clubs that someone had to sell because he went into debt or just went through a divorce.”

There has always been the pro shop, and increasingly, discount golf suppliers. The pro shop can provide top-of-the-line equipment with personal service. Some also have a plenty of used equipment. The discount suppliers can offer most of what the pro shops do, but usually for less.

“You might trust a certain pro and he might be familiar with your game, so you buy from his pro shop,” Gainey said.

But in many discount shops you will find areas to hit with clubs. Video cameras are often available to help in analyzing your swing and determining what clubs you need.

The most important thing is to buy only what you need: clubs, a USGA Rules of Golf and maybe a glove. Hit a few times, and if you feel this is something you want to do, invest in some spikes. If the addiction grows, then knock yourself out with visors, flashy club bags, head covers in the shape of cute, furry animals . . .

But, patience. Remember the whiff.