Do you have a beginner golfer on your gift list this year? Somebody who is just starting to play golf or who has been at it for less than a year? Funny how a person could play the game for a year and still be considered a beginner isn't it?

Well the game is pretty complex and there is much to learn. Add to that the fact that most amateurs play on the weekend and that there are only 30 to 35 weekends where the weather is decent enough to play and you can see that the opportunities to learn the game by playing it are limited.

That doesn't mean that the newbie golfer won't get in some practice during the week. Maybe he or she stops off at a driving range after work and hits a bucket or two. Maybe they practice chipping in the back yard or the local park. Some have been known to turn their living room rug into a practice putting green. Once bitten by the golf bug, beginners will go out of there way to better their game.

But there's a problem with that.

Imagine for a moment you receive a brand new state of the art surround sound stereo system for your family room. You're delighted. You can just imagine how this is going to turn the room into a real entertainment center. But there's a problem. No instructions came with the system.

Now you have two choices. First you can try to put it together yourself. You can see by the picture on the box what it is supposed to look like assembled. You know that the speakers are connected by wires. So by trial and error you start assembling the system. Maybe you just get too frustrated and give up. Maybe you get it half right, and while it's not perfect, you're too confused to do better so you just accept it.

The second choice of course is to call a professional in to put the system together. When he's done the system is everything you thought it might be and more. Again you're delighted. You had to pay a couple of bucks to get it done but the end result is perfect.

Now to the new golfer, that surround sound system is the same as the set of clubs he bought. He or she has the same two choices to "put together" their golf game. They can watch Tiger, go to the range, get bad advice from their golf buddies, or they can go to a pro.

Golf lessons are the absolute best gift a beginner golfer can get.

You can be the one who changes your golfer's game. You can be the one that gets the thanks when he or she finally breaks 100.

There are two ways to get effective lessons. One's pretty pricey the other not so much.

One on one lessons from a PGA Teaching Pro are the best route to go and they can be found at most golf courses. However, be prepared to pay $50 to $100 for an hour of instruction.

The second best approach is to find those PGA Pros teaching via media such as DVDs or audio files. It's not the same as having immediate feedback from a live pro but then you can always rerun the lesson which is something you can't do with a live lesson. Pricing for a complete step by step course typically runs $40 to $75.

All golfers, beginners and veterans have a passion to play better golf. The ultimate goal is to score lower than they did the last time out. You can accelerate your beginner's game by giving the training that will result in a better game. They'll love you for it!