Take three lessons, spend a few hours at the range and then go out. You can’t possibly be any worse than at least half the hackers out there, who have never taken a lesson in their lives.
That said, you should do the following. When you reach ten strokes on a hole without reaching the green, pick up the ball and place it somewhere near the hole. Putt out from there. Also, be sure to move quickly to the ball and be ready to hit when it is your turn. Keep the practice swings to ONE.
There are two sins in golf: being a bad player, and being a slow player. Try not to commit both at the same time. People will forgive bad play if you proceed quickly.
