A lot of golfers, when they’re first starting to play the game, can’t justify the cost or time investment to take proper lessons. As time wears on they develop bad habits and poor swings and their games spiral out of control.
Remember that old habits die hard so the longer you wait to get proper instruction the worse things are going to get.
If you’re interested in taking golf lessons start by checking with your local golf course. Their resident golf pro might offer lessons to the public. If not, you might want to try calling any area driving ranges and see if they have lessons available.
Most places offering golf lessons have individual and group plans. If you’re worried about embarrassing yourself (or others) you might want to go with the private lesson. It’ll probably be more expensive but you’ll also get more out of it.