I think the guys above have given you good advice - having lessons is key, from a pro and not one of your mates, it'll cost you a few quid but it'll stop you developing bad habits. You'll find (as said above) accuracy is better than distance i.e. 175 yds on the short stuff is better than 250 yds in the jungle - for that reason I never carried any irons longer than a 5 - I mostly used a 3 wood from the tee and should I stray with that a 5 & 7 wood with their shorter shafts are better, easier to use tools than long irons from the first cut of rough. Using the above got me down to a 14 h'cap fairly quickly - good luck with it.
PS If you aren't gonna play regular, you're probably wasting your time.