backyard golf

Golf is a classic game designed for you to spend time outdoors in a moderately peaceful manner. This is why it is perfect for your children as it is a compromise between what you want them to do which is calm down and act as adults, and what they want to do which is run around. The following 5 steps will help you create a unique backyard golf course for endless hours of fun.

Involve your children

Your children will eagerly take on this project and you can make it into your weekend family activity. Since they are the ones who will be using your golf course the most, ask them about their opinion on the layout as well as what their favorite obstacles are. They will, later on, assist you in the making of the obstacles as much as you judge they can, with your supervision of course.

Make a plan

Mow your lawn neatly so you can place the obstacles. See whether there are any natural features of the terrain you can use. Measure out your prospective backyard golf course and decide how many holes you want to have.

Determine the size of the patch designated for each hole. You can also make a portable version of a mini golf course using a medium density fiberboard and take it indoors if the weather is bad.

Obtain tools and materials

Since this is a family project, you want to keep it simple. The tools required for the job are your basic gardening equipment, namely a shovel, a hoe or a spade and a trowel. You will also need a saw and possibly a hammer. The materials you need are some sand, several 2-by-4s of different lengths depending on the number of holes and obstacles, some PVC pipes, a couple of flowerpots, some cardboard, several planks, bricks and a bag of sand.

Building the course and obstacles

Use 2-by-4s and bricks to delineate the holes. Dig holes in the ground for the sand traps. Burry a couple of shallow plastic containers and fill them with water to pose for the water hazard. Do the same with clay flower pots to make the holes.  You can create an underground tunnel by burying some of the PVC pipes in the ground. Also, you can use them to make overpasses.

Use 4 bricks to create two columns of the overpass and place a pipe on them horizontally. Cut the planks so as to imitate roads leading to and from the overpass. Another one you can make is a ramp which is made out of several bricks, depending on its size, and a plank leaning onto them. Use the rest of the bricks to create additional obstacles.

Create an authentic experience

Day two of your project is two take your children to a golf lesson. Swingeagle says that it is all about the swing, so have them practice that. They will feel like it’s a big deal if they learn a couple of basic moves before they get to try them out in their backyard. After that, take them to a store and buy the flags, balls, putters, and irons. Of course, you are looking for cheap amateur equipment. If they are ok with it, you can even get them a plastic toy golf set.

A backyard golf course will enable you to spend quality time with your family while building it, as well as many more fun hours while playing the game. The best thing about it is that it can be entirely done as a DIY project and on a frugal budget.

The ultimate backyard golf course

For those looking to go bigger than mini-golf or a simple pitch and put set up, find inspiration in Rob Nixon’s 27-hole masterpiece near Brisbane, Australia. Including the expansive golf course, Nixon’s set up boasts a clubhouse, a pro shop, and even a whiskey lounge!

Learn more about the epic Yarravale Golf Club in this 2020 issue of Australian Golf Digest.


CK Vango originally published this post in November of 2017. It has been subsequently edited, enhanced, and republished to include new information.