I'm strongly considering The Bentley for my backyard. Anyone with experience or tips with these?

http://www.sportnetting.com/products...s_bentley.html

I've read good things about sportnetting.com and I've got a side yard that is just big enough to fit this with a little room. I think the netting and cage will work well in my backyard. The only concern I have is where to put the mat. I'm afraid I'll have a lumpy mat due to the fact that I'd be placing it on grass instead of on a hard surface, such as concrete.

Any tips?

Thanks in advance!

Oh, I turned 40 today, so please be generous with your tips / experiences with these things.

If you are worried about a lumpy mat, go get a piece of 3/4" plywood that is a bit bigger than the mat, and put some weigh on it for a few days. If you dont care about that part of the grass then leave it, if not you might want to move the plywood after you are done hitting.

It looks nice but its 1,100 bucks. I could build one of those for probably under 100 bucks

A frame could be built for under $100 with ease. Finding quality netting is where the expense adds up, and it's strictly a case by case basis...some of you might know just where to buy it, others are like me and have no idea, ending up at the local Ace or Lowe's and paying wayyyy too much.

Congrats on 40, and best of luck with whatever you decide. As for the concrete issues, I think you would be just fine with tossing a piece of plywood down before each "session." Leaving for any amount of time though could cause irrepairable damage to the sod.

That’s a lot of money for a practice set-up. But if that really isn’t a lot of money then I say go for it.

Minus the swing speed radar, I built my practice set-up for one-quarter the price.

As for handling the “lumpy mat” situation… I recommend constructing a sand pit in which the mat will fit nicely.

What I did was this: I measured my mat and cut 2x6 planks to frame the mat (I used wood screws to fasten the frame together). Next I dug a pit so that the wood frame would fit flush to the ground. Back-fill the outside part of the fame so that it is secure in the earth. I filled the framed pit with sand so that the mat rests on top of the sand and so that it is flush with both the top of the frame and ground.

This sand pit serves a few purposes: first, you can practice your bunker play – be it either greenside or fairway. Second, hitting out of the sand allows you to work on developing a balanced swing. Third, when you do place your mat on the sand’s surface you are able to hit down on the ball while the substratum sand provides a cushion.

http://www.gourock.com/

Can't you just get the netting and a mat?

This netting was in a previous post and costs only $250.

I guess I should post this for the OP – and I’ll take ten percent of the savings.

http://gourock.com/golfcages_multi-use.html

The big thing for me is I need it to look nice in my backyard, not thrown together with crap materials. Some of those cheaper alternatives look like they will work, but also do not look as sturdy or nice. I live in a neighborhood where I may have trouble with an association about this, and the better and more professionally built it looks, the better chance I can get away with it. If it looks like a half-ass attempt at a golf cage, it will really attract the ire of the association.

Fortunately, I live on the end next to a forest-greenbelt area with no neighbors that will really notice this, so I might just get away with it. But to be sure, I want it to look appealing and not weak/flimsy and somewhat trashy.

The cheaper units just don't look as nice. Perhaps sportnetting.com has used camera tricks to make their product look more appealing, when it really is not. Before I decide, you can bet I'll be asking sportnetting for many more pics than just the one that is provided with the ad.

The way I look at the price - the club I'm a member at, which is the only close driving range to my home, charges $14 for a bucket of 100 balls. After I hit 100 buckets in my net, I'll have more than paid for the net and cage. I'll still go to the driving range occasionally, but with the net/cage, I can hit in my backyard anytime all the time. I'm grilling out steaks, and I hit 20 or 30. I'm letting the dog out, I hit 10 or 20.

I just see it as something I'll use a TON, and I don't mind doing it right, whatever the cost.

That's just it, though. I want to do it right.

Do you have any pics of this setup? I like your concept.

i know what you mean that you want it to look professional, I understand. I have a net in my backyard, its not a full cage around you but its a golf hitting net that I bought. While I use it for practicing getting the correct motions in my swing from lessons I usually go to the real driving range after I have hit a few balls on it becuase hitting into a net gets a little old after awhile. You dont see the ball fly and you cant take a divot so really the only reason I use it is when I am first trying a new adjustment in my swing. its like being at the golf store and they let you hit one of their clubs. You get a feel for the club but thats about it, you dont want to stand there hitting a bucket of 50 balls or anything

Saw this in an earlier thread, and if the shipping costs (plus import VAT, etc) to Europe weren't so expensive it's the one I'd order: http://www.thenetreturn.com/net-return-assembly.html

No question that if I were back in the States and had the room that we'd have one...

What does one do for a tee if using the mat to practice the Driver?

http://www.skillbuilder.com/golf/ind...Path/55_65_112


I purchased my net from here, 200 gets you the net and the metal corners, then you head to your local hardware store and pick up 12 pcs of emt. easy to assemble, you can pick up a mat and other accessories from them as well, then just spray paint the emt and corners black, and you're set.