What grade of golf net to buy

Hi guys,

First post so bear with me!

I have been trawling through several threads here and other websites, with the intention of manufacturing a homemade practice area, complete with a mat and hitting net.  The main thread I am looking at was:

http://thesandtrap.com/t/61277/diy-golf-net-anyone-else-built-one

I have ordered my mat and will be able to grab whatever else is needed, e.g. PVC tubing and boards, etc. - my father is pretty handy, so between the 2 of us we will be able to make something pretty easily.  I am not keen on spending a fortune on an off-the-shelf net as I would only be playing off 22-25 at absolute best.

The only thing I am struggling with, is knowing what type of netting I need to buy?  What thickness of weave, what size of mesh, knotted or woven, etc. will I need for it?  I would like to be able to drive the ball into it (obviously from short range) so I imagine I will need a fairly small mesh.

Does anyone have any tips on what I am looking for?  Excuse my ignorance, but are there industry standard sizes and types of nets that could help me?

Thanks very much for any help in advance, anything at all will be greatly appreciated!

CK

If you have a army surplus store, or something similar in your area go there and look at their netting. That stuff will last longer than the white , cloth looking stuff.

Once you get your netting set up, establish an area where the ball will be impacting the netting. Take a towel (bigger is better) and attach it t your hitting area. What the towel does is it protects the netting in that area from constant ball impacts. The towel will also prevent the ball from squeezing through the netting should it stretch a little.  I have yet to see any netting last very long after continually being hit in the same area by a golf ball.

Another idea I might suggest is to also build yourself a 2X4 frame that will accommodate  a one, or two pieces of actual grass sod. Yeah, you will have to change out the sod after repeated swings off of it, but it give you better results, and feed back than hitting off a mat. i used sod to hit off off, and I was buying 4-6 pieces a month.

You can also use another 2X4 frame to put sand in to practice that part of your game.

Enjoy your new project.

this ^

I have a simple mesh shade tarp (Target, Home Depot, whatever) and then also hang a blanket in front of that for the same reason.  Works perfectly.

Let the bottom of the net and blanket hang free (net long enough to have about 2 feet drag on the ground/floor, blanket should be suspended and not touch the ground).  If the net is tight, it'll puncture easier, if it's loose, then energy dissipation is much easier and the blanket catches your ball too - not just blocking it.

here's mine from a good thread about it

http://thesandtrap.com/t/53895/hitting-into-a-net/162#post_799690

In retrospect, I think they are all too over thought (mine too).  Just hang a couple blankets from about anything and it's fine and inexpensive.

I know you said you've already ordered a mat but if its just an off the shelf one it won't last long. I have an area set up in my back yard for hitting wiffle balls and chipping (no net) and have gone through several mats. The best I've found so far are on http://www.dwquailgolf.com/ they are a little pricey but will probably have 10x the life span, and they are thick if your mat is on concrete and the mat isn't thick enough you'll hit right through it.

Cheers Jon, I have read this but I got a good deal (hopefully!) through eBay on a high quality mat, so hopefully it will last a while.

Another question with regards to mounting the mat, the mat has an 18mm pile.  What should I attach this to - should I attach it straight on to a wooden board, or would you recommend having a layer of something more forgiving between the mat and wood?  From scouring the internet people do different things.  Ideally I would be building a 'portable' tee box I can easily set up and pack away when I need.

What would you recommend?

CK

I've tried a couple of the cheaper nets and in all honesty they're not great. The decent looking nets are just too expensive. I've changed to hitting into a sheet which has worked well but was a half baked attempt to get me by, it lasted way longer than the cheap nets, but is now starting to tear at the edges where I cut it to suit.

Next try is a builders dust sheet which I'm going to double over and wonderweb together, these are dirt cheap, massive and look like they will do the job well.

Photography screens are also pretty cheap but not sure how strong they are.

If this doesn't work I'll think about a heavy duty screen or thick curtain.

Another thing to watch for with the finished product is to make sure your standing area is the same height as your hitting area. You want to simulate a good fairway lie. I have heard of folks building their own hitting station, and their feet were more than a inch below their hitting area. When they would play on a real course, they would need to make an adjustment to get back to a level playing field...so to speak.

When I made mine it was level for the most part, but I also incorporated a standing area that I could adjust to simulate other than level lies. Side hill lies, and/or  up/down hill lies etc .......

If the mat is 18mm (approx 3/4") then it should be significantly thick enough that you don't have to put anything between the mat and the board, I use my mat on top of pavers so its not attached, just throw it down and good to go, but its large 24" x 36". If your going to be using it atop of grass you definitely would want to mount it to something stable. I'd say 1/2-3/4" plywood any thinner and the plywood will be too flimsy, just buy some contact cement in a spray can and use that to adhere it.

Don't buy the Callaway golf net from Target. I hate hatin' on products, but I had the thing up for three weeks and the fiberglass rods snapped in several places from normal wear and tear of just hitting balls, mostly at half speed, into the thing. I'm thinking of building my own now as well because I don't want to drop $150 or more on something I can build with PVC pipe and netting from Home Depot for a fraction of the cost.

I replaced those fiberglass rods with 1/2" PVC pipe and it only cost $5*** or less if you already have the glue. It costs very little to replace when you smash them as well.

***Complete fiberglass replacement, not just a patch. If you patch it it could only cost $2.00?

We must be thinking about a different net. How did you get 1/2" PVC pipe to bend with the same tension rate as the stuff that came with the net? Anyway, I dumped the thing and plan on buying PVC pipe and a net from Home Depot and making one myself. I don't like buying things and then needing to jury-rig them a few weeks later if I can do better myself. The Target product was around $50 and I can get the raw materials for $20 and make a weekend project out of building one, which I enjoy anyway.

I used a heat gun and some 120 degree fittings plus 1/2" pipe is pretty flexible. The net did not exactly look the same as before, and it finally died in one of my videos (it was getting holes anyway). I have another solution for the net at this point when I do use it.

Your solution sounds really good too. You can also get professional grade nets from D W Quail.

I spent about $260 for my 10'x10'x10' structure, and use cheap sunscreen cloth to cover it. It works really well though. . .

I found a wool blanket from an Army/navy store  made a very satisfying thump when I hit it.