How to Make a Golf Net Out of PVC

Want to practice your golf swing anytime you like, without a trip to the driving range? Building your own golf net out of PVC is a durable, budget-friendly solution that puts quality practice sessions right in your backyard. This guide will walk you through sourcing your materials and assembling the frame, step-by-step. Get ready to build your personal practice station and start grooving that swing.

Why Build a PVC Golf Net?

There are plenty of pre-made golf nets on the market, but taking the DIY route with PVC offers some unique advantages. For one, it’s incredibly cost-effective. You can build a large, sturdy frame for a fraction of the cost of a comparable commercial model. It’s also completely customizable. You can build it to the exact dimensions that fit your space, whether it's a spacious yard or a single-car garage.

PVC is strong enough to handle repeated impacts, yet lightweight enough to be moved or disassembled if needed. Best of all, this project is straightforward. You don’t need to be a master builder, if you can follow simple instructions and handle basic tools, you can have your own golf net built in an afternoon.

Gathering Your Materials and Tools

Before you start building, a quick trip to the hardware store is in order. Getting all your components together first will make the assembly process smooth and efficient. We will be building a 10-foot wide by 7-foot tall by 5-foot deep cage-style frame, which is a great all-around size. It provides plenty of hitting area and is very stable.

Materials You'll Need

• PVC Pipe: Look for 1.5-inch diameter, Schedule 40 PVC pipe. It's the standard for this kind of project - sturdy and widely available. You'll need about 68 feet in total to create the 10' x 7' x 5' frame. It's often sold in 10-foot lengths, so grabbing seven or eight should suffice.
• PVC Fittings (1.5-inch): The secret to this simple design is using (8) 3-way corner fittings. These are sometimes called side-outlet elbows and they make building a cube shape incredibly easy.
• Golf Netting: The most important component. You need a high-impact, durable golf net that's slightly larger than the front of your frame. For a 10’ x 7’ opening, a 12’ x 10’ net gives you plenty of slack. Do not use a simple sports net or a thin baseball net, it must be specifically rated for golf balls.
• Impact Panel (Highly Recommended): This is the workhorse of your setup. It's a smaller, super-durable piece of netting (e.g., 4' x 5') that you hang in front of the main net. It absorbs the bulk of the ball's energy, dramatically increasing the lifespan of your back net.
• Fasteners: You'll need a way to attach the netting to the frame. Bungee cords are an excellent choice as their elasticity helps absorb impact. Zip ties or heavy-duty velcro straps also work well.
• PVC Primer and Cement (Optional): If you want a rock-solid, permanent structure that will never come apart, a can of PVC primer and cement is a must. If you might want to disassemble it for storage later, you can skip this.

Tools You'll Need

• Tape Measure
• Permanent Marker
• PVC Pipe Cutter (gives cleaner cuts) or a Hacksaw
• Rubber Mallet
• Safety Glasses

Step-by-Step Assembly Instructions

With all your materials and tools at the ready, it's time to build. Find a flat, open space that gives you enough room to work. A driveway, a patch of lawn, or a garage floor is perfect.

Step 1: Cut Your PVC Pipes

Precision here will save you headaches later. Use your tape measure and marker to measure twice and cut once. After cutting, you can smooth any rough edges with a file or sandpaper for a cleaner fit.

For a 10’ wide x 7’ high x 5’ deep frame, you will need the following pieces:

• (4) pieces for the width @ 10 feet each
• (4) pieces for the height @ 7 feet each
• (4) pieces for the depth @ 5 feet each

Step 2: Construct the Base

Start by building the bottom rectangle of your frame. Lay two of your 10-foot pipes and two of your 5-foot pipes on the ground. Take four of your 3-way corner fittings and connect the pipes, making sure the third, open socket of each fitting is pointing straight up towards the sky. Use your rubber mallet to gently but firmly tap each pipe into the fitting. You should now have a solid 10’ x 5’ rectangle lying on the ground.

Step 3: Insert the Vertical Uprights

Now it's time to give your frame some height. Take your four 7-foot pipes and insert one into each of the upward-facing openings on the corner fittings of your base. Tap each one with the mallet until it is fully seated in the fitting. Your hitting cage is really starting to take shape now!

Step 4: Attach the Top Frame

With your four uprights standing tall, place the remaining four 3-way fittings on top of them. Orient them so that the open sockets face inward, ready to form the top rectangle. Connect your remaining two 10-foot pipes for the width and your two remaining 5-foot pipes for the depth. A few final taps with the mallet, and your PVC frame is complete. Give it a gentle shake to make sure all connections are snug.

Step 5: Cement the Joints (Optional)

If you've decided on a permanent setup, now is the time to apply the PVC cement. It’s best to work one joint at a time. Pull a pipe out of its fitting, apply the purple primer to both the outside of the pipe and the inside of the fitting, then quickly apply the cement and push them back together with a slight twist. This stuff sets fast, so be prepared! Always work in a well-ventilated area.

Installing the Netting

The frame is done, but the job's not finished until the netting is properly installed. The goal here is dampening, not rebounding. A loose, hanging net absorbs energy, a tight net acts like a trampoline and can shoot the ball right back at you.

Step 1: Drape the Main Net

Drape your primary golf net over the frame and let it hang loosely inside the cage. It's very important that the net is not taut. You want it to have plenty of slack, especially at the bottom where it should bunch up on the ground. This creates a soft landing that collects the balls neatly after you hit.

Step 2: Fasten the Net to the Frame

Using your bungees or zip ties, start by securing the top two corners of the net to the frame’s top bar. Then secure the bottom corners. From there, fill in the rest of the attachment points along the top bar, the side uprights, and the bottom bar. Keep the tension even, and always prioritize looseness in the main hitting area.

Step 3: Hang Your Impact Panel

To really protect your investment, hang your smaller, heavy-duty impact panel in the center of the cage. Attach it only along its top edge to the top-front PVC pipe, about a foot or so in front of the back net. This ensures it hangs freely and can take the full force of your shot, saving your larger, more expensive back net from unnecessary wear and tear.

Pro Tips for Your PVC Golf Net Setup

As a coach, I know that having the gear is only half the story. Using it effectively is what helps you improve. Here are a few final pointers to get the most out of your new setup.

• Find a Safe Location: Set up on a flat, level surface. Position the net so that even a badly shanked shot won't hit anything valuable. Check for any overhead obstacles like tree branches or power lines.
• Add Some Weight: If your net is outdoors, place a few sandbags or heavy weights on the bottom bars of the frame. This will keep it from toppling over on a windy day.
• Inspect Your Net Regularly: Make it a habit to check both your impact panel and back net for any signs of fraying or holes. A small hole can quickly become a big one, so it’s best to catch it early.
• Practice with Purpose: Your home setup is an amazing tool for improvement. Don’t just flail away at balls. Use it to work on specific parts of your swing - your takeaway, your impact position, your tempo. Ten focused swings are worth more than fifty mindless ones.

Final Thoughts

Building a PVC golf net is a satisfying project that provides a ticket to convenient and consistent practice. By following these steps, you've created a durable, reliable practice station that gives you the freedom to work on your game whenever you want, without the time commitment or expense of heading to the range.

While your home net is perfect for grooving swing mechanics, taking that improved swing to the course introduces new challenges like strategy and decision-making. That's why I created Caddie AI. When you're standing on an unfamiliar tee box or facing a tough lie, the app gives you the same kind of straightforward, confident advice you’d get from a professional caddie, right on your phone. It helps you connect your hard work at home with smarter play on the course.