Ava Romero
Ladder golf, also known as Ladder Ball, Hillbilly Golf, Testicle Toss, Balls-a-Danglin, and many other names, is a lawn game played by throwing bolas (two balls connected by a string) onto a ladder. The game is simple: you throw bolas at the opposing ladder, and depending on which rung the bola wraps around, you get a certain number of points. You can easily make your own ladder golf game at home using PVC pipe, lumber, rope, and golf balls.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Game Name | Ladder Golf, Ladder Toss, Drunkin' Ladder Golf, Hillbilly Golf, Ladder Ball, etc. |
| Game Equipment | Rope, twine, golf balls, PVC pipe, lumber, wood screws, wing screws, dowels, wood glue, nails, nail gun, miter saw, etc. |
| Game Rules | Throw bolas (two golf balls attached to a rope) at an opposing ladder. Each rung on the ladder is worth a different number of points. The first team to 21 points wins. |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
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Building the ladder
Using the miter saw, cut the lumber to the desired lengths to create the uprights, legs, and blocks for the ladder structure. The uprights should be 42 inches tall, the leg pieces should be 24 inches long, and the blocks should be 6 inches long. You will need two 42-inch uprights, four 24-inch leg pieces, and four 6-inch blocks.
To create a decorative detail on the legs, set your miter saw to 45 degrees and clip 1 inch from the top corner of each end of the leg pieces. The legs will be made from three "layers", creating a slot in the middle to hold the uprights securely.
Now, it's time to assemble the layers of the legs. Place one 24-inch leg piece flat on your work surface. Center a scrap block as a placeholder, running perpendicular to the length of the leg piece. Place a 6-inch block on each side of the scrap piece and apply wood glue between the blocks and the leg piece. Use a nail gun to shoot 1-inch nails through each block and into the leg piece. Repeat this process to attach the remaining blocks to the other three leg pieces.
With the legs assembled, you can now attach the uprights. Slide the uprights into the slots created by the layers of the legs and secure them using wing screws. Thread the wing screws through the holes in the uprights and into the adjacent end of the legs.
Your ladder structure is now complete, and you can move on to creating the bolas (two golf balls connected by a string) and painting the ladder, if desired.
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Making the bolas
To make the bolas for a DIY ladder golf game, you will need 6 golf balls of one colour and 6 golf balls of another colour. You will also need some twine or rope.
Drill a hole through the centre of each golf ball. Then, cut your twine or rope into 6 pieces, each 24 inches long. Thread the twine or rope through the centre of each ball and knot it on both sides so that the balls don't move around. You can make 3 bolas of one colour and 3 of the other, or you could spray paint the golf balls before assembling the bolas to correspond with your favourite sports team.
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Painting the ladder
Once you have cut the 1" dowels for the rungs of the ladder, you can begin to paint them. First, use painter's tape and craft paper to tape off the area of the rungs to be painted. Then, use spray paint to paint the rungs. For the top rung, Behr Vintage Gold spray paint can be used, for the middle rung, Behr Dark Steel, and for the bottom rung, Behr Antique Copper. Be sure to peel off the painter's tape before the paint is completely dry to ensure clean lines.
You can also stain the ladder with outdoor stain to protect it from the elements. Behr makes a variety of outdoor stains and paints that can be used for this purpose.
If you want to paint the golf balls, you can use spray paint or permanent markers. Bher Surf Chalk Paint and Behr Blazing Bonfire are two colours that can be used to differentiate the teams.
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Rules of the game
Ladder golf, also known as ladder ball or ladder toss, is a fun outdoor game that can be played with two or four players, representing two teams. The equipment used is simple: two ladders and six bolas. The ladders each have three rungs and the bolas consist of two golf balls attached by a short rope, with three bolas of each colour.
To set up the game, place the two ladders 15 feet apart, measuring from the base of each ladder. The players or teams should stand on opposite sides of their ladder, with the ladder representing the throw line. Be sure not to drift in front of the ladder when tossing your bola. If playing in teams, stand next to one of your opponents, with your teammate standing with the other opponent at the second ladder.
To determine which team goes first, flip a coin. Each player or team should have three bolas of their colour. When it is your turn, throw one bola at a time at the ladder across from you, aiming for one of the rungs. You can use any type of underhand toss, and you are allowed to bounce bolas off the ground to land them on the rungs. If you are playing in teams, only one team member will toss bolas each round.
Points are scored for each bola hanging from a ladder rung. The top rung is worth 3 points, the middle is worth 2 points, and the bottom is worth 1 point. Any bolas that missed or fell off the ladder are worth 0 points. If you knock an opponent's bola off a ladder rung, they lose the points previously earned.
The object of the game is to be the first team to reach exactly 21 points. In the event of a tie at 21, play continues until one team is two or more points ahead of the other team after a round. If a team exceeds 21 points, all of their points for that round are cancelled, and they return to the total they had at the beginning of the round.
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Variations
Ladder golf is a lawn game where players throw bolas (two balls connected by a string) onto a ladder. The game goes by many names, including "Ladder Ball", "Hillbilly Golf", "Drunkin' Ladder Golf", "Norwegian Golf", "Testicle Toss", and "Balls-a-Danglin". Here are some variations to the game that you can try:
- Rotating Ladder: This variation involves creating a rotating ladder that adds a dynamic element to the game. You can use a larger cross-fitting to prevent the ladder from falling over or wobbling. This variation was shared by a user on Reddit, who named it "Drunkin' Ladder Golf".
- Scoring Variations: While the traditional scoring method awards points based on the rung the bola wraps around, you can introduce variations. For instance, you could have different point values for each rung, such as one point for the bottom rung, two points for the middle rung, and three points for the top rung.
- Team Variations: The standard game involves two teams, with each team consisting of two players. However, you can modify the team structure to suit your needs. For example, you could have a free-for-all with multiple players or create larger teams for a more social dynamic.
- Themed Variations: You can theme your ladder golf game to align with your favourite sports team by using their colours. Paint the golf balls and PVC pipes in the team's colours to show your support and add a unique twist to your game.
- Distance Variations: The standard distance for throwing the bolas is not specified, but you can introduce variations by setting different throwing distances. For example, you could have a longer-distance challenge or a more compact playing area, adjusting the difficulty accordingly.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need lumber, rope, and golf balls. You can also use PVC pipe and twine.
Cut the 1 x 4 uprights, legs, and blocks to length to create two groupings of two 42-inch-tall uprights, four 24-inch-long leg pieces, and four 6-inch-long blocks. Set the miter saw to 45 degrees. To create a decorative detail on the legs, clip 1 inch from the top corner of each end of the leg pieces.
Drill a hole through the center of each golf ball. Thread the rope through two golf balls and tie two knots 22 inches apart to secure the balls. Repeat to create five additional bolas.
Throw the bolas at the opposing ladder. If your bola wraps around the bottom rung, you get one point. If it wraps around the middle rung, you get two points, and if it wraps around the top rung, you get three points. Each player will throw all three of their bolas per turn, and the first team to 21 points wins.
