Are you tired of the same old yard games? Do you want something new to challenge that will also help lower your handicap? Look no further than the many options you have with backyard golf games. They’ll bring a new twist and some welcome fun for both children and adults.
Let’s delve into the possibilities.
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Types of Backyard Golf Games
You’ll find a lot of choices that take golfing to another level. Some combine it with other favorites to offer an entirely different form of play. Others like skins are competition within a group. The most important ingredient with all these variations is fun.
Popular Combos for Backyard Golf Games
Who says that you must play golf just with clubs on a course? These backyard golf games prove that there are many ways to get that ball in the hole. These variations will test all golfers of any skill level.
1. Chippo
Chippo is what you get when you take the board from cornhole with your wedge to work on your chipping. The playing surface has two small holes in the back and a larger one in the center. A chipping mat sits in front of the mainboard. There are two sets, placed 15 feet apart.
You can play with the standard cornhole rules with innings and a 21-point winning score. If you want to keep it like golf, then opt for match play where opponents try to win the hole with the highest score.
Where you land the ball determines the number of points you get. If it lands on the mainboard and not in a hole, you get one point. One in the center opening gets you three points. Chipping it to one of the back holes gives you five points. And if you hit the chipping mat, you’ll double your score. Alternatively, you can use the mat as your tee and hit it to the mainboard.
Last update on 2025-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
2. BirdieBall
BirdieBall is another game that will help to improve your chipping. This one combines golf with another popular backyard game, bocce ball. This version uses a special ball of the same name. It is a plastic cylinder that you can hit like a regular golf ball with a shorter flight distance. You can use your wedge to play.
Some BirdieBall sets include a target, which consists of a flag and small, weighted nylon bag. The object is to hit the ball into it without going out of bounds. That will cost you a point. The first player to reach your pre-set score wins the game.
Another variation that ups the difficulty resembles bocce ball. This time, you’ll use one of the BirdieBalls as your jack and set it upright after pitching it with your wedge. The players will use high-density foam golf balls to try to get closest to the target. You can add another riff on the game by making it a winner-takes-all if someone lands their ball on top of the BirdieBall.
Last update on 2025-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
3. Disc Golf
Disc golf combines the strategy of making the hole with the lowest number of shots with the fast action of a frisbee. And it’s more challenging than you may think. What began as a street game has morphed into professional leagues and its own organization, the Professional Disc Golf Association. The gameplay is like its namesake with 9 or 18-hole courses located all across the United States.
You can also set up your own mini-course with practice baskets and various hazards, like a low-hanging tree or backyard pond. The advantage of this riff on backyard golf games is that it has a cardio element. It takes some muscle to throw that frisbee around the yard.
Last update on 2025-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Other Variations of Backyard Golf Games
Another way to up your game is to find an enjoyable way to practice a certain aspect of your gameplay to improve it while having fun. Let’s face it. Hitting balls at the driving range gets boring after a while.
4. PutterBall
PutterBall, as the name implies, focuses on your short game. It is also the one most like golf with a fun, competitive twist. It consists of a high-density foam mat with 12 holes like a rack of pool balls at either end. There are covers for each of the openings that fit for an even surface. You can use your putter or a mini-golf version.
You play with two players or two teams if you have a group. The object of the game is to land six putts on the opposing side first. As you sink one, you place a cover over the hole. Once one group reaches six, the other side gets a chance to counter if they can make their six without missing. A variation of this game is to make it a chipping game and elevate one side.
Last update on 2025-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
5. Flagsticks
Flagsticks or drains tests your accuracy when chipping or putting, depending on how you set up your pins. A popular variation is to get three in a circle with a set distance apart. You can challenge yourself or play against an opponent. The object is to get to a set number of points first. Each hole counts as one point.
You begin by the players all trying to sink it at the same time. If you make it, you go onto the next one. If you don’t, you have to keep trying until you do. Meanwhile, your opponent is still trying to score and get points. You can also practice distance shots by lining up the flagsticks at increasing feet apart.
Last update on 2025-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
6. Floating Target Golf Game
Now, if you really want to up the stakes, make your target a floating one. This one includes a floating mat that you can use in your pool or a calm lake. You can then chip from the shore, dock, or poolside at a flagstick you can place on it. The challenge, of course, is that you have a moving target.
You can play it like a bocce ball match with the closest shot getting the point. The loser will then have to jump in the water to retrieve the balls. It’s a great way to spend a summer afternoon.
Last update on 2025-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Final Thoughts
It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned golfer or new to the sport. These backyard golf games add fun and challenges that remove the stuffiness and preconceived notions that some people have about this enjoyable pastime. Who knows? You may find that chippo or putterball is your thing.