The Reason My Neighbors Think I’ve Lost It
The Extremes Golf Addicts Will Go To
Settle in. Let’s talk golf.
There comes a moment in every golfer’s journey where you ask yourself:
“Is this reasonable?”
And then you ignore the answer.
I don’t always get to the driving range.
Schedules. Weather. Life.
But that wasn’t going to stop me.
So naturally…
I hung a 10-by-35-foot golf net.
Twelve feet in the air.
In my backyard.
Like a completely rational adult.
It Started With Poison Ivy
At first, I was just hitting balls into open space.
Which worked great…
Until I started donating golf balls to the wooded area behind my yard.
Which, for added drama, contains poison ivy.
Nothing builds character like looking for TP5xs while questioning your life decisions.
So I decided:
“No more.”
Net time.
Phase 1: The Giant Wall of Golf
The net went up.
Big. Secure. Tall enough to stop my “just in case I flush this one” swing.
I could now:
• Hit freely
• Reclaim every ball
• Avoid poison ivy
• Keep my dignity (mostly)
But then came the next problem.
Phase 2: Clay
My backyard soil?
Clay-based.
Which means after a few swings it felt like I was practicing on a brick.
And if I was going to practice…
I wasn’t going to practice halfway.
So I did what any measured, balanced human would do.
I bought bags of sand.
A lot of bags of sand.
Then, because it was winter and my lawn was brown…
I bought winter rye grass seed.
And created a 10-foot by 10-foot hitting area.
Yes.
I built myself a seasonal practice fairway.
The Moment of Self-Reflection
At one point, I stood back and looked at it:
• Massive net wall
• Sanded landing zone
• Fresh rye grass
• Tripod set up
• Launch monitor behind me
And I thought:
“This is either dedication… or a cry for help.”
Probably both.
The Real Reason I Did It
Here’s the thing.
When I first started, I thought improvement would happen casually.
A few range sessions.
Some YouTube videos.
Maybe a lesson.
But real progress requires repetition.
And repetition requires access.
This setup gave me that.
I can:
• Work on Slow-it-Down… GO.
• Practice hinge and re-hinge
• Track carry distances
• Record my swing
• Overlay launch data
Without leaving my yard.
That’s powerful.
The SC300 + Video Combo
Using the Voice Caddie SC300 with my phone on a tripod changed everything.
Seeing:
• Ball speed
• Carry
• Launch angle
While watching my own swing on video?
Game changer.
It reminded me of my first lesson when my instructor showed me my swing on his phone.
Before. After.
Seeing is believing.
And correcting.
The Humor Is Real… But So Is The Improvement
Yes, it looks extreme.
Yes, my neighbors probably have questions.
Yes, I may have Googled “how much sand is too much sand?”
But here’s what’s also true:
My ball striking improved.
My distance control improved.
My consistency improved.
Because I created a space where practice was easy.
Not occasional.
The Addict Line
There’s a difference between liking golf…
And calculating how many bags of sand it takes to simulate a fairway.
If you know, you know.
The Bigger Point
Improvement doesn’t require a country club membership.
It requires:
• Intentional reps
• Feedback
• And a willingness to look slightly unhinged
Sometimes literally.
Final Thought
Golf will humble you.
But if you lean into it – even a little obsessively – it will reward you.
And if building a backyard range makes you a little extreme?
So be it.
At least I’m not in the poison ivy anymore.
Be honest – what’s the most extreme thing you’ve done to improve your golf game?
Drop a comment. I promise I won’t judge… unless you’ve built a full par 3 in your yard.
Real Talk. Play Better.
Effort builds results.
