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You do not need a tee time or a country club bill to play golf this weekend. Backyard golf games come in two flavors. The first is the portable course: a bag of pop-up bucket targets you scatter around the yard, the park, or the beach, then play like a par 3 course you designed yourself. The second is the target game: a golf twist on cornhole or darts where you chip foam balls at scoring zones and talk an impressive amount of trash. The bucketgolf Game Pro is my top pick because the design-your-own-course trick genuinely never gets old, and it is the one game here that works for a serious golfer and a six year old in the same round.
One thing to know before you draft: most of these games assume you bring your own wedge. Of the five picks, only bucketgolf sells bundles with clubs in the box, so if your garage has no golf bag in it, factor a club into the plan. I have split the list into full backyard courses and chipping target games, with an honest read on who each one actually fits.
Best full backyard golf courses
Pop-up bucket targets you arrange into a custom course, then play for lowest score like a real round.
Top Pick 1
Best overall bucketgolf Game Pro 9-Hole Course
This is the original bucket golf set and still the one to beat. You get a full 9-hole course that packs into one carry bag, and the killer feature is that you design the layout fresh every time, so the game does not wear out the way a fixed target does. Beginners are scoring birdies inside ten minutes, while real golfers can stretch holes across a whole park and treat it as short-game practice. It is the priciest pick on this list and purist golfers note it is not quite real golf, but no other set here keeps a mixed crowd of kids, adults, and actual golfers playing the same game.
9-HOLE COURSEDESIGN YOUR OWNPACKS IN ONE BAG
2
Best value course GoSports Yard Links Golf Game
Multiple reviewers describe this as the bucket golf experience for roughly a third less, and they are not wrong. You get three pop-up buckets, flags, tee markers, and four oversized 2.9 inch balls that are much easier to hit cleanly than a real golf ball, which quietly levels the field between golfers and everyone else. The catch is scale: three buckets means a 3-hole loop rather than a full 9-hole spread, clubs are not included (GoSports recommends wedges), and one buyer's dry-erase scorecard marker died almost immediately. For a normal backyard rather than a park, this is the smart buy.
3-HOLE PAR 3OVERSIZED BALLSCLUBS NOT INCLUDED
3
Best budget course A11N Sports Finchley Backyard Golf
The cheapest way to get the full design-your-own-course experience, sold in 9-hole and 6-hole versions with a lightweight carry bag for the park or the campsite. Owners who were skeptical about the price say it held up better than expected, and more than one owner calls it just as fun as the big-name set. The honest trade-offs: you bring your own wedge, the flag connectors are the weak point, with one owner reporting tips that stay stuck in the ground, and it is a newer product with only a small pile of reviews behind it. For a try-before-you-commit course, it is hard to argue with.
9 OR 6 HOLESLIGHT CARRY BAGBYO WEDGE
Best golf chipping target games
Fixed targets you chip at from anywhere in the yard. Less setup than a course, more of a cornhole-style showdown.
4
Best golf cornhole GoSports BattleChip Golf Cornhole Game
Golf meets cornhole: chip the 16 included foam balls from the hitting mat at a 3 x 2 ft target, score the main hole, and dodge the printed water and sand hazards. With thousands of reviews behind it, this is the crowd-tested pick of the category, and owners use everything from junior golf programs to work-from-home breaks to actual short-game practice with real balls. It is BYOC by design (GoSports says bring your own wedge to keep the price down), it is happier staying assembled than being torn down constantly, and pure putters are out of luck since the target sits up off the ground. As a party game and a practice tool in one box, it is the best value here.
3X2 FT TARGET16 FOAM BALLSUNDER 10 LBS
5
Best indoor-outdoor GoSports Chip N' Stick Golf Darts
A 4 x 6 ft target mat that plays like giant darts: chip the included sticky balls at the scoring zones and they grab where they land, no shagging required. Because the mat rolls out flat on any surface and the balls stick instead of bouncing, this is the one chipping game that genuinely works in a living room or office hallway, and reviewers lean on it hard through winter. Know the trade-offs: you are locked into the special sticky balls rather than real golf balls, the hook side of those balls wears with heavy use, and the included chipping mat is on the small side. Comes in Classic, Darts, or Islands target designs.
4X6 FT MATSTICKY BALLSPLAYS INDOORS
At a glance Backyard golf games at a glance
| Game | Style | Clubs in the box? | Best for |
|---|
| bucketgolf Game Pro | 9-bucket course you design | Sold with or without club bundles | The full backyard country club |
| GoSports Yard Links | 3-bucket par 3 loop | No, wedges recommended | Bucket golf on a normal-yard budget |
| A11N Finchley | 9 or 6 hole budget course | No | Trying course golf for the least money |
| GoSports BattleChip | Golf cornhole target | No, bring a wedge | Party showdowns plus real chipping practice |
| GoSports Chip N' Stick | 4 x 6 ft sticky dartboard mat | No (balls and mat included) | Rainy days, basements, and offices |
Buyer's desk Frequently asked questions
Do I need real golf clubs to play backyard golf games?
Usually yes, you supply one club. GoSports states outright that BattleChip and Yard Links ship without clubs and recommends a wedge, and the budget courses are the same. The exception is bucketgolf, which sells bundle versions with clubs included, including a left-handed option. A single pitching wedge or sand wedge covers every game on this list.
How does bucket golf actually work?
You scatter pop-up bucket targets around whatever space you have, assign each one a tee spot, and you have built a par 3 course. Players chip toward each bucket and count strokes, lowest score wins. Since the layout is up to you, the course changes every time you play, and you can stretch holes across a park or squeeze them into a small yard.
Can you play these golf games indoors?
Chip N' Stick is the indoor champion: the mat rolls out on any flat surface, and the sticky balls grab the target instead of ricocheting off the TV. BattleChip works indoors too if you have the space, and one owner admits breaks from work run long once it is set up in the house. The bucket courses want open ground, so save those for outside.
Are foam balls safe around windows and siding?
That is the point of them. BattleChip ships with 16 foam balls so a skulled chip bounces off the fence instead of through it, and Yard Links uses oversized lightweight balls for the same reason. Plenty of owners switch to real golf balls for practice in open grass, which works fine, just aim away from the house when you do.
Which backyard golf game is best for kids?
Yard Links is the easiest entry: its 2.9 inch balls are far more forgiving to hit than a real golf ball. bucketgolf lists its game for all ages from 3 and up, and one parent reports toddlers simply tossing balls into the buckets while the big kids chip. BattleChip suits slightly older kids who can already make contact with a wedge.
