Surf & Sand: Lowcountry beaches

Too cold to swim?

By Rob Young (Contact)

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Rob Young
The Post and Courier

You can still have a blast at the beach with ladder golf

If you ventured out to the Lowcountry beaches last summer, you might have seen people playing this game and wondered, “What in the world are they doing?”

The game goes by many names: hillbilly golf, redneck golf, bola polo, lasso golf, top toss and ball dangle. But it’s probably best known as ladder golf.

Some say the game began out West or in Mexico, where cowboys and ranchers whiled away the time by catching

live snakes and tossing them onto barbed wire, fence posts or stumps. If the snake wrapped itself around limb or post, said cowboy could claim points.

But the equipment variations, assorted names and scoring methods make it difficult to determine the game’s beginnings.

No matter. It’s still a wonderfully addictive game perfect for a cool day at the beach.

And now that the tourists are gone and the beaches aren’t crowded, it’s the best time to get out and perfect your technique.

So grab your PVC pipe and golf balls. Here’s a primer on the game, assembly included.

Why ‘ladder’ golf?

Because players toss bolas or golf ball ropes toward pieces that resemble ladders.

Each piece has three rungs, and each rung is assigned a point value, usually three for the top rung, two for the middle and one for the bottom. For complete rules, go to http://laddergolf.com.>

But the house usually determines scoring. It’s sort of like Monopoly, where the rules might change depending on the players and preference.

Should I buy or make one?

Laddergolf.com sells the game for $65 — the site also hawks a tournament edition set for $120 and a Ladder Golf camouflage visor for $16 — but the game can be constructed at a cheaper price.

You won’t need much. You’ll have to hit up a hardware store, maybe badger a friend for help, then free up a few hours.

Total cost: About $30.

How do I make it?

The three ladder rungs each should be 24 inches long. The vertical pieces should be 12 inches long between the top to middle, middle section and middle to base. The ladder should be made from 3/4-inch pipe.

Use the elbow connectors to join the top rung, the tee connectors to join the middle and bottom rungs.

The stand’s four vertical pieces are 24 inches each. Its top and bottom segments are 12 inches each. Use the elbow connectors to connect top and bottom pieces, and two 1-inch-by- 3/4-inch tee connectors in the middle. The stand is made from 1-inch pipe.

You also can tie the stands together to ensure standard distance (about 10 paces).

Now for the bolas.

First, drill holes through the golf balls. You’ll want the drill bit to be larger than the rope. For example, if the rope is 1/4-inch wide, use a 1/2-inch drill bit. That way, it’s easier to slide the rope through the holes. Then knot the rope outside the ends of both balls.

Confused? Check online. Plenty of sites contain instructions. Just go to Google and type in “build ladder golf.”

Anything else?

Impress your friends. Learn some lingo.

Single: One 1.

Rollin’ on Dubs: Two 2s.

Sittin’ Pretty: Three 3s (also known as Full Monty).

Black Hawk Down: When a bola gets knocked to the ground, or when a bola spins on a rung and falls to the ground, fully extended like a helicopter’s blade.

Mickey Mouse: When a tightly wrapped bola ends up with the two balls close together above the rung like mouse ears.

MacGyver: When you wrap all bolas from one round tightly around their rungs.

Source: Rob Young, The Post and Courier