Ladder golf is a fun yard game played between two or four players and involves tossing bolas onto a ladder rung. A bola on the top rung is worth three points, on the middle rung two points and on the bottom rung one point. Ladder golf is played in rounds and whoever scores the most points at the end of a round throws first in the next round. The first player or team to get exactly 21 points wins!
You can buy ladder ball online, but making it out of PVC pipes could be a fun family activity. This article will teach you the dimensions of a ladder golf set and how far apart for ladder toss the rungs should be.
Read on to learn the dimensions of a ladder golf set and how to make one out of PVC pipes.
Official Ladder Ball Dimensions And Distance
It’s up to you whether you decide to buy a ladder golf set or make your own. If you want to buy it, you can learn about the best ladder ball set here. However, you can make your own game of ladder golf pretty easily using PVC pipes and fittings. But to do so, you’ll need to know exactly how far apart to make the ladder rungs and all the dimensions.
The three rungs of a ladder golf ladder should be 13” (33 cm) apart and 24” (60 cm) long.
So for one ladder, you’ll need six 13” PVC pipes and three 24” pipes. However, you also need a sturdy base, so add another six 24” pipes to that. And of course, you’ll also need enough fittings to put it all together. So, for one ladder, your checklist is as follows:
- Six 13” PVC pieces
- Nine 24” PVC pieces
- Six T-fittings
- Six 90-degree fittings
If you want to make a second ladder for team play, simply double all of the above.
Once you have your pieces, you can assemble them! First lay out all the pieces on the ground, placing them exactly where they need to go. Make the base and ladder separately and then join them together. And voila! You have your own ladder golf set.
It’s up to you whether you want to join the pieces with glue or simply slot them together. If you want to be able to take the ladder apart for easy storage and transportation, do not use glue. Don’t worry – the ladder will still be sturdy enough without it.
If you like, you can also paint the PVC pipes to make them nice and colorful.
Ladder Golf Distance: How Far Apart Are The Ladders In Ladder Ball?
The ladders in ladder ball are 15 feet (4.5 m) apart according to the ladder ball rules. This is also known as the toss line. If you only have one ladder, simply place something on the ground to act as the toss line marker. If you are playing casually, you don’t have to measure carefully – most people simply walk 5 paces away from the ladder. Also, it is totally fine to adjust the distance according to ability, especially if you’re playing with kids or beginners.
Making The Bolas
You have your game ladder, but in order to play ladder ball, you’ll need bolas as well. A standard ladder golf set includes two sets of three bolas, which are each made from two golf balls on each end of a piece of nylon rope. It’s important that your golf ball sets are in two different colors for the two players – you can buy different colors or simply paint them. Since you’re making your own, you can decide to make extra bolas in case any go missing or another set so you can play with three teams. Here’s what you’ll need to make the bolas:
- 6 golf balls for each team (so 12 or 18 in total, in 2 or 3 different colors)
- 12’ x ¼” (3.6 m x 6 mm) nylon rope
- Drill press
- 1” (2.5 cm) spade bit
- ¼” (6 mm) drill bit
- Gloves
- Safety Glasses
If you have not used power tools before, avoid doing this yourself or take some classes to get proficient first.
Follow these steps to make the bolas:
- Drill a hole through your golf ball. For perfect accuracy, first drill a 1” diameter hole on a piece of wood. Fix your golf ball into the hole. This will hold the ball in place so you can drill through it accurately.
- Repeat the same process with the remaining balls.
- Cut your rope into pieces about 16” (40 cm) long. You want there to be 12” (30 cm) between the two balls on either end of the bola.
- Pull each rope through two golf balls and tie a knot on each end.
Ladder Ball Rules: Playing The Game
Now you have your game set, it’s time to learn how to play ladder ball! For more detailed instructions, click here.
Bolas
Each team gets three bolas to throw onto the ladder.
Game Ladder
The game ladder consists of three steps or rungs, 13” (33 cm) apart.
Steps Or Rungs
These make up the ladder. You score points depending on which rung your bola lands on.
Toss Line
According to the official ladder golf rules, players must toss bolas from 15’ (4.5 m) away. However, most backyard players simply measure 5 paces from the ladder.
Rules
Ladder golf is played in rounds. Players have three bolas each and each player must throw all their bolas before the next player throws. Games typically start with a coin toss to determine who plays first.
A bola on the top rung scores three points, on the middle rung two points and on the bottom rung one point. The player or team with more points for that round plays first in the next round. You can throw your bolas however you like – learn about ladder ball throwing techniques here.
Scoring
Scoring works by adding up the points of all the bolas hanging on the ladder at the end of a round. The winner is the first player or team to get exactly 21 points. If a player goes over 21 points, their points for that round do not count. The most points you can get in one round is nine if you get all your bolas on the same rung.
It is perfectly acceptable to knock your opponent’s bola off the ladder rung so it does not score points!
Team Play
Etiquette Of The Game
In ladder golf you are encouraged to make sounds or movements to distract your opponent! However, touching another player or their bolas is against the rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Dimensions Of A Ladder Ball Game?
The dimensions of a ladder ball game are three rungs, 13” (33 cm) apart and 24” (60 cm) wide. A ladder ball ladder is thus approximately 40” (101 cm) tall and 24” (60 cm) wide. If you want to make a set yourself with PVC pipes, you’ll need six 13” (33 cm) pieces and nine 24” (60 cm) pieces, three for the ladder itself and six for the base.
How Do You Set Up A Ladder Toss?
You set up a ladder toss by connecting pieces of PVC pipe. You need six 13” (33 cm) pipes, nine 24” (60 cm) pipes, six T-fittings and six 90-degree fittings. Then you simply connect all the pieces together! You can use glue if you want it to be extra sturdy, but it isn’t necessary. If you don’t use glue, you can simply take it apart any time and store it.
How Far Apart Should Ladder Ball Ladders Be?
Ladder ball ladders should be 15 feet (4.5 m) apart. Players from one team stand next to one ladder and throw their bolas onto the other. If you are playing with only one ladder, you can measure 15 feet (4.5 m) away. However, in most backyard games, the distance is determined by simply walking five paces from the ladder.
Conclusion
This article has gone over ladder golf dimensions and basic game play. Ladder golf is a classic yard game, perfect for family bonding in the summertime. And with PVC pipes, making a DIY set couldn’t be easier. Now you know the dimensions of the rungs and how far apart for ladder toss they need to be, so there’s nothing stopping you!
