I Bought Three Golf Practice Nets On The Internet And This Is What I Found...

In recent years there has been a huge increase in home golf practice. Being able to work on your game from the comfort of your own home is an attractive proposition for many, and the golf practice net is an important component for the home practitioner.

WATCH: Joe gives his verdict on the cheap, mid-price and expensive golf nets

I recently purchased three of the best golf practice nets ranging across the price spectrum and put them through their paces to see which was best in a number of different categories.

The nets I selected were the Gagalileo 10’ x 7’ x 6’ golf net costing $79.99, the Forb Golf Pro Pop Up golf net for $139.99 and the Spornia SPG-8 net at $499.99. Whilst these home practice nets are covering very different price points, I have concluded my findings objectively of price to see if more expensive really does mean better. 

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Ease of set-up

All three practice nets arrived on the doorstep in very different sized and shaped packages which began to make me wonder how different and difficult they would be to set-up.

Starting with the Forb Pro Pop-Up golf net, assembly was relatively straightforward. Despite some disappointingly basic instructions, I got the net to its usable state in around four minutes. Three long fiberglass poles slot into prefabricated plastic joints to form the frame, and then the net simply attaches at each corner onto the hooks provided.

The Gagalileo golf net was a little more fiddly. There are two fiberglass poles that have multiple joints and these need to be threaded through some pretty small material tunnels to create the structure. I had to keep reminding myself to push the poles through and avoid the temptation to pull as any attempt to do so releases each section from its joint requiring some tricky re-fitting!

That said, once you get the hang of it, that is really the only step to assembly. The structure holds itself into place and all that is then required is to stake it to the ground, clip on the additional hitting panel and you are off and running.

The Spornia SPG-8 net was certainly the quickest of the group to go up. I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of realistic set-up time, but I certainly didn’t expect what I got from the Spornia net! I pulled the SPG-8 out of the bag and as if by magic, an 8ft x 8ft golf practice net appeared basically fully assembled before my eyes! 

The SPG-G folds down into a very neat little disc shape and once removed from its carry bag, the tension is released and it literally self assembles. One point to note is that the tension the net is under does mean it releases with a fair amount of force when it comes out of the bag and if you are not quick enough, you might get a whack in the shin (which may or may not have happened to me!), so be careful around kids and pets.

The only thing you have to do after that is insert two fiberglass side poles for added stability and a horizontal pole to support the roof net if you so desire.

Looks

This might seem a strange category for a functional piece of practice equipment but I feel that the aesthetics are relevant for something that will take residency in your garden or garage for an extended period.

The Forb Pro Pop-Up golf net is the simplest looking of the three I tested. It is essentially a square fiberglass frame with one flat sheet of netting attached and from a visual standpoint, I enjoyed the minimalist approach taken by Forb here. The green accent color of the net itself will blend nicely into most outdoor settings and will not be too intrusive to the visual of your garden.

Whilst the simplistic visual of the Forb net appealed to me, I did have my concerns as to how the one lone sheet of netting would stand up to punishment from some of the best drivers over time.

The Gagalileo Golf net has a little bit more going on in terms of its looks. The shape is more akin to a small camping tent and the black and red accent colors give a more contemporary look. There is a target panel that also attaches to the hitting area that offers some additional stopping power and a handy visual aim point.

The Spornia SPG-8 is certainly the most imposing of the three, with its 8ft x 8ft frame providing a fairly hefty structure when fully assembled. It's all black color way is very slick and modern and with some additional features, the Spornia net is definitely the most sophisticated looking of the three I tried.

Performance

Starting with the Forb Pro Pop-Up golf net again, the performance and features here were fairly basic. As described, the design is very simple with one flat piece of netting to hit at. There are no side or top panels to stop any stray shots which would be a slight concern depending on the setting. I know my neighbours wouldn't appreciate a Titleist Pro V1x through the kitchen window!

The net itself has a fair amount of give to it, spreading backwards quite a distance when receiving a ball, so this would need to be factored in when deciding on the placement of the net.

The Gagalileo Golf net was a good performer with some nice features. The design of this net means that you are basically hitting into a tent structure which offers some excellent side and roof protection for mis-struck shots. The impact net itself is sturdy and can be supplemented by a further panel that offers a bullseye style target to sharpen your aim. The net absorbs impact very well with minimal bulging and a relatively quiet impact noise.

The Spornia SPG-8 is an exceptionally strong performing practice net packed with useful features. The netting itself is high quality and robust and, much like the Gagalileo net, the hitting area is protected by an additional thick panel which acts as both a shock absorber and a handy target.

It features some side netting too to catch any unexpected shanks even off some of the best irons, and the bundle we ordered also came with additional extra long side panels for added insurance. Another excellent feature of the Sporina SPG-8 practice net which shows exceptional attention to detail is the sloped bottom section. The area the ball gathers in post impact is conveniently sloped back towards you so all of your balls obediently return much closer to you than with other nets.

The Spornia SPG-8 would pair well with one of the best portable launch monitors to create a super premium home practice set-up and Spornia do in fact offer bundles that include various launch monitors such as the Garmin R10 and SkyTrak+.

Verdict

Whilst I was impressed with each net in different ways, the pick of the bunch for me was the Spornia SPG-8 net. Even though it does come with a more premium price tag, that is most certainly reflected in the quality of the product. It was the sturdiest of my selection and definitely had the most features. 

It packs away very neatly and comes with a very convenient and sturdy travel bag for mobility. The roof and additional side panels give significant peace of mind and the sloped base panel makes retrieving golf balls very easy.  

With such an abundance of home practice nets to choose from now, surely next season I am going to be on fire?! Right?