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Building a Backyard Sports Complex NFL star Michael Strahan helps a family create the ultimate backyard sports haven. From "Special Presentation" episode DHFA-STM

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Reinventing Old Toys: Creating the Gold Course Obstacles

As children grow up, toys they once loved somehow find their way to the bottom of the toy chest. Using these old toys for hazards is not only a time saver, but also a money saver. This is a terrific opportunity for young children to help with the design of the course and recycle their old toys at the same time.

Homefield Advantage also created obstacles and games out of leftover plywood. Since our course has a sports theme, we used toys and created games that fit into that category.

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	Let your imagination run wild when creating the miniature golf course obstacles. Your children's long-ago-discarded toys are a perfect choice, as the Homefield Advantage gang discovered.
	PDF Download the miniature-golf-obstacles plans.

Materials:

3/4" pressure treated plywood (same as used for the tops of the tee box)
four 1 x 8 (same used for tee box railings)
3-1/2" PVC elbow
plastic miniature basketball hoop with backboard (available at most toy stores)
galvanized brad nails 2" or longer
one spring mounted magnetic door latch
six sliding door latches (ones that have a long extension bar that reaches over moldings/trims)
exterior latex primer and paint
outdoor vinyl or outdoor felt peel and stick letters and numbers
outdoor wood putty
wire mesh
small zip ties

Tools:

measuring tape
circular saw
jigsaw
hacksaw
table saw
miter saw
drill with varying hole saw drill bits (none smaller than 3-1/2" or larger than 4-1/2")
epoxy
carpenter's strength hot glue
miniature bar clamps

Figure G

Note: All obstacles and hazards can be adjusted for different themes and skill levels. These worked best for our family and their lifestyle.

Pop-Up Hole

1. To make a disappearing, or pop-up hole, epoxy the spring portion of the magnetic door latch to the bottom of one golf cup.

2. Cut out a circular piece of wood that is the same diameter as the surface above the cup. Glue a matching piece of carpet to the wood. Epoxy a 4" bolt to the underside of the carpeted wooden circle. When inserted into the hole, the bolt should be drawing in by the magnet in the bottom of the cup (figure G).

	Figure H
	Figure I
	Figure J

Basketball Hoop Obstacle

1. Using a hacksaw, trim off the connecting rim of the 3" PVC elbow so either side of the elbow is the same width.

2. Use a circular saw to cut a piece of plywood that is 15" tall and 7 inches wide to be used for the back of the structure. Cut a similar piece of plywood 7 inches square to serve as the top of the obstacle. To figure out the dimensions of the sides of the box that will surround the pipe, measure the diagonal length of the elbow from top opening to bottom opening. The sides and front should fit flush against the top, forming a box (figure H).

3. Using the elbow as a guide, trace the opening for the back of the obstacle where the ball will shoot through, exactly in the middle of the 15" tall plywood backing. Using the opposite side of the PVC elbow, do the same for the top of the box that will be the opening underneath the basketball hoop. Cut out the holes using a jigsaw (figure I).

4. Attach the sides and front of box using brad nails to the 15" back. Attach the PVC elbow to the top and sides of the box with brad nails. Use epoxy around the edges of the PVC elbow to glue to sides.

5. Attach the backboard of the toy basketball hoop to the top of the 15" piece of wood using epoxy. Use mini bar clamps to hold backboard in place until epoxy has time to dry.

6. Fit the wire mesh around the hole on top of the box and secure to netting of basketball hoop to it using zip ties. The mesh will guide the ball down through the opening on the top of the box to the PVC pipe.

7. Apply wood putty to nail holes and sides of obstacle before applying outdoor primer and paint (figure J).

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