How To Make Your Own Portable Disc Golf Basket

If you have ever wondered if it was possible to make your own disc golf basket look no further. I had always had my eye on making a basket myself and last year I finally gave it a shot. I have wanted to have my own basket to practice putting in the back yard and at the time didn’t want to purchase a practice basket.

I’ve been disc golfing for around 15 years now. I typically play between 1-3 times per week. If you are anything like me, after getting down the basics of disc golf you found yourself thinking about ways to practice, in hopes of improving your game. More specifically, ways to practice realistically in order to improve your game. Before I begin I want to thank Adam Jett. The following article was written by Adam Jett based on a DIY basket he made from a recycled Christmas Tree. One thing to note, if you do not have an old Christmas tree laying around, you can use any type of metal pole with a sturdy base.

Its pretty easy to find a field to practice drives and mid range shots, taking aim at any suitable objects at reasonable distances within these fields, open areas, etc. However, when practicing putting, a target that closely resembles what you would see out on the course is obviously best, and will help you to become a more accurate and consistent player. Sure, you can practice putting with anything from office chairs, to signs, to buckets on poles, but naturally, the more realistic the “target” is that you are putting at, the more realistic practice you will get. With that said, I tried the alternatives, but decided that I needed something a little more realistic to practice on. Something with chains that I could rattle, and at least looked somewhat like a disc golf basket. A wide variety of options existed. From very expensive, full-spec competition baskets, to less expensive basic “on course” baskets, to least expensive “practice” baskets.

The problem is trying to find the right mix between maintaining the realism of the basket, while at the same time keeping the price affordable. About six months ago, after some research, I bought a Mach Lite portable basket made by DGA. It is a nice basket and suited my needs well. I believe I paid about $130-$140 for it. As far as a practice basket goes, it was a pretty good basket. Well made, portable, inner and outter chains, etc. I used (and still use) it quite a bit to this day. Fast forward. I found myself wanting another basket for two reasons. One, it would be nice to be able to toss back and forth between baskets. Two, my family owns some wooded lakeside property that I would LOVE to have a few realistic, yet affordable baskets on. I decided that none of the available options suited my needs. They were either too expensive, or not very realistic. After thinking about it, and taking a quick peek at what kind of parts it would take, I decided to try my hand at building a DIY (Do It Yourself) basket to see if I could get the best of both worlds (realistic yet affordable).

How To Make Your Own Disc Golf Basket Step by Step

It all started with a fake xmas tree my wife and I were going to get rid of. I decided to strip the tree limbs, needles, etc. and use the base, pole, limbs, etc. to get started on the basket. The following pictures document my process and experience building the basket.

Approx. 3/4 of the way through de-limbing the tree.

I removed the remaining limbs (except 1 row being used as the inner chain holder).

Next, I sanded, primered, and painted the pole “metallic silver”.

After looking around for potential items to use as a basket, I decided I’d be better off just making one. I bought a pre-cut piece of 2′ x 2′ 1/2″ thick plywood, then used my mach lite basket as a rough blueprint. I bought some cheap 4″ by 8″ shelf brackets for the outer wall supports of the basket. (Borrowed some ideas from the “wilson basket” design)

This picture shows the basket bottom cut out and brackets spaced evenly on it.

Here, the center hole has been cut and the basket “test fit” onto the pole. Beneath the basket is a pvc “collar” that slips over the pole and is what the basket will attach to.

The basket was then cut for weight reduction purposes and painted to match the silver center pole.

Chains were the most expensive part. I went with 12 outer & 6 inner chains. (18 chains at 27″ each. I used 2/0 chain as it is very close to the size and thickness the chains would be on a course basket).

I used some plywood that I had left over in my shed for the top/outer chain mount. I cut it square at 22″ per side, then measured every 30° from the center point to get 12 evenly spaced arms. The metal arms are actually stripped limbs from the xmas tree being bent into shape and re-used.

Holes were drilled for the arms to mount through at every corner. I mounted the arms with short, wide head screws.

I ended up painting it red to match my DGA mach lite (red/silver)

Test Fit: top/outer chain mount, inner 6 chains and ring. I used a 2 inch pvc collar to brace the underside of the top/outer chain support.

This picture shows the top attached with the outer chains mounted. I cut a wire hanger and bent it into a 6″ diameter circle to use as the ring that the outer chains attach to.

I wrapped 3 lengths of light duty hose in red electrical tape to match the top of the basket, then attached it to the brackets with some small nuts/bolts to form the outer walls of the basket.

Since the very top of the tree fits snugly into to the top of the pole being used, I decided to strip all but the last few fake tree limbs, paint the pole silver, top limbs red, and use it as an optional “flag/pole” to help find the pin when shooting from a distance.

Final hose has been attched and the basket is officially DONE!

Building Specs and Materials used:

Specifications:
56″ to top of chain rack
22″ diameter chain rack/top
24″/26″ diameter basket (depends if measuring from corners or faces of basket edge) by 8″ deep
24″ from the ground to the bottom of basket
12 outer chains (2/0 chain)
6 inner chains (2/0 chain)

Recycled parts:
Fake Xmas tree stand, pole, limbs, top, other small misc.stuff

Bought parts:
18 pieces of chain by 27″ long for total of 40.5ft of 2/0 chain (approx $45)
PVC collars (2) (approx $4)
Spray pain [optional] (1red, 1silver) (approx $7)
50′ light duty hose (have leftover) (approx $10)
Large roll of red elec tape [optional] (approx $5)
12 shelf brackets (8 basket rim, 4 basket support) (approx $12)
2″ steel ring for outer chains to mount to (approx $2)
Misc. screws,nuts,bolts,fasteners (approx $10)

Total Out of Pocket Expense:  Approx $95
*Supply list can be changed to adjust the price. There were also some left over parts (if you are building multiple baskets this could save some $) The spray paint and elec tape were strictly for aesthetic purposes. If you remove these, the price adjusts to about $80.

Total time spent:  Several hours a day for approx 1 week. (much of this time was dedicated to deconstructing the tree.)

Final Result:  A basket that mimics very closely what you would see and use out on a disc golf course without costing the amount of money it would take to purchase a pre-manufactured basket. I modeled the chain structure after the DGA mach new 2. It is nice and solid and catches noticeably more realistic then other practice baskets I’ve tossed at. It is a bit heavy when compared with most “portable” baskets out there, but can be moved by one person without issue. It can also be taken apart very easily for longer transport. Everything has been mounted securely and is very stable. I made a point to keep it as close to regulation specs as I could. It catches very well and will serve me (and my game) well into the future.

My goal is to share the results of this DIY basket project in hopes of inspiring other disc golfers out there to think creatively, and take opportunities to recycle, or use repurposed materials whenever possible. Also, to show that for the price of a rather cheap manufactured basket that often times sacrifices realism in an attempt to keep cost down, you can make your own, far more realistic basket and get the best of both worlds. There is also something quite fulfilling about looking at a finished product, when you are the one responsible for its creation. Happy Hucking!

Final Note: If you are looking to purchase your own disc golf basket I also recommend checking out my guide to the best portable disc golf baskets compared.