[Question] Solar lights for night golf?

[SERE Nate]

I am working on building a private course and just purchased my baskets. I had an idea of using the solar powered garden lights on top of the baskets for night golf. Has anyone tried using these before???

 

[mashnut]

I've seen that a few places, as long as the basket is in a more open area and gets some sun it works great.

 

[jtrod]

Yes I use solar lights when me and my friends go to the park at night with out baskets. We use 2 for each hole, 1 on top where the flag would go and the 2nd one in the ground under the basket.

 

[mattc]

I put on glow rounds here at my local course
I bought some cheap $3 ones and put taillight repair tape on them to make them red
long story short, they suck
I would work at charging them for days ahead of time
still lame (dead in a couple of hours)
now we just use batt. Powered glow sticks that I hang in the center of the basket/chains

If you try the solar lights I would suggest you get the good ones.

 

[JRW III]

Tried it. They worked pretty good till they grew legs and walked off. Also, they may not survive a direct hit from a disc at full speed.

 

[thechamp]

I've got a solar spotlight next to my basket and it lights up the entire basket and lasts about 4 hours if it was sunny the day before. The light has gotten hit a few times and still works but has been taped up pretty good.

 

[kenjiac]

Didn't DGA used to make a basket topper solar light? It was a solar light under a metal cage that went in like a # plate.

 

[MOchains]

We have used a cheaper version at one of the courses around here. They work really well for the price. We bought a bunch of them at Walmart for about $0.50 apiece in the clearance aisle. The only problem is they break when they are hit, but at the price it is not bad. They illuminate the basket enough and they continue working for a long time, assuming they don't get hit.

 

[Rugball]

I was browsing courses and saw that Horning's Hideout - Highland Course (near Portland) has solar lights on their baskets. Looks like they built a mini cage over the lights on top of each basket. Pretty neat idea. Hope I get to play the course soon.

 

[JRW III]

Didn't DGA used to make a basket topper solar light? It was a solar light under a metal cage that went in like a # plate.

They used to. I tried to buy some a couple of years ago. Emailed them back then and they said they quit making them.

 

[Laszlo Toth]

l.e.d lights

Check out the below link. I use the 7ft EL wire on my practice basket in the backyard and it works great. Snake the wire through some chains around the main post, etc. Only found it last summer and it survived a full summer of abuse no problem. They have some other models that have automatic timers that may be better for an actual course, that way you dont have to walk around after shutting off lights. May get a little $$$ if you have to buy enough for 18 baskets, and then batteries as well, but still its interesting if nothing else.

http://www.extremeglow.com/Merchant4/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=ELW

 

[mopar]

I was browsing courses and saw that Horning's Hideout - Highland Course (near Portland) has solar lights on their baskets. Looks like they built a mini cage over the lights on top of each basket. Pretty neat idea. Hope I get to play the course soon.

The problem is it's Oregon so it's often overcast and rainy. There are also a lot of trees. Those baskets that are in the shade or tucked in close to a tree don't light up very well.

 

[Rugball]

I've heard of some night leagues that hang a glow stick on each basket. You could get a bulk purchase deal so it wouldn't cost too much.

Otherwise, you could string up some landscaping lights. They don't have to be on the baskets, just close enough to light up the area. It would take a lot of work put in trenches for the wires, but fairly cheap and durable.