i had a golf net for a while. its pretty sweet but if you want to see what your ball is doing after 5 feet then you should go to the range. a lot of the time you can tell whats going to happen right after you hit it but i think its better to go to the range. its a visual thing.
That would be crappy if it ruined your game, I have not used one. Probley because if the weather sucks, im not going to go practice in my basemen with a net, and if its nice, I will go to a range and enjoy my self.
sounds like I should nix the net idea as a gift. We have an open field near our house, so I think I'll encourage my son to hit out there. Since he's just beginning he's much less likely to hit someone or something there as opposed to the course.
If your son is a beginner then it's not a bad idea to get him a net for a present. That way he can get into the motions without having to leave the house. Although you can't see the full flight of the ball ,its still a great way to start. He can always hit the range later on and sometimes at the range people love to critique everyone elses swing. That could also discourage him from wanting to play. So i'd say that the net is a good gift but also take him to the range with you that way he is able to see all of the ball flight and won't be hounded by a hacker trying to help him.