Other Backyard Games

Cornhole/bean bags is not the only popular backyard game that people enjoy. There are a few others that have come about, but not nearly as competitive as cornhole. Bocce ball, ladder golf, washers, and yard darts are a few that I will talk about among many others.

Bocce ball is a fun game that can be played with more than 2 people. In this game players each have 2 like-colored balls that they roll or throw. A smaller ball is thrown first as a target for the players. The object is to toss your balls so it is the closest one to the small one.

Ladder golf is a newer game that involves tossing a rope with a golf ball on each end onto a "ladder" of PVC pipe. There are two or three "steps" that you can trow the rope onto, each being worth a different number of points. The object is to toss the rope to make it land on one of the steps by wrapping around it. The golf balls attached to the rope help it wrap around the pipe.

Washers is another game more similar to cornhole, but instead of throwing bags you use washers. The box is about 20 feet away and has a pipe in the center that you try to throw the washers into. It is worth 1 point if the washer lands in the box, and 3 points for in the pipe. Each player gets 3 washers and the game is played to 21.

Lawn darts is another fun backyard game, even though it is now banned. The game involves lofting large darts into the air toward a hoop lying on the ground about 20 feet away. The goal is to get the dart to stick into the ground inside of the hoop. this game is not sold anymore because of the danger involved.

The Business of Cornhole

If you plan to run your own business around the game of cornhole, there are a few things to consider. Whether you build and sell boards, bags, and accessories, or run leagues and tournaments, all the different aspects of running a normal business apply to a cornhole business as well.

First you should decide how much time and effort you want to put into the business. Is this going to be a hobby of building and selling boards or a full-blown mass production business? There is not a whole lot of money to be made in running a cornhole business- the customer base is somewhat small. Many people find that building and selling boards as a hobby is the best way to go. You do not have to invest everything into it, just some time on the weekends. Many people like to make individual orders and paint custom designs on their boards. Many examples of this can be seen in the CornholePlayers.net forum in the gallery.

If you plan on running leagues or tournaments, it is recommended that you know some of the local players before you start. Getting the word out is difficult when there are usually a select few people who will actually join your league or tournament. Playing in tournaments frequently helps you get to know some of the local players who may register for your tournament or league. Planning is a big part of how successful your league or tournament will turn out. Your business plan will determine the costs involved, how much money teams will pay, and how much you will earn. League managers and tournament directors develop many different ways of managing their operation, so being involved in different types of tournaments or leagues will help you decide on which is the best fit for you.

ACO Turkeyhole: Social Tournaments

Chicago will also hold a big social event for the average players in Illinois. The event will consist of three tournaments for a total cost of only $20 per player! Hopefully this event will bring together all the players in the Chicagoland area provide a good time of beers and bags for all that attend. Details of the event are shown below:


REGISTRATION: Socials - 8:30AM to 9:30AM with play beginning at 10:00AM to 5:00PM
PRIZES BASED ON PARTICIPATION - MERCHANDISE, TROPHIES & SMALL CASH AWARDS


$20.00 per player pre-registered on or before NOVEMBER 25th ($40.00 registration at door only if space is still available)

• Limited space first come first served.
  
• The event will reward the top four teams or players for each tournament with small cash payouts and prizes (determined by overall participation)
  
• EVENT WILL BE THREE TOURNAMENTS IN ONE - ALL SUDDEN DEATH - ONE AND DONE - FIRST TEAM OR PLAYER TO 21 -
  
• Walkups welcome day of event. Walkups can buy into individual tournaments for $20.00 each.
  Tournament Number One - DOUBLES - you bring your partner
  Tournament Number Two - SINGLES - you against the world (players carrying a SCR will be seeded in this tournament before non SCR carrying players)
  Tournament Number Three - LUCK OF DRAW - you play with the partner you're randomly drawn
  
• Open to all players - NO ACO-PROS or SEMI-PROS
  
• SPECIAL OFFER FREE PLAY OFFER ONLY available only by calling Eric Hinerman at 888.563.2002 or Jeremy Allen at 219-712-2018 and purchasing a $19.95 membership - PLAY FOR FREE IN CHICAGO SOCIALS - you must order your membership via a call in to either of these two ACO Agents
  
  KEY NOTES THIS EVENT IS INDOORS ON 80,000 sq ft of ASTRO TURF Beer, pop and food will be made available at the event. Players will have the opportunity to purchase a skill challenge, membership and Airmail ticket for $35.00 day of the event. Space will be limited so this is a first come first serve basis.

ACO Turkeyhole: Competitive Doubles

The Turkeyhole event will also involve a competitive doubles tournament in a select few of these cities. Competitive doubles will be held in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, and Louisville, and Chicago will be the only city with Social tournaments. To keep these tournaments competitive, the ACO does not allow two pro-caliber players on the same team. Pros and semi-pros may play together in these types of tournaments. Details of Competitive Doubles are shown below:

$50.00 per team pre-registration on or before NOVEMBER 25th ($80.00 registration at door only if space is still available).We have space available to handle up to 250 teams in Chicago. The event will pay the top four teams with less than 60 teams and the top eight teams with more than 60 teams registered. (Top 4 team payout will be 50% First / 30% Second / 10% Third & Fourth) (Top 8 Team Payout will be 40% First / 20% Second / 10% Top 4 / 5% Top 8 Finish)!

ALL TEAMS GUARANTEED FOUR GAME MINIMUM AGAINST TWO TEAMS

Open to all players - NO TWO ACO-PROS allowed on same team. ROUND ROBIN (only teams winning their round robin bracket advance to the bracket challenge, with a guaranteed minimum of 16 teams advancing into the bracket challenge. If we are short 16 teams advancing we look at overall round robin records to pull in additional teams with a team shoot at accuring for sudden death selection.)

Teams making it out of the Round Robin will be seeded based on their current team total for a "SCR" Score, teams without a current "SCR" Score will be randomly seeded after the " teams with a "SCR" have been seeded. All non Round Robin teams advancing to the Bracket Challenge will be seeded last but will be seeded based on SCR, no SCR format.

ACO Turkeyhole: Top Gun Singles

The last American Cornhole Master Series event of the year is on November 28, 2009. This is the last chance for ACO Corny Forty players to earn points toward their seeding in the king of cornhole tournament in Las Vegas and improve their ranking on the Corny Forty list. Top Gun events will be held in Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Cleveland, OH; Charlotte, NC; Louisville, KY; and Virginia Beach, VA. Top players in various states will be able to move up in the money list by winning points based on where they finish in the tournament. Details of Top Gun Singles are shown below:

• All players guaranteed four games against up to four different players.
• Open to all ACO Pros, Semi Pros, and any amateur wanting to see how they stack up against the best.
• Tournament format is two step process.
• ROUND ROBIN (maximum of 16 players make the cut to move forward depending on total participation)
• Players making it out of the Round Robin will be seeded based on their current "SCR" Score and finish in the Round Robin, players without a current "SCR" Score will be randomly seeded after the "SCR" Score players have been seeded.
• BRACKET CHALLENGE (Best two out of three moves forward)
• 80% Cash Payout to top 4 players – payout based on participation- Total Payout will breakdown as follows 1st Place = 50% / 2nd Place = 30% / 3rd & 4th = 10%

If you have any questions concerning this event, visist the American Cornhole website at www.americancornhole.org or call 1-888-563-2002

American Cornhole's "Corny Forty"

The American Cornhole Organization (ACO) has taken the role of developing competitive cornhole tournaments for all the serious players out there. They have come up with a ranking system to help seed players in these tournaments and another ranking system that keeps track of the players' performance in the tournaments. The Corny Forty consists of the top 40 players in the nation based on their tournament performance.

The ACO's pro tour revolves around its Master Series tournaments. There are six singles (1 on 1) tournaments in the Master Series that allow players to accumulate points based on where they finish in the tournament. The higher they place, the more points they earn during the season. These points are added to the players Skills Challenge Ranking (SCR) score to determine the total Corny Forty points the player has so far. To get an SCR score, a player throws 13 rounds of four bags and adds up the total points.

The top 40 players at the end of the year are automatically qualified for the King of Cornhole event in Las Vegas. Another 24 players will be able to qualify to complete the 64-player bracket in a qualifier tournament before the main event. This is the most competitive singles tournament on the planet, and with more competitive players than ever, anyone has a chance to win it this year. Someone will be looking to end Matt Guy's winning streak (3 in a row) at this event. This event becomes more competitive every year with new players coming out from various states and making a name for themselves.

At the end of the year after all the Master Series events are finished, the Corny Forty rankings and money list standings are final. A $10,000+ pot is paid out to the top 40 players at the end of the year. Player earnings are based on their final ranking in the Corny Forty.

How Much Spin and Angle?

Most cornhole players seem to spin the bag as they throw these days, but is there a difference between having a lot of rotation on the bag or not? Also, how does the angle at which the bag flies affect the way the bag lands or reacts on the board. These are questions that many professional cornhole players are able to answer and implement into the way they play.

Spinning the bag allows it to sail through the air more smoothly and work against the force of the wind in outdoor play. The more you spin it, the easier it is to negate the effect of the wind. However, sometimes no matter how much you spin the bag, the wind may be too powerful and blow it out of the sky. Putting more spin on your bag has another advantage that others may not be aware of. If you ever play in a tournament that uses brand new bags, this may be useful. New bags are usually very stiff and the corners can get stuck on the hole. Spinning the bag more can help force the bag into the hole and prevent the corners from getting stuck. It can also help the bag slide through a narrow lane of other bags on the board.

The angle of the bag can affect the way it lands on the board. For the most part, bags will slide straight forward if the bag is somewhat "flat" in the air. Depending on the type of boards and bags you use, you may be able to lean the bag on a certain angle so it curves to the left or right when it lands on the board. This is a bit difficult to explain, but when the left half of the bag is higher in the air than the right side, the bag will make a small jump to the left when it hits the board. Conversely, if the bag leans to the right it will jump to the right. This is an excellent shot to have in your arsenal when your opponent tries to block the hole.