OT: Cornhole

[Extra Point]

I played for the first time yesterday, and it was a lot of fun. Thought I might buy a set for myself and then I saw how expensive they are. Why are they so expensive? The cheapest on Amazon is $50, and they go up to almost $200. Are they made out of some type of rare wood and beans? I figure I will try making a set.

 

[RUBubba]

I'm a "play cornhole 2 times a year at a barbeque" kind of a guy, but I was given a set by a friend that she thought was "cute" with American Flags on it.

It was cheap as hell. The boards were flimsy, so they acted like trampolines, the legs cracked on one, and the bean bags were inconsistent in how they were filled. One was overfilled, one underfilled. Didn't matter though because the bags broke apart the second day we used them...

 

[Scarlet4Shore]

There is a guy in the Asbury Park area that will custom make them for you with whatever you want on them (sports teams, etc). Last I saw he was charging $120 for a set. Not sure about the bean bags.

 

[RUinBoston]

I played for the first time yesterday, and it was a lot of fun. Thought I might buy a set for myself and then I saw how expensive they are. Why are they so expensive? The cheapest on Amazon is $50, and they go up to almost $200. Are they made out of some type of rare wood and beans? I figure I will try making a set.

You're probably going to spend $50 on lumber alone, no? Unless you have it lying around.

And then your set won't be accredited by the Federation International De Cornhole Association

 

[newell138]

don't cheap out on a cornhole set because you won't even want to play on it.

 

[RUinOhio]

get bags on ebay...I did boards myself, plywood and 2x4. painted them too

 

[SouthJerseyRU]

don't cheap out on a cornhole set because you won't even want to play on it.

Great advice, remember not only don't cheap out on the boards also don't cheap on the bags. The good bags are double sided with one side a slide side and one side a stick side.

Also remember that good boards made with with thicker lumber are big and heavy, so you are going to make room in your tailgate packing.

 

[e5fdny]

I had a set made for my older boy when he graduated college last year.

I designed it myself and the company came up with the “decal” and mounted it on their proprietary hardware. Solid construction. Good legs, hinges and smooth top board.

I waterproofed it myself (3 coats - sanding in between each one) with some polyurethane an added a light ring for the hole.

Like others have said, get the good bags. And the cheap sets…you won’t want to play on them. His roommate’s parents went that route and it looked and played like crap. Made mine look like an Aston Martin to his Yugo…one that went thru some tough stuff in Sarajevo. LOL

Also found a nice case with a carrying strap for the set on Amazon which makes it great to carry, store and protect.

After all that, it was used once at his graduation party and sits in that great case in our basement.🤷‍♂️

 

[RU848789]

Wife got me a heavy duty wood set that's painted red and white with the block R on it. It's certainly held up, but it's quite heavy and I'm probably going to look for something lighter. Haven't played much at tailgates, but have played a fair amount at our house parties and at big parties/events I've DJ-ed. Fun game - similar motion to pitching in slow pitch softball, which I've been doing for decades now...

 

[iReC89]

If you do it yourself, get the bit that cuts the hole cleanly for $16. I used a jig saw. Not terrible, but not my best work.

 

[RU Golfer]

My set came from these guys, you pay for it but the quality is top notch they also sell the fast/slow bags mentioned by @SouthJerseyRU if you choose to get them.

https://www.allamericantailgate.com/

 

[LETSGORU91]

I got a solid, Rutgers set for my birthday many years back. Its 2x4" construction and solid as can be. It gets a ton of use and the bags that came with it are very durable and serviceable. The certified boards these days are 1x3" construction and the quality varies amongst them. If you go with 1x3, make sure there is a cross brace to help support the four foot plywood. I upgraded the bags last year to Game Changers and they are worth the money in my opinion for anyone who wants to improve their game. At the bare minimum, stay away from bags filled with actual corn (versus synthetic fill). Mice and/or squirrels are attracted to them. Costco has a set for $120 that intrigues me as a backup/second set but the display is vertical and I can't test the rigidity of the frame/deck. Also, I expect the bags to be standard/cheaper bags. But for $120, I'd consider it. If it goes on sale, I will probably pick one up.