While some cornhole enthusiasts may be meticulous , many players enjoy the game with flip-flops , relaxed attitudes and adult beverages and allow ample wiggle room for the distance rule and other cornhole particulars .
DEBATABLE ORIGINS It is believed that what evolved into modern cornhole started in the mid-1900s among college students in Ohio . Others say Kentucky pioneers devised the game well over a century earlier . Yet they might have learned it from Native Americans who played something similar with rudimentary tools . Research also points to a cabinetmaker in Germany who , in 1325 , supposedly introduced grain-filled bags and spare cabinet lumber to the sport .
Whatever its true roots , the pastime ’ s many nicknames include bag-o , chuck-o , beanbag toss , tailgate toss , soft horseshoes and ( for reasons unclear ) doghouse . Despite the casual nicknames , the sport has an official governing body , the American Cornhole Association , which oversees rules , organizes tournaments and promotes participation .
HOW TO PLAY Players take turns pitching their bags at the cornhole platform . A bag in the hole scores three points , while one landed on the platform scores one point . The person or team with the most points wins the round . The winner of the game is the first to score 21 points .
LEARNING THE LINGO Cornhole newcomers sometimes think they ’ re learning a whole new language as they navigate the sport ’ s quirky lingo , and players invent new terms all the time .
A bag that goes into the hole is a “ cornhole ,” one that lands at the hole ’ s rim but doesn ’ t fall in is a “ hanger ,” while one that plops down without further movement is a “ cowpie .” “ Sliders ” slide across the board and into the hole , well-placed “ blockers ” block opponents from achieving sliders and “ back doors ” tumble over blockers to score anyway . Bags tossed directly through the hole without touching the sides are “ airmail .”
Multiple terms describe how bags are thrown , such as underhand “ fold-overs ,” Frisbee-like “ slings ,” basketball-style “ jump shots ” and “ in-betweeners ” using both hands swung between legs . Players develop personal styles to suit their skills .
COLLEGE-LEVEL CORNHOLE In 2018 , James Graham and Hunter Yaklin , two Georgia Southern University freshmen , traveled to Myrtle Beach , South Carolina to the first ever National College Cornhole Championship . The ESPN-televised tournament offered lucrative scholarships as prizes . In 2021 , two Middle Georgia State University freshmen , Chelsea Hubbard and Michael Radney , followed a similar path from their campus and finished seventh out of 40 doubles teams . These student-athletes played cornhole recreationally with families and friends at an early age .
The Championship , operated by the American Cornhole League ( ACL ), crowns the best collegiate players and teams from around the country . The open format allows for any size college to participate . A college entry includes a team of four players , who receive a bid to the event by winning a qualifying tournament hosted by a sanctioned ACL Director , purchasing a bid directly for $ 500 or by winning a free bid from the ACL College Tour . The tour makes 10 stops in the fall in search of the best collegiate cornhole players .
DIY CORNHOLE While cornhole sets are available from many sources , building your own is easier than you might think . “ My grandfather has a passion for woodworking and an impressive home workshop , so together we built cornhole boards and painted them in my future school ’ s colors ,” reminisces Claire Peterson , Sea Island marketing coordinator . “ Friends started asking us to make sets for them , and before long we ' d built dozens as graduation presents .”
To satisfy cornhole aficionados , Peterson and her grandfather built to regulation standards . “ The playing surfaces must be two feet by four feet , the holes are six-inches in diameter and centered nine inches from the top edge . The legs on the raised side should measure 12¼ inches ,” Peterson explains .
Materials needed include half-inch-thick plywood for the playing surface , two-by-four-inch studs for frames and legs , plus carriage bolts , washers , nuts and wood screws to hold everything together . Finishing involves sanding surfaces smooth , painting designs to suit personal interests and applying a clear polyurethane coat for added smoothness and protection from the elements .
Peterson offers one learned-from-experience tip . “ Sewing dried corn into tossing bags can attract hungry squirrels , so instead we used plastic pellets . They feel and weigh about the same as their corn-filled counterparts .”
Whether you are playing casually at a family gathering or getting competitive during a tailgate , Peterson ’ s most important piece of advice is always remember to “ have fun !”
CORNHOLE ON RAINBOW ISLAND
Enjoy a round of cornhole during a Rainbow Island Supper , a Sea Island tradition created more than a half century ago . Tracing back to the 1950s , Rainbow Island Suppers began as an outdoor feast on Friday nights , featuring roasted oysters , shrimp , collard greens and fried chicken . Today , guests and members can enjoy these same classics and take the Jeep train between the Beach Club and Rainbow Island .
70 SEA ISLAND LIFE | FALL / WINTER 2022 / 23