If you've ever enjoyed playing the outdoor game Cornhole (or Baggo), then you'll definitely enjoy playing with its younger cousin, Ladder Golf. You'll love it even more when calling by its more common name: Hillbilly Golf, and when playing on your very own home-made set! Let me show you how...
Ever since Shawna (my wife) and I first saw this game at a family park in Chattanooga, TN, I decided to construct the game for us. Well, I started seeing them for sale all over the place in various sporting-good stores, but with cheap, "mickey-mouse" construction (sorry Mickey). I found that even in the big-box sports stores the ladder golf sets were made with thin plastic tubes and bolas made out of foam; which may be good for five-year-olds but obviously not for the budding Ladder Golf Aficionados, of which I am a part. I wanted to "perfect" the design from the example we saw at the park that day. The guy that let us play on his home-made set was nice enough to let me study his design and take a few pictures.
The rusty cogs in my mind immediately began to turn!
The rusty cogs in my mind immediately began to turn!
As I started to peruse the web looking for tips, I noticed a few sites offering home-made sets for sale. While it would be a big time-saver to purchase one of these pre-made games, I wanted the challenge of using the least-expensive (yet sturdy) materials and to build a set on my own, and to optimize its portability. I saw some higher-end Ladder Golf sets for sale on the web, too (as seen in the photo above), but was determined to save money and "strike-out" venture out on my own. Down the road, I may attempt to build one of those fancy hardwood sets so as to impress my fellow picnic'ers across the fruited plain. But for now, I'll get my money's worth on the Hillbilly Golf set I currently have.
