Buying a set of cornhole boards... • Northern NY Cornhole

So, you are looking to buy a set of Cornhole boards. One thing is for sure, once you play this game, you will want your own set of boards.

You can always run to your garage and start measuring and cutting, or jump on Facebook marketplace and find someone making a custom set out of plywood and 2x4s, which while both will provide hours of fun, but eventually you will likely want to upgrade. Don’t wait on the upgrade! Invest from the beginning, take care of your boards and they will last a lifetime! Start playing on quality, consistent boards and never look back.

So what makes a good board?

1. The board needs to meet ACL or ACO Specs. That means a board will be 2 feet wide by 4 feet long. The hole will be a 6 inch hole centered 9 inches from the top of the board and centered horizontally. The top of the front of the board will be between 2.5 and 3.5 inches and the back will be 12 inches above the ground (+/- .25 inches).

2. Playing surface. This needs to be 3/4 inch thick cabinet grade plywood (typically Baltic Birch) with no voids. All corners should be rounded along with all edges and the perimeter of the hole needs to be rounded over to prevent any damage to bags. Some companies use vinyl wraps on the tops of the boards, but the best board companies use direct print where the ink is printed directly to the finished board surface. Regardless of whether the top is left blank, painted, stained, wrapped or direct printed, it needs to be finished with multiple layers of water based polyurethane. The top should never have screw holes in it, unless it is an all weather material like trex. Plywood is the preferred playing surface, but trex is a good alternative for boards that you leave outside.

3. Frame – the frame can be made out of solid wood or plywood just like the surface of the board. It is ideal not to use 2x4s for the frame as they do not allow the boards to sit at the correct height and add unnecessary weight to a board. The frame should be recessed so it does not but up against the edge of the playing surface. The frame should be attached to the playing surface with glue and pocket screws from the underside of the surface. In addition, the frame should have at least one support brace going from side to side, which will cut down on the bounce of the boards. In addition, the frame should be painted with the same poly that is used on the surface to maintain the wood and keep the boards lasting forever. Bonus feature, I love a board with a built in handle to aid in carrying moving the boards.

4. Legs – the legs need to be beefy enough to support the frame and playing surface, along with holding the boards steady as the bags are landing on it. They should be at least the width of the frame supports if not wider. All legs should have a center brace connecting the legs to provide more stability.

5. Accessories and add ons – While not necessary, there are some accessories that make the boards play better. The first one is rubber feet on the back legs. These stop the board from “walking” when you are playing on a a surface such as concrete, pavement or indoor hard surfaces. Second is a built in scoreboard. While you will likely at some point get a score tower or separate scoreboard, you will want a way to keep score as you play, and there is no better way than the scoreboard on the back of the legs. It also requires you to pack less when you are trying to be minimal when taking your boards places. There are a few others such as bottle openers, speakers and the such, and you really just need to account for how heavy the boards are if you are going to be carting them around all over because all of a sudden you have the best boards amongst your friends.

*** Companies ***

There are so many companies out there that make awesome boards and even a few individuals that can match the quality, however I always recommend playing on a set of boards and handling a set of boards before you invest any money. Like with other things in life, you can pay a ton and get a little, or pay a little and get a ton.

I prefer to give my money to West Georgia Cornhole, more specifically their Pro Series Custom boards. I now own 6 sets of these boards with a 7th on the way. They are top of the line and include everything I have mentioned above (3/4 top, direct printed, recessed and inset frame, thick legs, scoreboard on one end, all covered in West Georgia’s board armor poly finish on all parts of the boards). You can get these shipped to you for right around $300 without bags, or $360 with ACL approved bags. Once you order, you typically wait 2-3 weeks and then they show up at your door, perfectly packed and ready to play. Titan boards are also made in the same location as West Georgia Cornhole.

There are other companies out there that make comparable boards also and depending on where you live and how far you are willing to drive, you might be able to save a little and support a smaller manufacturer. I will list them below with contact info and let you explore.

Empire Cornhole Boards (Utica/Oneonta) – Full set of boards for around $260 if you drive to pick them up.

518 Cornhole (Plattsburgh) – Full set of boards for around $275 if you drive to pick them up

There are also a number of companies who sell quality boards online and can ship them to you. I will list their names here, but do some looking before you buy. Shipping gets high for some of these companies and their wait times will vary. Some of them charge up to $500 for a set of boards and after playing on them, have not found any that play better than the $300 set from West Georgia Cornhole (including their own X-Factor boards).

All Cornhole, Slick Woodys (make sure you round the edges after they arrive), Wicked Cornhole, Cornhole Ace, Buffalo Boards, Ultra Cornhole.