Chippo
Price: $189.95
Purchase here
Most golfers will admit that practicing the short shots – chips, pitches, putts – isn’t the most exciting thing about golf. But don’t be fooled by this Chippo game. It’s not a tool intended for boring practice, but rather one intended to spice up your backyard (or your beach or your campsite) barbecue. Once you pull out your wedge and set up Chippo boards, it’s easy to get sucked in and throw out a little trash talk in the process.
The Chippo game is marketed as “the glorious lovechild of golf and cornhole.” The game includes two turf-covered backboards that look very similar to cornhole boards as well as two 9- x 11-inch hitting mats and six special balls. Game rules suggest setting up the boards at a distance of 15 feet, so as long as you have that amount of space, the game can be played anywhere – no grass needed.
The first thing to note is that Chippo is not nearly as easy as it looks, but that’s the beauty of the game. It’s wildly addictive, but simple enough that no prior golf skill is needed to play. Chip your ball in the big hole and you score two points. That’s easy enough. It’s much more difficult to hit either of the two larger holes on top of the board and score five points. The game rules introduce another intriguing challenge: Bounce a ball off the hitting mat in front of the board and into any hole to score double points.
The Chippo game features high-quality turf material covering the surfaces, a sturdy base and thick rubber underneath the hitting mats (which stow away conveniently on the back of the board when not in use). It’s easily portable, despite being a bit heavy, and durable.