Golf is often considered a luxury sport. Besides paying greens fees, you need to buy clubs, balls, shoes, a golf bag and more. The prohibitive costs can keep people from trying out the sport to see if it’s a good fit for them.
Chippo is a relatively new golf game that is challenging people’s preconceptions about the sport. According to the company, “Chippo is the glorious lovechild of golf and cornhole.”
Chippo sounded like a lot of fun, so we tested the game, and here's what we found.
Our tester describes themselves as a “classic weekend golfer.” They have been playing since middle school and have a 10 handicap. They also grew up playing cornhole at picnics, tailgates and other outdoor gatherings. Horseshoes and ladder toss are two other popular yard games they enjoy. Before this, however, our tester had never tried Chippo.
While Chippo might look the same as cornhole, it plays as a totally different game. The boards are the same size and you set them up in the same position, but that’s as deep as the similarities go. Chippo is a golf game, not a tossing game, and therefore employs a different skillset.
While cornhole has one hole in each board, Chippo has three holes. The boards are also covered in artificial turf to cement the golfing theme. When compared to a typical cornhole board, we thought Chippo had much more heft and had higher-quality materials.
Chippo costs $179.89. You can purchase it on Amazon.
There is no assembly required — all you have to do is unbox and set up the game. Chippo comes with instructions to teach you how to play.
Before playing, place the boards 15 feet apart, facing each other. Put one chipping mat in front of each board and you’re ready to start your first game.
While there are several versions of play (Match Play, Cornhole-style and Six Ball), scoring remains the same for each game. You get one point for hitting the board, three points for hitting your ball into the large center hole and five points for getting your ball into either of the smaller top holes. For an added challenge, you can bounce your ball off the chipping mat to double your score.
The foam balls are a great idea. They remove the fear of accidentally putting one through a nearby window, so you can thoroughly enjoy the game, even if you’re still learning. You can even play in a large indoor space, such as a garage. One of the most important things to point out is that this game is almost as much fun to play by yourself as it is to play with others. It’s well-built and comes with a convenient carrying case.
Chippo isn’t cheap. It’s priced along the lines of a quality cornhole set. Further, the game does not include clubs, so you must supply your own. If you aren’t already a golfer, this may be a minor inconvenience. It’s worth noting that Chippo is not something a novice would excel at out of the box. It’s extremely difficult to score, which, conversely, helps hold your interest once you become a skilled player.
We went into testing this activity with fairly low expectations and were shocked to discover not only how much fun Chippo is, but how much skill it takes to get the ball into one of the three holes. Playing Chippo is a fun activity that can definitely improve your golf game. If you’re an avid golfer, someone who just loves playing competitive games or you host or attend a lot of outdoor events, Chippo is worth the price.
PGA Tour Golf Chipping Net Set
If you’d like to practice chipping, this set is a solid option. It includes a golf net, two putting mats, 15 balls, six tees and more. When not in use, the set folds down flat for portability and easy storage.
Sold by Kohl’s
GoSports Chipster Golf Chipping Pop-Up Practice Net
You can place this set of three chipping targets anywhere you desire for practice. It comes with 12-inch, 18-inch and 24-inch targets.
GoSports Portable-Size Cornhole Game Set
This is not a full-size cornhole set. It measures just 2 feet long by 1 foot wide, making it ideal for bringing along to picnics, offices, dorms, tailgating parties and more. It comes with two boards and six beanbags.
Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.