From Backyard to Bar Game, Bags Has Found a Home

Whether you call it Bags, Cornhole or Corn Bags, the basics of the backyard and beer garden phenomenon that’s swept the Midwest in recent years remain the same.

There’s a set of raised, sloped boards with a hole at the raised end; eight bags filled with corn, sand or something similar; and two teams, made up of either one or two players per side. Teams play to 21, by one-point (on the board) or three-point (in the hole) tosses.

Bags, as it’s known throughout the Chicago region, has found its niche in Oak Lawn and surrounding areas thanks to a wealth of players, a number of local spots to play and local shops that sell the equipment.

The various places to buy or play the game allow for easy access to an activity that can take mere minutes to play or become an all-day event.

For shop owners such as Bill Veil, owner and operator of the Oak Lawn-based World Bean Bag Association, the boom has created a seemingly unending supply of customers.

While the game has been around for years, the recent boom has seen it grow from a backyard barbeque game into a popular sport, with local leagues and tournaments at bars across the area and the country.

“We host about 10 tournaments a year,” Veil said. “We host them for everything from charities to radio stations. Some can be kind of tiny, but others can get really big. It all really depends on the venue we hold them at.”

In Oak Lawn and neighboring communities, it’s a safe bet that if a bar has an outside beer garden, there will be a set of boards and bags waiting. In Oak Lawn, two of the bars that prominently feature leagues, tournaments or open play are Tailgaters and The Hot Corner. According to Veil's website, The Hot Corner is a featured bar to play in the area.

For the more casual player, a set of boards and bags can be picked up at several spots in the area. The World Bags Association of America store, The Craft Show Store, Play-It-Again Sports and several local residents all offer boards of varying designs and paint schemes.

For the past five years, Oak Lawn resident Mike Hutton has spent his retirement making sets of bags and boards for friends and family.

“I got started when my nephew asked me to make him a set. Now it's just something I do to keep me busy and keep me out of the boss's hair,” Hutton said with a laugh.

The boss Hutton is referring to is his wife, Irene.

“You know, I like that he does this for the family,” she said. “It keeps him busy and lets him work with his hands.”