Build a Ladder Toss Game

by Allan Britnell

You can be a DIY weekend sports hero! This easy-to-build game is bound to become a cottage classic. Get into the swing of it!

This may well be the perfect cottage game: It’s an afternoon’s DIY project, it’s a no-brainer to learn, and it’s addictively fun. It goes by a variety of names, including Spinnerball and Hillbilly Horseshoes, but we like the straightforward and descriptive Ladder Toss.

Building the game

To build the ladder, buy 6' of 1"-dia. dowel and two 8'-long 2x4s, or scrounge materials (scrap wood, old paddle shafts, broom handles, or maybe even an old, broken ladder) to fit the measurements on the illustration. Drill centred holes halfway through the uprights as shown, and fasten dowels in place with screws. To assemble each foot, sandwich 3" pieces (fitting snugly on either side the 2x4 uprights) between two 2'-long pieces using 3" screws. For compact storage, don’t screw the uprights in place, so you can pull them out of their slots in the feet.

Making the bolas

For the bolas—named for their resemblance to a South American hunting weapon—secure a golf ball in a vise and drill a centred, 5/16"-dia. hole halfway through. Repeat for two sets of six matching balls (you can use balls in two different colours, or draw a stripe on one set with permanent marker). Fill the holes with glue, then jam in the ends of 14"-long pieces of 1/4"-dia. braided line.

Mom says! A golf ball to the head can hurt, so exercise caution, particularly when kids or cottage cocktails are involved.

Playing the game

This game has as many rule variations as it does names. For argument’s sake (and settlement), use these “Official Cottage Life Ladder Toss Rules.”

How to play

Standing behind a throw line 20' back from the ladder, the first player lobs three bolas, one at a time, trying to land them on a horizontal rung. Then the second player goes. Tally the score. Switch the order for each round.

Scoring

The bottom rung is the easiest to hit (particularly if you count boun-cing bolas) and the middle’s the hardest, so score one point for each bola on the bottom, two points on top, and three in the middle. Score a bonus point for landing all three bolas on one rung (a hat trick) or one on each rung (a full rack).

It’s okay to knock an opponent’s bolas off the ladder—intentionally or otherwise. If both players land a bola on the same rung, they cancel each other out.

The objective

The game ends when a player reaches exactly 21. If you go over, your score drops to 15. If you tie at 21, keep going until a round ends with one player at least two points ahead. For a shorter game, play fewer rounds, instead of trying to reach 21.

Video: How to throw the bola

Video: footage from the 2007 Ladder Toss Tournament in San Diego, CA (yes, there's a tournament for everything!)

Originally published in the Summer 2008 issue of Cottage Life magazine.

Copyright © 2008 by Cottage Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, photograph, or artwork, for other than personal use, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden.