Picklehole: America’s Next Family-Friendly Pastime

American Pickleball Organization has partnered with US Cornhole to launch US Picklehole; the official governing body of the emerging sport of Picklehole (patent pending). 

Picklehole’s popularity isn't just growing - it's skyrocketing, with an impressive 268 percent surge over the past two years alone. It’s America’s next family-friendly pastime game.

Picklehole is a unique sport that ingeniously combines elements of cornhole and pickleball. It can be played indoors or outdoors, competitively or socially on a modified tennis and cornhole court making it accessible to a wide range of players. The gameplay involves the use of a paddle, a distinctive perforated ball similar to a Wiffle Ball, two cornhole boards and cornhole bags. Picklehole can be played with two or four players. 

Cornhole dates back to the early to mid 1900s originating in Ohio. A true renaissance man by the name of Cornelius Pickleito, a farmer and forward thinker invented the Corn Cropper; also locally known as the “Crapper”. Pickleito’s Crapper was the tool of choice for harvesting corn and other grains. 

Cornelius’s young son, Yogi, would work the Crapper starting at a very ripe age. Like father like son, when not tending to the crops, Yogi would tinker and design prototypes of all sorts. One day to pass time he came up with the idea to fill a 6x6 inch square burlap bag with corn kernels and he would try to throw these corn bags through a hole he cut in a board. As many know, Yogi is credited as the one who invented cornhole.

Then, in 1951, devastation set in on the Pickleito farm. A historical locust plague infiltrated the Ohio Valley wreaking havoc killing off 90% of crops in the Midwest. Not only did the Pickleito’s lose their crop that year; but, young Yogi also lost a finger tending to the Crapper during the locust swarm. 

The Pickleito’s had no choice but to leave the farm behind and headed east settling on Long Island, NY. In the 50s tennis was very popular on Long Island due to the proximity to the US Open. With Yogi down a finger he wasn’t getting the power he wanted in tennis so he tried his hand at the new up-and-coming sport of pickleball. 

Yogi’s creative juices kicked in once again and he meshed both pickleball and cornhole to invent the next best sport and he coined the phrase Picklehole. The rest is history.

Fast forward to 2024 Picklehole is spreading ironically as fast and furious as the locust plague. “I have always looked for the silver lining in any situation.” -Yogi Pickleito. 

So what are you waiting for! Get out there this season and give Picklehole a try with your family and friends. Warning: Picklehole can be very addicting!