Club Tweed Hosts Inaugural International Cornhole Event

More than 100 players from across the US, Canada, France and Indonesia arrived in Tweed Heads for the special three-day lawn game event, with over 500 spectators turning up to watch them across the weekend. 

Club Tweed Bowls Manager Wayne Turley OAM said the team had worked hard to set the stage on their 42-year-old carpeted indoor bowling green — an airconditioned, multi-purpose facility. 

“Ours was the very first indoor green in Australia, so we’ve done many huge events here over the years,” Wayne said. 

“We want to make sure we utilise our indoor green not just for bowls but for other functions, and we thought this is a way to bring something to our Club and to showcase our Club worldwide.” 

Wayne, like many, wasn’t exactly an expert on cornhole when he was first shown a clip by an Australian representative player. But he immediately had the idea to host the event on the Club’s green and contacted the ACL straight away. 

While the indoor grandstand itself can hold 200 people, there is room for “hundreds” in the indoor facility, so members and locals were encouraged to head down and have a go at the game over the weekend. 

“We've been pushing it at the Club over the last month, really ramping up advertising and showing cornhole games constantly on screens to get the members used to it,” Wayne said. 

The Club also used the event as an opportunity to showcase the Club’s recent rebrand and stunning new facilities. 

“Since we've rebranded from Tweed Heads Bowls Club to Club Tweed, we are trying to showcase that the Club is more than just than a bowls venue,” Wayne said. 

“We've created a new green, opened a new sports lounge, and this event showcased that it is a community-based Club which hosts many types of events.” 

The ACL has 250,000 registered players across 15 countries, with it being called the fastest growing sport in North America. 

Now they have their sights set on the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, with ACL Chief Development Officer Todd Kisicki saying the expansion to the Australian market is an essential part of the 2032 vision. 

Kisicki said he could see Australia winning gold in Brisbane.

“We know that Australia is a great sporting nation, and that it won’t be long before cornhole is being played in more backyards, in more schools and at formal competitions like the ACL Australia Open in Tweed Heads,” Mr Kisicki said.

“Who’s to say that if cornhole is included at an Olympic games in the near future, the Aussies won’t be fielding one of the most competitive teams in the world!”

As for Wayne, while he won’t be updating his title to Bowls & Cornhole Manager just yet, he is excited at the prospect of a new offering at the Club. 

“It’s always exciting to see something different we can add to the Club,” Wayne said. 

Overall, Wayne said the weekend was a huge success. 

“The American Corn Hole Australian Open was a huge success with many visitors from all over the world participating,” he said. 

“It created great interest with not only our own members but also the general public. A huge success from everyone involved which we hopefully can have back again.”