Ladder Golf
Ladder Golf
Official Rules and History of the Game of Ladder Golf.
Ladder Golf Rules
Ladder Golf® is played with 2 or more players or teams. Each player has 3 golf ball bolas. A bola is 2 golf balls attached by a nylon rope. The object of the game is to wrap your bolas around the steps of the ladder. The ladder consists of 3 steps, a top, middle and a bottom step.
Playing The Game
Prior to game play a line must be set 5 paces from the ladder. This is the called the toss line. The official toss line is 15 feet away but most players measure 5 paces from the game ladder to set the toss line. This allows for a closer toss line for children’s games.Ladder Golf is played in rounds, each round consists of all players tossing 3 bolas. A coin toss is used to decide which player or team will toss first. The first player must toss all 3 bolas before the next player is able to toss his or her bolas. Bolas can be tossed in anyway the player chooses, as long as they are tossed individually and can be bounced off the ground. The winner of the round earns the first toss in the next round.Games are played to an exact point total of 21. In order to win, a player must be the only one to score exactly 21 points after the completion of a round. If a player goes over the exact point total, that players points for that round do not count. For example: A player with 18 points needs 3 points to get the exact score of 21 in order to win. If that player has 5 points hanging on the ladder after all the players have tossed all strands, none of those points count and the player will enter the next round with 18 points again needing 3 points to win.In the case of a tie, the players that tie will play as many overtime rounds as needed until one player ends a complete round 2 points ahead of the other player. The 2 point rule only applies in overtime rounds. During regular play any player can win as long as that player is the only one to score an exact total of 21 points at the end of that round no matter how many points the other players have.
Etiquette of the Game
Basic etiquette of Ladder Golf® states that contestants should make as many remarks, sounds or movements as possible during play in order to distract the opponent’s during play. Touching the player during tossing is never allowed. In the course of play no contestant is to walk to the ladder prior to completion of the current round of play.
Scoring
After all teams have tossed all their bolas, scoring is determined by the bolas that are still hanging from the steps. Players can knock-off bolas during the course of the game, in fact knocking-off other players bolas is encouraged and a good way to play defensively. bolas that are knocked off during play do not count as points. Only bolas that are left hanging after all bolas are tossed are counted as points.
Points
Points are determined by which step your bola wraps around. The top step is worth 3 points the middle step is worth 2 points and the bottom step is only worth 1 point. Players can score an optional bonus of 1 point by hanging all 3 bolas from the same step or by hanging a bola on all 3 (1-2-3) steps in one round. The highest amount of points available per player is 10. This is accomplished by hanging all 3 bolas on the top (3 point) step.
Team Play
Four players can play Ladder Golf® by alternating play each round. Players simply alternate turns with teammates. With multiple ladders 2 players on opposite teams would be on one side and the other 2 opposing players would be at the other game ladder. One side would toss all bolas and the other team would toss them back. The same rules apply.Download the official rules & instructions below.
History of the game of Ladder Golf
While many theories exist about where bola tossing games originated—from snake tossing to hunting with rocks on the ends of ropes—this story focuses specifically on the "Ladder Golf" branded game and its documented beginnings by me,
the inventor, Brent Doud.
My introduction to a bola tossing game happened during a weekend camping trip with friends at San Diego Bay in summer 2003. Our neighboring campers set up an improvised structure made from PVC sprinkler pipes. The game involved tossing tennis balls connected by rope at this pipe structure. My friends and I eventually tried this strange contraption and became instantly hooked on the playability and competitiveness of this game concept.When our neighbors departed the next day, we missed the game so much that I immediately went shopping for supplies. At the hardware store, I purchased PVC pipes and rope, then visited a sporting goods store for balls—opting for golf balls rather than tennis balls. Back at camp, we drilled holes through the golf balls while holding them in our hands (not recommended!) and assembled our own version of the game.
Evolution and Refinement
My father, Mike Doud, who can build anything, took great interest in the project. After approximately 12 prototypes, we created the perfect version with wooden ladders and metal hardware—a significant upgrade from the original PVC design. Given that we used golf balls in our early designs, naming it "Ladder Golf" seemed appropriate.
The game rules were finalized during a rainy evening with my soon-to-be brother-in-law Bill, after playing roughly 50 test games and documenting every possible scoring scenario.I built several sets of Ladder Golf games as gifts for friends who had enjoyed it at the campground. These became popular, with people requesting that I make and sell more.
From Hobby to Business
When my friend Matt called asking if I planned to do anything commercially with the Ladder Golf game, I realized I couldn't let it go. Matt, Darryl, and I quickly formed an LLC, refined the game further, registered LadderGolf.com, and each invested $2,000 to launch the business in the summer of 2003.This is the brief origin story of the game called Ladder Golf. Shortly after launching this game commercially dozens of knock-off Ladder Ball versions started appearing everywhere.I sold the Ladder Golf brand and its intellectual property in 2023 to Vivere LTD, twenty years after its inception~ Brent Doud
Brent Doud playing the game of Ladder Golf.
Ladder Golf was featured in The Wall Street Journal on April 15, 2015
Good Morning America featured Ladder Golf on June 22, 2015.
Popular Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts got a chance to play Ladder Golf. The segment about “Summer Products” was shot in Central Park and as you can see Robin is pretty good at Ladder Golf. I especially like the finger guns she fired off after making a 3 point shot!
Jullianne Hough playing Ladder Golf on Late Night TV July 8, 2012
Ladder Golf played on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon alongside Dancing with the Stars two-time champion, Julianne Hough. In a match between Fallon and Hough it seems as though the DWTS titleholder is not only a professional ballroom dancer but a natural at the popular outdoor game of Ladder Golf... that is until Fallon takes the win! Julianne shouldn't feel too bad though, this isn't Jimmy's first time playing Ladder Golf!
TODAY SHOW features Ladder Golf on June 22, 2012
Savannah Guthri and Matt Bean of Men's Health Magazine played Ladder Golf on the TODAY SHOW Friday morning in a fun spot about How to do things better this summer.
Jimmy Fallon and Martha Stewart play Ladder Golf on Late Night TV May 8, 2012.
This is the 3rd time Jimmy has played Ladder Golf on the Late Night show. The two enjoyed a couple beers (Bud Light to be exact) while playing a quick game of Ladder Golf brand ladder ball. Martha does NOT like to lose and you can tell as she heckled Jimmy throughout the game. Jimmy ended up winning 7-0 and his streak of Ladder Golf wins on Late Night continues.
Martha Stewart featured Ladder Golf on her show April 13, 2012
I traveled to NYC to watch the taping of The Martha Stewart Show. I got to sit in the front row of the studio audience to watch Martha play Ladder Golf as well as other yard games that were all setup in her studio. BTW.. Martha was not that good at Ladder Golf.
Mila Kunis and Jimmy Fallon play Ladder Golf on Late Night.
It looks like Jimmy Fallon has made Ladder Golf a regular game on the Late Night show and we LOVE it! Last night Jimmy squared off with Mila Kunis in a quick game of Ladder Golf. The 2 enjoyed a couple beers (Bud Light Limes to be exact) and talked about Mila’s new movie Friends with Benefits that opens this Friday. Jimmy proceeds to beat Mila pretty bad in Ladder Golf, but she did score a couple points. The final score was Jimmy 5 and Mila 2.
Tim McGraw and Jimmy Fallon play Ladder Golf on Late Night.
Jimmy beat Tim 8-1 before they had to cut to a commercial.
GQ Magazine - Best Stuff of the Year features Ladder Golf.
GQ's Best Stuff of the Year 2010 included the Ladder Golf brand game. We are proud to be recognized by GQ Magazine as the best beer in had game!
Ladder Golf Org.
Press Mentions:
San Diego Union Tribune
Forbes
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Ladder Golf© is owned by Vivere LTD.