Seventeen-year-old Cade Cassidy has the hardy entrepreneurial spirit of someone twice his age. His first successful endeavor was a line of tactical gloves equipped with LED lights that redefined usability for those in the first responder and law enforcement fields. Cassidy’s next project isn’t as serious, but still mighty useful: Beer Pong Golf.
Two cornhole-style boards covered in putting-felt feature carved holes for cups in a standard beer pong formation and, instead of lobbing a sand bag or ping pong ball into those holes, you chip light, plastic golf balls into them instead. A slab across the top of each board is customizable to your favorite team, making it an instant hit at fall tailgates everywhere.
Each board weighs about 10 lbs and fits any standard plastic cup. After the game is done, the contraption folds easily via a hinge underneath. The entire assembly is easy to set up and easy to transport. All you need to provide is a pitching or gap wedge for chipping the ball into the cups.
In the heart of college football country, Cassidy’s invention is a no-brainer. “My family loves golf and everyone around here plays it,” says the Hartsville, South Carolina native. “So that’s how it got started.”
For a project that initially took a couple of hours to construct, the Beer Pong Golf has already received rave reviews from nearby college students to whom Cassidy has sent test models since he’s still way too young to legally drink.
When can we expect to get our hands on a board? If you snag one through Kickstarter, orders will begin shipping in October. With about two weeks to go, Cassidy has raised over $113,000 for initial builds and delivery. The initial goal was $20,000.
Cassidy has designed the first run of boards as bi-fold units (manufacturing will take place in South Carolina). He is already looking at improvements, including a tri-fold version that will be even easier to transport.
Cassidy will graduate in spring 2018 and, not surprisingly, has his eyes set on business school in North Carolina.
There’s still time to support Beer Pong Golf on Kickstarter, which you can do here.
