Corn hole on the Sand: The Boys & Girls Clubs Tournament at Del Mar Dog Beach
A round-robin cornhole tournament on the sand at Del Mar Dog Beach, with a VIP tent, unlimited drinks, and every dollar going to eight Boys & Girls Clubs across North County.
Overview
Most cornhole tournaments happen in a parking lot or a brewery patio. This one happens on the sand at Del Mar Dog Beach, which is a considerably better place to spend a Saturday morning.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego run it as a fundraiser, and the format is real — round-robin play in Novice and Competitive divisions, games to 21, with the top 16 teams advancing to single elimination. Around that sits the part most people actually come for: a VIP tent with unlimited beer, drinks and snacks, local food vendors, and a morning on the beach with a few hundred people who are also there for a good cause.
The organizers describe it plainly enough: "Compete in a lively cornhole tournament, enjoy unlimited beer, drinks, and snacks in the VIP Tent, connect with fellow players, and soak up sun in the sand."
What You Need to Know
When: Saturday, September 26, 2026 — check-in 8 a.m., first toss around 9 a.m.
Where: Del Mar Dog Beach, Del Mar, CA
Format: Round-robin in Novice or Competitive divisions; games to 21; top 16 teams advance to single elimination
Team entry: $500 per two-person team at early-bird pricing
Spectators: VIP Spectator tickets were $75 early-bird
Ages: Children welcome with adult supervision — but read the note below
Food and drink: Local food vendors on site; no outside alcohol
Benefits: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego
Contact: Julia Brown-Farley, (858) 720-2188
Register: bgcgreatertogether.org
What You Get for the Entry
At $500 for a two-person team, this is priced as a fundraiser rather than a rec league — and it's worth understanding what's bundled in before you judge the number.
A team entry covers both players and includes two meal tickets, two shirts, and VIP tent access with unlimited beer, drinks and snacks for the day.
A VIP Spectator ticket gets you the same tent access plus a meal ticket and a raffle ticket, without playing. That's the option if you want the morning without the competition, or if you're coming to support a team.
Split between two people with food and an open bar included, it lands closer to a ticketed charity event than a tournament fee — which is exactly what it is.
Novice or Competitive
Pick honestly, because the divisions exist for a reason.
Novice is for people who don't play regularly — the organizers define it as playing less than quarterly. If corn hole is something you do at barbecues, this is you.
Competitive is for people who actually play. If you own your own bags, you know which division you're in.
Round-robin means you're guaranteed multiple games regardless of how you do, so a novice team isn't going to get knocked out in fifteen minutes and spend the rest of the morning watching. The top 16 advance to single elimination from there.
Good to Know
It's an early start. Check-in at 8 a.m. and first toss at 9 means this is a morning commitment, which also means you're done in time for the rest of your Saturday.
About bringing kids. The organizers are refreshingly honest here: children are welcome with adult supervision, but there's alcohol service and the team-name announcements get raunchy. It's a good-natured adult crowd, and worth knowing before you bring a seven-year-old.
Parking takes planning. Street parking runs along the west side of Via De La Valle in a residential stretch, and there's metered parking at the north end of the 101 — enforced, so feed it. The organizers recommend carpooling or rideshare, which is the right call at an event with an open bar. Motorhomes aren't permitted on the 101.
No outside alcohol. Drinks are provided in the VIP tent and sold on site.
Dress for the sand. You'll be standing on a beach for several hours in September — sunscreen, a hat, and shoes you don't mind getting sandy.
Can you bring your dog? It's Del Mar Dog Beach, so people will ask. The event listing doesn't address it.
Where the Money Goes
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego run eight clubhouses across North County, including Oceanside, Del Mar and Carmel Valley. The programming goes well beyond after-school care: athletics, summer and break-week camps, an aquatics centre with swim lessons and competitive teams, music through the Youth Arts Academy, culinary arts, a Montessori early-childhood program, and ROADs, which serves adults with disabilities.
The organization also provides hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial assistance annually and serves a substantial number of meals to kids. A $500 team entry sits inside that, which is a straightforward way to think about the price.
Sponsorships are available at $6,000 presenting, $3,000 court and $1,500 tent, along with in-kind options — worth knowing if you're a local business looking for a North County audience.
