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When is the last time you played horseshoes? Be honest…it’s probably been a while. Perhaps a few years? Maybe once or twice at a family reunion when you were a kid? Hell, it’s quite possible you’ve never pitched shoes in your life. Well, no matter how long it’s been, we think it’s about time you remedy that and hit the courts while there’s still a good chunk of summer left.

Horseshoes kind of rules. Just think about it! This sport—yes, it’s absolutely a sport—is free to play once you make the one-time-ever purchase of a set of horseshoes or, like, find a pair in your grandpa’s basement or whatever. It’s fun and can be played by folks of pretty much all ages and athletic ability. It happens outdoors. You can do it alone or against someone else. It was referenced in an Arrested Development song. And, most importantly, it’s a vaguely athletic thing you can totally do while drinking.

Recently, we got an unexpected itch to pitch for the first time in a long time. When that happened, we reached out to Milwaukee musician, former Milwaukee Record contributor, and noted horseshoes enthusiast Justin Kern. Beyond being (in his words) a “novice horseshoe pitcher,” Kern was also recently appointed the editor of the Wisconsin Horseshoe Pitchers Association newsletter. He’s competed in one or two sanctioned tournaments, but he typically prefers to pitch alone or with a friend at Humboldt Park, which he does a few times weekly when weather permits. Here’s his explanation for loving the game:

“I’m less interested in tournament play and ranking or winning, than I am in having a dedicated thing to do with no other expectations around it. I can be outside at one of our awesome parks or inviting bars and just do this one action. I’d like to get better, but the essence of the sport is defying perfection. I typically pitch alone, which probably sounds lame, but is cheaper than therapy and can be done with a can of Modelo. It’s somewhere between a Buddhist Lumbini and a smoke break.”

He graciously allowed us to join him on the court at Humboldt Park—which he encouraged the Milwaukee County Parks system to build after the opening of The Vine resulted in the park’s two existing pits to be removed—to throw a few innings with him, get us up to speed on the rules, and to give us the lowdown on the state of horseshoes in Milwaukee (and beyond). Between Kern’s teachings and some subsequent research on our behalf, here’s a semi-useful guide to playing horseshoes in and around the city.

How do you play horseshoes?

Since none of us are likely to sign up for tournaments anytime soon, let’s just give you rules for casual head-to-head play (or solo, if you simply disregard anything pertaining to someone else). Sound good? Good!

• The first person to 21 points wins, and there’s no penalty for going over.
• Ringers (when the ends of the horseshoe go past the pin) are worth three points. Anything within a horseshoe’s width of the pin is worth one point. Though “leaners” (when the shoe leans against the pin) aren’t officially recognized as anything different in tourney play, some people count them for two points. But if you’re a rule follower, they’re worth one point.
• Competitors throw from the same side of the court as one another, making sure not to throw from beyond the end of the wooden boards (unless age or physical limitations require them to throw closer to the pin). The first person (the last player to score) throws both of their horseshoes, followed by the second person doing the same.
• Only one person can score points in an inning (a.k.a. players’ points cancel each other’s out, they’re not cumulative). It’s like cornhole in that way, a comparison we imagine horseshoe aficionados don’t appreciate us making.
• In our time with Kern, we played best of three games, which took about 45 minutes when factoring a few mid-game breaks for conversation and sips of beer. If you’re short on time, a game between bad-to-novice players can be finished in 10-15 minutes. And if time is no matter, play best of five, seven, or even nine (assuming you’re not hogging one of the limited courts in the region).

Where can I play horseshoes?

As mentioned above, we played at Humboldt Park last week. There’s one court there, situated just beyond the seating area at The Vine beer garden. Humboldt is one of two parks in the County Parks system with horseshoe courts. The other can be found at Washington Park.

Beyond the limited options in the Milwaukee County Parks system, pits are currently kind of few and far between in metro Milwaukee. However, we know of at least a few places with ’em. Joe’s “K” Ranch in nearby Cudahy has a handful of courts and their reuben (pictured above) is outstanding if you’re looking for a pre- or post-shoes meal. Beyond that, we’ve seen a couple courts outside of King Pins in St. Francis and, even though the bar where we played horseshoes with West Allis’ mayor Dan Devine in 2015 appears to be closed now, we’d guess you’ll find a pit or two at bars in West Allis if you ask around. Yes, we’re aware those are all Milwaukee suburbs, but this is one time in regard to horseshoes when being close IS good enough.

So what’s the state of horseshoes in Milwaukee (and beyond)?

We asked Kern this admittedly broad and kind-of-loaded question while we were playing. He acknowledges the sport’s popularity is waning a bit as other activities like cornhole and pickleball are becoming more commonplace. However, he told us the game is still alive and well in places like Beloit, Wisconsin Rapids, and Wausau. In fact, Wausau was actually just selected to host the National Horseshoes Tournament in 2026.

Kern also told us about some Wisconsin-based players who are making names for themselves in the niche world of competitive horseshoes. He considers a woman named Penny Steinke, a school teacher by day, to be the best pitcher in the state. A college-age pitcher named Sarah Chaffee is a close second in his opinion, as she’s working her way up the ranks and taking on some of the country’s best men and women in the sport. That being said, neither Steinke nor Chaffee live in Milwaukee, where Kern says it’s “difficult to tell” if the sport has any solid footing at this point in time.

Really, why should I play horseshoes?

Um, did you forget when we told you it was referenced in an Arrested Development song, that it’s free to play, and that you can drink beer while you do it? If that’s still not enough to get you to the pits, maybe these parting words from Kern will sway you to be part of what we hope could be a horseshoes resurgence in the greater Milwaukee area.

“Come out with what’s left of summer and enjoy your drunk uncle’s favorite pastime. Horseshoes is welcoming and can be meditative, filled with trash talking, a space for storytelling and a moment of accidental glory. Embrace the nothingness of horseshoes as your escape from the incessant assault of our everyday reality. And please keep your pets out of the pits.”

We’ll see you out on the courts, Milwaukee.