Do you fancy a change from the classic dart
games such as 501, 301, and Cricket? In this video I’ll describe the game of
Golf as played on a dartboard. It’s a good game for practicing doubles
and it also requires some strategic thinking. It can be played by any number of players,
but I find it to be most enjoyable when there are four or more people in the game.
Let’s go over the basics… The 18 holes of a golf course are represented
by the dartboard segments 1 to 18. Players throw in turn at each number and proceed
through the entire course in sequence. The player who completes the course in the
least number of strokes wins the game. Every “hole” is a par 3 which is achieved
by hitting a single of the target number. So either a fat or a skinny segment scores
3 strokes. Hit the treble and you’ve scored a “Birdie”
– one under par, which is 2 strokes. A double counts as a hole-in-one. You score 1 stroke. Hitting anywhere outside the target segment
is a double-bogey – 2 over par – which costs 5 strokes. Here’s what makes the game interesting… On each hole, you may choose to throw all
three darts, or you may stop after one or two darts have been thrown.
Whatever you choose, only your last dart counts. In a moment we’ll play a game and everything
will become clear, but first you must decide the order of play. Do this however you wish – nearest the bull,
a dart with your non-throwing hand, two darts thrown together… whatever method you prefer. Be aware that the player who throws last in
each round has the advantage of seeing what everyone else has thrown. So, the winner of the cork throws last, the
second place in the cork throws second to last, and so on. OK! Let’s say, in this game there are six players. I’ll just use the letters A, B, C, D, E
and F. Draw a grid with a row for each of the 18
holes and a column for each of the players. Great! So, let’s get started. A throws first. His first dart misses the 1. He’s sitting on a double-bogey, so he will
definitely want to throw again. His second dart hits a single 1. So, he’s now on par – three strokes – and
he has a choice to make.
He can throw his third dart hoping to improve
his score with a birdie or a hole-in-one, or he can settle for par. At the start of the game it is perhaps best
to play cautiously. Avoid those double-bogies at all costs. With this in mind, A opts not to throw his
third dart. Mark him down for 3 strokes. Next up, B throws a double with her first
dart. A hole-in-one. She can’t improve on that, so she opts not
to throw her other darts.
Mark her down for one stroke. C hits just outside the double, tries for
the double again and just misses again. Dart number three is aimed at the center of
the fat part of the one, and lands safely for par – 3 strokes. D throws a wild one and accidentally hits
treble one – that’s a birdie – two strokes. She could attempt to improve her score by
hitting a double, but that’s a risky strategy at this stage of the game, so she stops right
there. By now I expect you’ve grasped how the game
is played. Just keep playing through all the numbers
up to 18, and the person with the least number of strokes at the end has won.
I could end the video here and you would know
enough to play the game, but I want to talk about how the game is chalked, and I want
to discuss some basic strategy, so let’s just say E and F both shot par on hole 1,
so we’re now on hole number 2. A hits a hole-in-one with his first dart and
obviously, opts to take that score. There are a couple of ways of recording the
score. Many of the guys I play darts with are also
golfers, so they insist the score should be recorded like a real golf scorecard. That is to say, you record the number of strokes
required for each hole and add them up at the end of the game. So, for example, A’s score on hole 2 would
be recorded as 1 stroke. When using this method, at any point in the
game when you want to know who’s winning, or how far you are behind, you have to do
math.
It’s tricky, but in a strange way I find
it adds to the fun. However, if you want to keep it simple, you
can keep a running total instead. So, in this case, just add 1 stroke to A’s
existing score of three to give 4 strokes. By keeping a running total, everyone can easily
see who is in the lead at every stage of the game.
I’m going to stick with the running total
method for the rest of this video, but you should choose whichever method you prefer. Let’s skip ahead, a few holes. For my personal strategy, I like to think
of the game in three parts – the 1st 6-holes, the middle 6, and the last 6. For the first six, I’ll throw my first dart
at the double, if I don’t get it I shoot for par and stick on it when I hit it. In the middle stretch, my strategy depends
on where I stand in respect to the leader. If I'm winning or within a couple of strokes
of the leader, I’ll stay with the strategy used on the first six holes. So, if I was player B, or D, I would continue
to play with the same strategy. But if I was, say, player A, 6-points behind
the lead, I need to attempt to close the gap.
I’ll still try for the double with my first
dart, but this time, if I miss the double, my second dart is thrown at the treble for
a birdie. If I fail to get the birdie, my third dart
is aimed at the fat segment. Now let’s skip ahead to hole 13, the start
of the final third of the course. From this point on it’s a matter of judging
where you stand in respect to the lead, and deciding the level of risk you need to take.
Player F, for example, is 9-strokes off the
lead and needs a miracle. It’s hole-in-one attempts all the way for
this player. Players A and D are only 3-strokes off the
lead, so they need to be fairly aggressive seeking 1 or 2-stroke scores, but must make
sure they avoid a double-bogey. I won’t bother playing the game out all
the way. The player with the lowest count at the end
wins the game.
It’s possible for more than one player to
tie on the winning score. You can play extra holes to decide the winner
if you wish. We simply call it a tie. That’s it for this video. I hope you get to play this game sometime. Let me know in the comments what you think
about it. I’ve got a few more similar videos in the
pipeline, so keep watching this channel. Thank you and shoot well..